The CO2 leak that wasn't...

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ElCorredor

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I've got a mystery on my hands, and after a week of guesses, tests, adjustments, and calls to my LHBS, I'm caving in and asking you good folks.

I have a new corny keg system with one keg, one reg, one bottle. Before I connect the reg to the keg with the gas/in disconnect, everything is sealed up tight, even with the shut-off valve open. No leaking sounds in the reg, the tubes or the gas/in disconnect. Once I connect it to the keg though, I hear a very slight leak coming from the regulator (definitely not coming from the keg). No amount of soapy water has worked to locate it.

I can't for the life of me figure out what would cause something on the regulator to leak only when it's connected to the keg. I've checked all the seals on the keg and they're perfect. It holds pressure. It has to be something in the regulator since that's where the sound is coming from, right? Any ideas?

Thanks in advance for helping get my first kegged batch off the ground!
 
Sounds like something that would cause the keg to lose pressure, or to make the sound come from the keg itself, neither of which are happening. But at this point, I'll try anything. Thanks Ben!
 
It isn't the normal sound of gas flowing from the regulator is it? it makes sounds when its pressurizing the keg but after it's pressurized it stops.

If its the seals in the regulator , i would think your soapy water would find it? you can get rebuild kits for some of the regs online.
 
I thought it was just the flow of gas to the reg as well, but it continues on for as long as I leave the valve open.

I'm going to do another check with the soapy water. It's a brand new reg, right out of the box, so I'm hoping I wouldn't have to rebuild just yet. If it's defective, I'll just run it back to the store. Thanks for the advice!
 
Fill up your bathtub with water and dump the keg in to see if you see any bubbles

I wonder if its not a leak you are hearing if its just gas going through it
 
I have a new corny keg system with one keg, one reg, one bottle. Before I connect the reg to the keg with the gas/in disconnect, everything is sealed up tight, even with the shut-off valve open. No leaking sounds in the reg, the tubes or the gas/in disconnect. Once I connect it to the keg though, I hear a very slight leak coming from the regulator (definitely not coming from the keg). No amount of soapy water has worked to locate it.
If it only makes the noise when the keg is hooked up it has to be either

1 the keg
or
2 the fitting

If the keg holds and maintains consistent pressure then I would look at the gas in connector or the post for damage to the seal or the equipment... Is it possible the posts/connects are on wrong? You might have an out post on the in on the keg itself . Grey is for gas Black for liquid
 
Def sounds like it's just gas flowing through the regulator...but it should slow to a stop at some point. If the CO2 bottle is outside the fridge/keezer, then keep in mind that as soon as that warm-ish gas gets into the chilled keg that gas will quickly start to compress and will need to be replaced with more warm-ish gas. It can take a while for it all to equalize completely.

Other than that...it would almost have to be the keg itself or the QD-to-keg connection. Does the keg hold pressure? If so it's not the keg. My guess would be that if there is indeed a leak that it's the QD-to-Keg post connection. Make sure the tubing is not 'side-loading' that QD on the post...it needs to centered and not 'pushed' to either side.

HTH and good luck.
 
You have to leak test everything. Put the entire keg, with the gas connected into the bath tub (not the regulator and tank). If bubbles don't come from the keg or the disconnect system, you don't have a leak. Gas will continue to flow into a keg that is full of liquid. That's how carbonation works. If you pressurize an empty keg, flow will stop when the pressure inside is the same as what the regulator gauge says.
 
Thanks for the great advice everyone. I submerged pretty much everything and found that it was coming from the screw in the diaphragm. Turns out, the screw was tightened past the point where it should have been, causing a leak. I didn't know that could happen. I've never had such a problem in five years of kegerator operation and root beer kegging.

Anyway, I loosened the screw, which didn't affect the pressure since it was in so far, and that fixed the problem. Lesson learned!
 

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