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beertastic · 08-28-2011, 09:59 PM

I finished my new kegerator yesterday, and hooked everything up. Today I open it up to check on it and there is a strong CO2 burn/smell in the kegerator. I was thinking there should be no CO2 in the airspace in the fridge itself.

Does this mean I have a leak somewhere? And how do I troubleshoot?

mkw87 · 08-28-2011, 10:08 PM

Get a spray bottle with soapy water and spray ALL connections and with for bubbles. If you find a leak make sure to keep going to make sure there's not multiple.

mcaple1 · 08-28-2011, 11:00 PM

How new is new....are you sure you don't just smell offgassing of the plastic pieces.

beertastic · 08-28-2011, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcaple1

How new is new....are you sure you don't just smell offgassing of the plastic pieces.

Brand new. What is offgassing of plastic pieces mean?

mcaple1 · 08-28-2011, 11:36 PM

Plastic consumer products are notorious for outgassing/offgassing. I deal with this with satellite communications a bit. Basically, it's "new car smell", and a byproduct of the manufacturing process. Open your kegerator and let it air out for a few days, then close it back up and try it again. Smell should be gone.

beertastic · 08-28-2011, 11:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcaple1

Plastic consumer products are notorious for outgassing/offgassing. I deal with this with satellite communications a bit. Basically, it's "new car smell", and a byproduct of the manufacturing process. Open your kegerator and let it air out for a few days, then close it back up and try it again. Smell should be gone.

This is more of a chocking "I can't breath in this it burns" than a smell. It is almost exactly like when I open up my ferm chamber and take a big wiff.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mkw87

Get a spray bottle with soapy water and spray ALL connections and with for bubbles. If you find a leak make sure to keep going to make sure there's not multiple.

OK, I think I found one. Thanks. Looks like I already lost half my CO2 in the tank

mcaple1 · 08-28-2011, 11:55 PM

ahhhh...ok. yeah, I get the burning thing from c02 when I take a big whiff our of my ferm chamber as well. sorry for the confusion, and good luck on fixing the leak.

mkw87 · 08-30-2011, 03:17 AM

Sorry to hear it was a leak. Remember in the future any time you break a connection it's a good idea to check for leaks again.

neut2004 · 08-30-2011, 11:46 AM

Get replacement parts for nearly everything, that way a leak will never ruin your day. All rubber o-rings, poppets, posts, disconnects, release valves. I bought some old kegs and all the release valves were leaking, it seems like those may be the first to go. Also, get some keg lube.

mrgreen4242 · 08-31-2011, 01:14 AM

How would I test for leaks on the posts of the kegs themselves? Just disconnect the hoses and spray with soapy water? Or would that not test the o-rings seal?

I just washed the inside of my kegerator (lots of condensation, need to get it out of the garage and put in a better moisture absorber) and both kegs before I refilled one of them with my latest batch and discovered I was out of CO2 after just two kegs! I carbed them on the bottle (and obviously dispensed them) but I was expecting more like 5-10 kegs per 5# CO2. Is that fairly reasonable? I know I lost some gas setting up the system and washing/testing kegs and lines, but doesn't seem like it should have been that much.

I'll replace the o-rings on both kegs as soon as I get more CO2 (so I can test it under pressure), but where else could there be leaks - only the gas line connections or the keg itself, right?