Cheapest regulator vs expensive

Looking for a regulator is there a difference in quality between the more expensive ones and cheap ones,if so does it really make a difference.(apples to apples one gauge two gauge ect..).Do I need a two gauge with a 20# tank?I here the tank will last a LONG time.

also,If you have a reg on the cheap let me know,Thanks
Ill put something in FS

Expensive regulators are servicable i.e: Parts are available to make repairs and have better quality standards. Cheap ones have to be replace alltogether if they are defective and may not all hold pressure steadily.

A High pressure gauge is always a good thing to have and not a big expense over the price of the whole setup. It's nice to know when to refill the tank in advance, instead of finding out Sunday afternoon during the big game.

It's only my opinion and you can do whatever you want.

A 20# tank should last you 1.5-2 years or so, so I'm not sure if knowing exactly when it is empty is reason enough. You can always weigh it from time to time, too, so you know when you are getting close. (The empty tank weight is on your tank, so add 20# and you know the full weight.) That said, there are other reasons, like if you want to carbonate kegs at different PSIs. I think that is neat, but personally, I'm not super picky. I carb and serve everything at ~8 PSI. So, summary: up to you.

Also a high pressure gauge can give you an indication of a slow leak.

I received a "cheap" regulator, chrome plated with 2 gauges about 2 weeks ago as a gift. It was hooked up for 2 days before I replaced it with a quality set up. The low side(regulated) was set to 12psi, within 10 minutes it jumped to 25psi then back down to 4 psi 5 minutes later. Adjustments were difficult to make, almost felt like sand grinding in there..

Save your cash and buy something decent, or I can send you my old one for the cost of shipping (not really, it's going in the trash)...

Yup, cheap regulators are just that, CHEAP. I just replaced my dual gauge regulator today and what an improvement. The one I ordered online NEW because it was a few $$ cheaper ended up being a joke. Gauges always read high even when I lowered the pressure or I shut their valves off. Also the gauge that reads volume left in the tank would read that it was time to add gas. I bought a new one today and now I know how much CO2 is in my tank and the needles on the gauges actually move up or down when I decrease or increase gas.

Don't go cheap cause you'll spend money on the cheap stuff then spend more for a good one. It'll cost you more at the end of the day. Just fork out the few extra dollars to get a quality item.

The length of time you CO2 tank will last has many variables. How many kegs CO2 volume









Mine doesn't last a year about 8 months

deadpool76 said:

Also a high pressure gauge can give you an indication of a slow leak.

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Your high pressure gauge pressure won't start dropping until there is not any liquid left in the tank & it's only good for letting you know the tank needs filled. To catch a slow leak you need to weigh your CO2 tank on a digital scale at the end of the day & then before drawing another beer the next day, weigh it again. If the weight has dropped slightly then you have a slow leak.

libeerty said:

A 20# tank should last you 1.5-2 years or so,

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no- a 20# tank last YOU 1.5-2 years. it lasts me 3-8 months. or someone who brews less it might last them 5 years.

Also the gauge that reads volume left in the tank would read that it was time to add gas. I bought a new one today and now I know how much CO2 is in my tank and the needles on the gauges actually move up or down when I decrease or increase gas.

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you may think it does all those things, but in reality it doesnt/cant. when the high pressure gauge starts to fall, your tank is 99% empty. when it is anywhere between 0 and 99% empty, the high pressure gauge will read the exact same (it will fluctuate with temperature only; not by the amount of gas in the tank)

audger said:

you may think it does all those things, but in reality it doesnt/cant. when the high pressure gauge starts to fall, your tank is 99% empty. when it is anywhere between 0 and 99% empty, the high pressure gauge will read the exact same (it will fluctuate with temperature only; not by the amount of gas in the tank)

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Good to know that. The cheap regulator I first was using would give different readings. I'll keep an eye on the levels with my new regulator.

thargrav said:

Your high pressure gauge pressure won't start dropping until there is not any liquid left in the tank & it's only good for letting you know the tank needs filled. To catch a slow leak you need to weigh your CO2 tank on a digital scale at the end of the day & then before drawing another beer the next day, weigh it again. If the weight has dropped slightly then you have a slow leak.

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It for sure will help in finding stubborn leaks on or in the regulator. Close all valves and the tank valve and if it drops over a little time then there is a leak on the high side. The low pressure gauges "should" stay at whatever pressure you set them to if there are not any leaks on your valves/barbs to the kegs.

The best thing to do when first hooking the regulator to the bottle is pressurize everything then shut off all the valves. This will tell you if your regulator connections are leak tight. Then pressurize the lines to the ball or pin locks (not connected to kegs) and shut the tank off. If the low pressure gauge starts going down you have a LP leak which are easier to find with soapy water.

The best way to monitor the amount of CO2 in your tank is to weigh the tank.

All CO2 tanks have what's called a head stamp somewhere around the top. The head stamp is a long chain of letters & numbers that include things like the date of manufacture, manufacturer, etc. And included in the head stamp is the tare weight - the weight of the tank empty.

Read through the head stamp until you see the characters 'TW'. The numbers right after are the weight of the tank empty. Add 0.3 pounds for the valve assembly and you have the prroximate weight of the tank empty. Now all you need to do is weigh your tank & subtract this number from the total weight and you have the amount of CO2 left in your CO2 tank.

Or if you want to know the amount left with your CO2 regulator attached, weigh your empty tank with the CO2 regulator attached & write it down. Then subtract this number from the total weight to get the amount of CO2 left in your CO2 tank.

deadpool76 said:

It's only my opinion and you can do whatever you want.

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Did you ever notice people always doing exactly what you say if you don't specify that? If I had your special powers I would rule the earth!

When a girl wants to sleep with you, do you ever get tired of not knowing if she's there for you or just because of your special powers?

Just checking if I have those powers too, I'm not going to ask you to do whatever you want and check if you do what I say, confirming that I have special powers or not. Ok there you go:

You will feel the urge to respond and tell me I'm an a s s . Ok, Go!

thargrav said:

The only way to monitor the amount of CO2 in your tank is to weigh the tank.

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Fixed.