soda backed up into regulator

I had the keg at about 30 lbs of pressure, it raised up a little too high (close to 40) so I pulled out the red knob and was backing the pressure back down when the soda flowed back up the CO2 line and started coming out behind the red regulator knob.....

Did this contaminate my CO2 tank? why would that happen I thought the regulators were supposed to stop this from happening?

dpalme said:

I had the keg at about 30 lbs of pressure, it raised up a little too high (close to 40) so I pulled out the red knob and was backing the pressure back down when the soda flowed back up the CO2 line and started coming out behind the red regulator knob.....

Did this contaminate my CO2 tank? why would that happen I thought the regulators were supposed to stop this from happening?

Click to expand...

It won't contaminate your co2 tank, but it WILL ruin your regulator. Take it apart and clean it well before the soda makes it stuck. Then buy some check valves!

If you don't have check valves, this can happen. It can also happen when kegs are shaken or put at a high psi to burst carb.

I have no idea how to take the regulator apart......

is the check valve the red toggle valve on the bottom of the barbed out line?

I got the air pressure gauge that shows the pressure in the keg off, I ran some hot water through that which came right out the hole for the co2 line to the keg....I also ran some hot water around the red dial to get any soda off of that.....

I can't seem to get the other air pressure gauge off without risk stripping it.....

Does it need to come off too?

Did you have the keg filled too high? I don't see how liquid can come out of the gas in fitting on the keg unless the keg was over filled, or being carbed while laying on it's side?

Only four gallons in a corner and it was standing straight up

Corney keg not corner

I took the regulator back this morning to have it checked out, I had previously noticed a problem with the unit and they put together a new one for me....

This one was tested before it went out the door.

dpalme said:

I have no idea how to take the regulator apart......

is the check valve the red toggle valve on the bottom of the barbed out line?

Click to expand...

A check valve is a one-way valve. It automatically closes when the flow reverses. It has no external parts.

Some regulators come preconfigured with one on the output, some gas manifolds too. Sounds like you didn't have one, may still not have one.

My co2 regulator has a check valve built into the output toggle (quarter turn aka ball) valve. You can also get add-on check valves.