Argh!!! CO2 leak!!

If a keg runs dry, will keeping it pressurized cause a leak through the beer line even if it didn't seem to leak CO2 when there was beer in it?

It shouldn't leak if it didn't before. Technically co2 is smaller than beer, so the faucet could have a small leak that co2 would leak out of, but beer wouldn't.

It was a new faucet on this keg. Maybe the seals are bad on it?

Weird thing is that the kegs were on CO2 for several weeks with no noticeable problems. One went dry maybe 4-5 days ago but I didn't shut off the CO2 on it. Went to get a pull today and no pressure at all on the full keg. Checked the dry keg to see if it was still pressurized, but it wasn't.

Are both kegs coming off the same regulator, or do you have a dual stage with a keg on each side? Is it a regular tap or a picnic tap?

Single regulator with 2 gas out lines

I'd say fill the tank and use some soapy water in a spray bottle to try to find the leak. Also, unhook the empty keg next time. I never leave mine on gas just because I'm afraid it could leak, and I don't wanna risk it.

Yeah I'll give that a try. Not sure what else I can do.

If there is a leak, would it be evident pretty quickly with soapy water?

A kicked keg shouldn't leak at all. My poppets are always giving me problems. If you have valves, throw some pressure on the system and close ALL the valves, then see what leaks.

That's a good idea too. The soap will help if its a big enough leak.

Thanks. I'll get the co2 tank refilled today and test it. Is it recommended to change the plastic washers each time you refill a co2 tank?

hezagenius said:

Thanks. I'll get the co2 tank refilled today and test it. Is it recommended to change the plastic washers each time you refill a co2 tank?

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I haven't heard that you should change them. I've only had mine refilled once, so it hasn't seen a lot of abuse. If it is damaged, I would replace it; otherwise, just reuse it.

The plastic gaskets are supposedly single use. Fiber gaskets can be re used...

Cheers!

Alright, so I got a new tank and it is still slowly leaking.

Couple of questions:
How tight should MFL connections be screwed on? Is hand tightening OK or should I use a wrench to tighten them down more? I have the plastic washers on them.

I noticed that the gas line can be rotated on the barb with a little bit of effort. Should the gas line be clamped down so that it doesn't move at all? I tried pulling on it and it wouldn't come off the barb. It is clamped on with the type of clamp that requires a wrench. My local HBS said those were better than the kind that tighten with a screwdriver.

hezagenius said:

Alright, so I got a new tank and it is still slowly leaking.

Couple of questions:
How tight should MFL connections be screwed on? Is hand tightening OK or should I use a wrench to tighten them down more? I have the plastic washers on them.

I noticed that the gas line can be rotated on the barb with a little bit of effort. Should the gas line be clamped down so that it doesn't move at all? I tried pulling on it and it wouldn't come off the barb. It is clamped on with the type of clamp that requires a wrench. My local HBS said those were better than the kind that tighten with a screwdriver.

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I'm usually guilty of over tightening everything I touch. Well, maybe not over tightening, but tightening more than some may. That just comes from me always working on my own stuff, and learning what things can take. No, the hose should not turn. Hand tighten all fittings, then do around a quarter turn with a wrench. That should take care of that. You did tighten the regulator to the tank with a wrench, right?

Is the hose actually spinning on the barb? That shouldn't happen. The clamps they use are typically referred to as PEX clamps. They are cool because they won't chew up your tubing like a worm clamp will. Do all of them spin? Maybe they weren't properly installed.

The only hose fitting that spins is the gas line going into the MFL tailpiece on the Sanke tap.

I don't have PEX crimping tool so I will need to take that off and put on a worm clamp.

I'll tighten up the 2 MFL connections with a wrench and give it overnight to see if it still leaks.

"PEX" clamps? Commonly used on beer tubing? Really?

How about "Oetiker" clamps...

Cheers!

day_trippr said:

"PEX" clamps? Commonly used on beer tubing? Really?

How about "Oetiker" clamps...

Cheers!

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Oetiker is a manufacturer of cinch clamps commonly used for the installation of PEX tubing. There are other manufacturers of the same thing. Look up PEX clamps, and you find Oetiker clamps. Look up Oetiker clamps, and you find PEX clamps. Kinda like the "Coke/Pepsi" thing when you are talking about a carbonated soft drink. Like people say "weed-eater" instead of string trimmer. Technically I guess we both should've called them cinch clamps.

Ah, thanks, I had no idea folks used crimp rings on PEX (and now that I've looked there's a crap ton of those). I've always used the expansion rings with the fancy "gun"...

Cheers!

It may be because I'm old, but I've never taken to crimp rings or other types of clamps. Give me a worm drive clamp any day.

mikescooling said:

It may be because I'm old, but I've never taken to crimp rings or other types of clamps. Give me a worm drive clamp any day.

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As long as its a nice thick one I second this. I will destroy the flimsy ones though.

day_trippr said:

Ah, thanks, I had no idea folks used crimp rings on PEX (and now that I've looked there's a crap ton of those). I've always used the expansion rings with the fancy "gun"...

Cheers!

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We both learned something. I didn't know there were a half dozen ways to connect PEX.

Well, after tightening up the 2 MFL connections, things look to be stable so that is good. I guess I didn't know you could tighten those any tighter than just by hand. I figured it would crush the flared nylon washer inside.

Also, after they were tightened, the hose no longer moved on the barb. I think what was going on was that the barbed swivel nut was loose enough that the barbed end could rotate so it made it look like the hose was not tight. Once the MFL connection was tightened, the barbed end of the swivel nut was immobilized and now the hose can't turn.

Sweet! You should be golden now.

It must take quite a bit to crush one of those washers, because I've reefed all of my flare fittings on two multi-drop CO2 systems (4 way and 6 way) down pretty tight and they've held for years now.

If the hose barb piece can rotate inside the swivel nut, it's definitely not tight enough...

Cheers!

I've cracked one of the washers! It's definitely possible. Like somebody else said, go finger tight on the MFL fittings, then barely snug them up with a wrench. 1/4 turn at the most. And have lots of extra washers on hand...

Mine have integral washers. I didn't realize they even made them without them.

n240sxguy said:

Mine have integral washers. I didn't realize they even made them without them.

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The corny disconnects come with integrated washers. Sankey couplers with MFL fittings don't.

Ah. Gotcha