High Pressure Gauge Not Reading...

Hey there,

Finally got my kegging set up all together, and have just one problem. I have a used regulator and everything works fine except the High Pressure Gauge does not display any pressure, reading as though my tank is empty. Low pressure gauge works fine and I can carb/dispense with no problems. I just won't know when I am running out of CO2.

IS there anything I can do to trouble shoot this or should I just buy a replacement gauge.

Thanks!

Well, first off your high pressure gauge won't tell you when you are running out. It measures the pressure in the tank, which at any given temp will remain steady until all the CO2 liquid in the tank completely evaporates. Then it will plummet to zero with very little warning. You need to weight the bottle to know how much is left.

As far as why it's not reading, could it be a leak? I guess that would be the only thing that would be worrisome. If you bought it new then by all means call the company you bought it from. You can honestly just plug that port though if you want.

Huh.. the gauge on the tank we have at work goes down slowly over a pretty lengthy period. doesn't start dropping immediately but, no plummeting. We use it as an indicator of when to reorder another tank (I have same regulator).

Doesn't seem to be a leak, no hissing and I have used the soapy water trick on the connections for any small ones with no indication.

Didn't get it new, so I will probably just ignore it. Was hoping there might be a quick DIY fix possibly.

From your pic, do you work at a brewery? My dream job How big are your tanks? I guess a big tank would go down more slowly as there's still a fair amount of gas volume even once the liquid is gone. I guess my point was the pressure is not going to be proportional to the amount left in the tank as a liquid. My 5 lb tanks seemed to plummet within a few days. My current 20 lb tank is on it's first fill so I haven't experienced it emptying yet. I do know it has been sitting at a steady 800 psi for the last 15 months while I've used 16 lb of CO2 (which I know by weighing it last week).

I do work at a brewery... Assistant Brewer at a small brewpub (only 7bbl). It's very part time and my real job is much less fun but pays the bills.

The tanks for pushing beer are 50lbs. I bet you are right that it is much more of a plummet on a tank 10x small, hadn't thought of that.

I'll just leave it for now, swap it if I see a good deal on a replacement gauge, not that they are too bad begin with.

Nice. Is your brewpub on the peninsula? I see you're in Pacifica.

its in the east bay, Elevation 66

If the face on the gauge is bent, it could be preventing the needle from turning. I've disassembled my gauge a couple of times because it has been bent when I'm taking my kegs to a gathering or something. The faceplate is really thin metal and bends back into place easily. Even if it's not the needle hanging up on the faceplate, it might be a good idea to open it up and make sure everything moves freely.

To disassemble:
-Pry off the front of the housing by placing a screwdriver between the ridge and the brass near the threads. Twist and the front should pop right off.
-If you remove the two screws on the back of the housing, you can tilt the housing back and slip it off over the threads(if your gauge is disconnected)
-If your gauge is still attached to the regulator, leave the screws on and use the base of the gauge as a fulcrum to bend the housing back into shape.
-Carefully bend the faceplate flat, it is also attached to the brass base. Make sure that the needle and the gears behind the faceplate can turn freely.
-Put it back together in the reverse order.

I wish I had pictures of this, it would make explaining things much easier.

If it's inside your kegerater when Co2 is cold the gauge often times reads zero from gas/liquid ratio

You can try MFS's repair technique, but I've never had any luck getting them apart. Some regulators don't even have high pressure gauges and many people don't understand how to read them anyway. When my tanks get down to 300 psi, I know I'm running on fumes and need to schedule a trip to the welding shop. Still, it's good for a week or so at that point.

With just a low pressure gauge, you have zero warning. Not a problem, unless it happens just before a party and the shops are closed.