Lowes Mini CO2 tank and Regulator

Hi all,

I received one of these Kobalt regulators as a Christmas gift and am pretty excited about using it as a portable keg dispenser for a snow sports weekend later this month. Unfortunately, I'm having an issue with gas leaking from the connection point of the CO2 tank (Blue Rhino, off the shelf) and the regulator. I've tried switching out the o-rings on the tank and going to a local paintball shop to try a different tank, but no luck. Has anyone else had this issue? Any tips?

Thanks!

use some lube, i had the same problem and actually tore up a few of the o-rings the 1st few times, now I just lube them up.

My hose was cracked all over the place, so I just removed it. Look to see if there's a problem there too.

Good thought on the hose, but I haven't even gotten to that side of the regulator yet! The gas was leaking out where the tank threads onto the regulator. I'll give the lube a shot tonight. I hadn't thought of that. When I replaced the o-rings and tried a different tank, I figured it must be an issue with the regulator itself. It sounds like a larger leak than what lube might help solve, but it can't hurt to try. It almost sounds like my "full-size" regulator did before I remembered to slip the co2 seal washer in the nut. I didn't see a similar washer or other sealing piece inside the regulator nut on this one - I assume the o-ring on the tank serves that purpose?

no its the o-ring getting pinched , those o-ring are pretty fragile and don't stay put unless you put some lube on them, then only hand tighten and check for leaks. Too tight and you you'll run the risk of tearing them.

does anyone acutally use these for tools LOL

Since I've purchased mine..it does double duty..I used it to install base molding and door molding after I laid my new laminate kitchen floor. I use the kobalt air setup to power my finish nailer at 80psi..it'll drive approx. 1200 finish nails at 80psi. Then When I was done..I hooked it up to my keg and dispensed some cold ones!! works great for both purposes.

Dan

Curious. How long would a 9oz tank last? Would it be enough to carb up and serve a corny?

More? Less?

Low many tankes per corny or cornys per tank would you expect?

I'm a kegging noob so thanks for the patience if I'm asking a dumb question.

I have a 9 oz tank, but I don't carb with it. It has pushed several kegs so far.

+1...I don't think it could carb a corny..I talked to Bier Muncher about this on his setup and he didn't think it would work...so I just use mine as Ed does..to dispense the beer after it's been carbed.

I don't worry about O-rings either.

I bought 100 for $3.50 plus $2 shipping from this place. $0.055 each is not bad compared to what the sporting goods stores charge for a couple O rings.

Paintball Tank O-Rings

Unfortunately, the lube and a few tries with different o-rings didn't help my leak issue. I emailed the product's customer service (supplierpipeline.com) and got the following reply:

"The unit must be returned. Sometimes, some fittings are "off" by a very small fraction of an inch ( as all of these are machine manufactured) and this can create the issue you are experiencing.

Please return your unit, please bring our number with you ,800-567-0864 and have the employee give us a call if you should experience any difficulties (however, Lowe's is very good with their warranties on their own brands, like Kobalt for example)"

Bummer. A trip back to Lowe's it is.

For what it's worth, I was actually planning to add some air tools and use it as a brad nailer, etc. for small jobs. In a few internet searches for reviews on the product and others who may have had the same issue, it was about 50/50 for sites dealing with tools vs. other uses (beer and tire filling were the top 2 other uses). Since I was going to be using it just for beer dispensing, I didn't see the need for a real precise regulator in the "beer range" like those at Williams Brewing that were mentioned earlier in the thread. I figured that the higher PSIs that this regulator can dispense would come in handy for other things. We shall see with unit #2...

Be sure to tell Lowes they owe you a full CO2 tank as well!

OK Guys, help me out here. How are you hooking these units up to your cornies? A quick connect to a threaded barbed fitting to you beer gas line to your ball/pin lock gas fitting? I am just trying to figure out what I need for fittings. Thanks,

Steve

stainless female 1/4" FFL to Barb put some 1/4" line on it , connect it to ball lock gass fitting, then on other end I just used quick disconnect barb/male to the regulator. I also include a check valve since you dont want to have beer back up into this little regulator.

http://stores.kegconnection.com/Detail.bok?no=27

Jesse, thanks! That is kind of what I was thinking, but wanted to be sure.

Steve

Just to close the loop on my leaking regulator issue - Lowe's took it back (including the tank) for a full refund, and the replacement is working just fine - I have it clipped to a nylon cinch-strap that's pulled tight around the keg. Ready to go!

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions and help!

OK - Tell me whether or not I have a leak. Its costing me 16oz to dispense a 5 gal keg with one of these. I was thinking these last longer than this. Its getting kind of expensive to push out a keg.


I guessing I have a leak. MF'r. I'll try the lube next.

You have a leak.

I have been using these to carb/dispense 5 kegs in my kegerator. There's a leak somewhere between my 5 lb tank and the QD. It was gone in 2 hrs. The little mini lasted about a week.

slimer said:

You have a leak.

Click to expand...

Yep.

I use the 9 ouncers and have pushed 3 kegs with only about half the gas.

Get those connections under water and look for leaks.

I use the keg lube on the threads of the canister and keep that little o-ring greased as well.

You can pick up a bag of those o-rings for pennies at a sporting goods store.

BierMuncher said:

Yep.

I use the 9 ouncers and have pushed 3 kegs with only about half the gas.

Get those connections under water and look for leaks.

I use the keg lube on the threads of the canister and keep that little o-ring greased as well.

You can pick up a bag of those o-rings for pennies at a sporting goods store.

Click to expand...

Good Idea! - There is more than one use for keg bucket! My regulator came with 3-4 o-rings too.

A spray bottle with water and dish soap works well too. It's what I used to use when I was working on forced induction cars.

I put a new gas bottle on my regulator. Dunked the sucker. One hose clamp leaked bad and the regulator leaks gas through the threads on the knob. SOB....

http://www.sodabuzz.com/osc/norgren-secondary-mini-regulator-p-688.html

Here is a link for a portable co2 regulator. Looks like all you need is the co2 bottle attachment, and the will screw right into the gas in side with one of those little co2 couplings. can't beat it for 50bucks. I hate the way homebrewers get ripped off

I cut my losses and stopped using the cobalt regulator. Its a POS! I put up the money for a normal CO2 regulator and bought a paintball adaptor. I waisted quite a bit of money on gas, not to mention the gauge on the cobalt was worthless. Its just like a bike regulator. Gas is either on or off at max psi. I could not dial it down to a serving pressure. It was too high or not high enough to push the beer out the picnic tap.

bruguru said:

http://www.sodabuzz.com/osc/norgren-secondary-mini-regulator-p-688.html

Here is a link for a portable co2 regulator. Looks like all you need is the co2 bottle attachment, and the will screw right into the gas in side with one of those little co2 couplings. can't beat it for 50bucks. I hate the way homebrewers get ripped off

Click to expand...

This thread is from 2009, :cross:

sorry, need to elaborate on this. i've been looking for a mini regulator for my portable set up. saw it on a brewsite for 130bucks, kinda irritated me to find somthing else so cheap on another site. I just hate the way that they jack up the price for somthing once they put beer brewing in front of it.
http://www.plastic-mart.com/class.php?item=2800
here's a link for a plastic conical fermenter with a stand for 119$. I've seen other ones for 300 bucks on brewing sites with no stand, friggin rip off.

these are 22.49 now at lowes. anyone have any longterm feedback on these? on lowes site people complain about leaking.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_82384-61735...&pl=1&currentURL=/pl__0__s?Ntt=co2&facetInfo=