Conflicting Kegerator information

I am all ready to convert my fridge into a kegerator. I want to go all stainless steel with a 4" shank, Perlick faucet and 3/16" beer line. I found most of what I need from 1 place, but their technical support person gave me information that conflicts with what I think I know.

I want a 3/16" tail piece, but they only had 1/4" Stainless. They said just warm up the tubing and cut it off for cleaning, because you want to replace the tubing every year even with regular cleaning.

At 40deg F and 12psi, I should have a good carbonation level and I should need 6ft of tubing to get a good pour.

The thing I really didn't like was he said that you want the shortest tube possible and just bleed off pressure prior to serving.

That kind of defeats the purpose of having a kegerator-I'd have to open the door every time and I'd also lose all those aromatics every time I bled the keg.

So, do I need to replace the tubing that frequently? I would really rather have a tail piece that was the right size since I am buying it all from scratch.

Also, is my information correct about temperature, pressure, carbonation, and pour, or is his?

Any lines on 1 place that will have all stainless shank, 3/16" tail piece, perlick faucet, and wing nut?

I wouldn't buy any kegging equipment from a shop that suggests changing pressures for serving period. I suggest going with 8' of tubing. 1/4" tailpieces are fine and actually preferred because the bore is closer to 3/16" ID anyway.

Don't worry about it. Like you I wanted all stainless, and ended up with 1/4" tailpieces. I can get the tubes on and off just fine without having to heat or do anything else crazy.

Bobby_M said:

I wouldn't buy any kegging equipment from a shop that suggests changing pressures for serving period. I suggest going with 8' of tubing. 1/4" tailpieces are fine and actually preferred because the bore is closer to 3/16" ID anyway.

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I agree with Bobby- the 1/4" tailpieces are fine. I haven't changed my beerline in two years, but it's probably not a bad idea. The thing is, the suggestion you have a "serving pressure" and a storage/carbonation pressure is ridiculous. What if you have three kegs? Are you supposed to bleed off the pressure in case someone wants to go drink off of a different tap? Geez, that's a PITA. there are some people who do this, of course. But I think most of us would tell you to get a balanced system, starting with 8' to 10' lines and never change the pressure to serve. The whole idea of a kegerator is convenience (and coolness, I'll admit!) and monkeying around with it would ruin both the convenience and the cool factor.