Cleaning a used carbonator

DarthBeer · 03-27-2010, 06:18 PM

Does anyone have tips on how to clean a carbonator? It has no means of opening it and cleaning the inside of it. The best I can figure would be to fill a keg with pbw and connect that to the water input. Then repeat with a keg of starsan.

ArcaneXor · 03-28-2010, 12:07 AM

I'd alternate between Oxyclean/PBW and StarSan, with the poppet vale depressed slightly by something like one of those bread twisty thingies. You may be able to boil it as well; though I am not 100% sure if the type of plastic it's made of can tolerate those temps.

marzsit · 03-28-2010, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArcaneXor

I'd alternate between Oxyclean/PBW and StarSan, with the poppet vale depressed slightly by something like one of those bread twisty thingies. You may be able to boil it as well; though I am not 100% sure if the type of plastic it's made of can tolerate those temps.

he's not talking about a carbonator cap.....

marzsit · 03-28-2010, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarthBeer

Does anyone have tips on how to clean a carbonator? It has no means of opening it and cleaning the inside of it. The best I can figure would be to fill a keg with pbw and connect that to the water input. Then repeat with a keg of starsan.

all i've ever done is rinsed them out with water and blown them out with co2 or compressed air. unless it's been sitting someplace filthy with the caps removed, it shouldn't be too dirty inside.

the carbonator pump won't pull a prime, you'll have to gravity-feed it or give it some pressure. when you turn it on the pump will run until the tank is filled and then should turn off. in order to get liquid to come out of the soda-out port you'll have to put pressure, air or c02, on the gas-in port. when the liquid level drops, the pump will turn back on to refill the tank. to completely drain the tank, turn the pump off and blow the liquid out via pressure to the gas-in port.

DarthBeer · 03-29-2010, 12:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marzsit

all i've ever done is rinsed them out with water and blown them out with co2 or compressed air. unless it's been sitting someplace filthy with the caps removed, it shouldn't be too dirty inside.

the carbonator pump won't pull a prime, you'll have to gravity-feed it or give it some pressure. when you turn it on the pump will run until the tank is filled and then should turn off. in order to get liquid to come out of the soda-out port you'll have to put pressure, air or c02, on the gas-in port. when the liquid level drops, the pump will turn back on to refill the tank. to completely drain the tank, turn the pump off and blow the liquid out via pressure to the gas-in port.

Thanks. It sounds pretty much like I thought. That it would have to be inline with the whole system to be able flush it out. This was part of a setup in a concession stand rig and then sat in someones garage for an unknown time. It doesn't have a brand name or model on it, but looks real similar to this one by McCann.

The motor on it runs, but no idea if it actually works beyond that,