CO2 Regulator issues

Hello everyone,

I wanted to run by you some issues that I might be having with my new regulator. I just purchased a dual product regulator like the one available on midwest supplies site.

Here are the issues I may be having. I say may, because it could be that I am just not use to a dual product regulator.

Before I start this I would like to mention that I have leak tested my system many times and have not found a leak.

1. If I hook the regulator to the canister and the keg with liquid in it and turn the gas up to about 20 psi and wait for it to equalize, what should happen when I dial it back down to 10 psi? What happens with my current setup, is as I start dialing down nothing happens for a few turns then it starts to drop. When I get to 10 psi I unplug the line from the keg and it then drops to zero. I don't remember this happening with my single product regulator.

2. The amount of air coming out of each regulator when set to the same pressure is not the same. It's close but not the same. I realize this could just be the flow rate and have nothing to do with the actual pressure.

3. I have to keep checking the system, because the pressure seems to change by a few psi. If I hook both lines and kegs up to the regulator at say 8 psi, it will be at 10 psi in the morning.

Does any of this sound strange or am I just being paranoid?

Thanks for the help!

It sounds like your system isn't equalized. Tank set to 8 psi, keg is carbed to 12 psi, it's going to balance out around 10.

How do you equalize the system? If I take the dual product regulator off and replace it with the single product I don't get these strange readings.

I will let it sit over night and see what happens.

physast said:

How do you equalize the system?

I will let it sit over night and see what happens.

Click to expand...

Sounds like you got it.

Well this morning I checked the regulator again and I am still having the same problems as before. They were both about 1-3 psi from where I set them, which I guess is not bad.

Tests:
1. dialed up the pressure to 30psi and then tried to dial down to 10 again. Same issue as before after the first few turns nothing happens then it starts dialing down. When I get to 10psi I then take the connection off the keg and it quickly goes from 10psi to 0psi.
Is this normal?

2. Again I set the gauge at 8 psi last night and this morning they are reading 11psi. I know this is just a few psi, but it still bugs me.

Can someone with this same model regulator or a dual product regulator see if this is normal?

Thank you

My regulator starts leaking gas from the adjustment screw when I back it out too far. Are you unscrewing it to the point it is leaking?

When you pressurize to 30psi, and then back it down, the system should continue to read 30psi until you relieve the pressure (either by pouring a beer, or opening the relief valve). If it is dropping, then you have a leak somewhere.

Also, the rise in pressure could be due to temp fluctuation. Are your kegs/co2 tank refrigerated?

astropunk said:

My regulator starts leaking gas from the adjustment screw when I back it out too far. Are you unscrewing it to the point it is leaking?

When you pressurize to 30psi, and then back it down, the system should continue to read 30psi until you relieve the pressure (either by pouring a beer, or opening the relief valve). If it is dropping, then you have a leak somewhere.

Also, the rise in pressure could be due to temp fluctuation. Are your kegs/co2 tank refrigerated?

Click to expand...

Yes my the kegs, CO2 and canister with regulator is refrigerated.

When I pressurize to 30 psi and start to back down, it stays at 30psi for a few turns then starts to drop and I stop turning when the reading is 10psi. This however isn't true, because I think I have actually set it to around zero, but the screw is not totally unscrewed, but as you mentioned might be to the point that it starts to leak.

If I do back it out all the way I don't hear gas leaking, but it could just be small amounts to equalize.

Turning the screw in should raise the pressure. On most regs, turning the screw out will NOT drop the pressure unless you back it out too far. You need to vent with the relief valve.

My method of setting pressure:

1. Shut off supply to kegs.
2. Back screw out and vent pressure so reg reads 0.
3. Turn screw in until pressure rises to desired set point.
4. Hit the relief valve a few times to make sure it comes back to the setpoint...usually I have to tweak the screw a few times while hitting the relief valve in between to make sure it really is set where I want it.
5. Turn supply to kegs back on, watch regs...if reg pressure jumps, vent kegs as they have excess pressure.

Whenever you check reg pressure, make sure to isolate the kegs from the reg, to ensure you're checking the reg's setpoint, and not what the keg is making the reg do. And make sure to pull the relief valve on the reg a couple times to ensure it's reading correctly.