co2 psi keeps climbing with regulator at lowest setting

I recently bought a kegging setup with brand new regulator, tank, and lines. When I hook up to my keg, I have the regulator set on its lowest setting and the pressure just keeps climbing way past where I want it. I'm looking to hold in the 12psi area and it goes to at least 20-30. Is my regulator bad?

Is it inside the kegerator, or outside?

It's inside. I had everything pre chilled before I transferred to the keg. even with the keg disconnected, both air valves closed and the pressure adjustment knob backed as far off as it will go, it creeps slowly past 20psi

It may be due to temperature affecting the gauge. I'd take it out of the fridge and see what happens. If you're not running out of CO2, then the readout has to be the problem, right?

thats kinda what I thought. I'm a mechanic/welder so between air and gas regulators I have plenty of experience with this kinda stuff. I've just never really seen one stick like that, so that when the pressure is backed all the way off it still will let it go up to 30psi. maybe the spring/diaphragm is messed up. I'm just going to take it back to beverage factory and exchange it for a different model.

If your tank has under 500psi the regulator will do weird things. Make sure you have enough gas ( not sure if you have a dual gauge regulator)

The tank was just filled. The high side gauge reads about 750ish. I think the diaphragm was just stuck. I tapped it with a rubber mallet lightly and it works correctly but I still dont feel confident with the quality of the product at this point.

If in doubt, switch it out.

I had a regulator do the same. It was a brandy new watts secondary.
I took it apart and put it back together. All is fine now.
I think the poppet was not moving freely enough to move the diaphram freely.

another thought,,,

If your keg is carbed to high levels, your regulator is non-relieving, and you don't have a check-valve, the pressure can back up from the CO2 eczaping the beer and pressurize the regulator.

thanks for the advice everyone. I got a new regulator and that took care of it. The diaphragm was just stuck and wasnt letting the regulator hold pressure.

Gonna tag onto your thread because my new kegging setup has been acting in a way that I view as weird. I have been pressurizing the keg/lines and then turning off the CO2 and leaving it to carb up. When I come back over night the pressure will have dropped from like 12 psi to 9ish, so I will turn the knob to turn the CO2 on and it will jump to like 20 psi. Then I have to turn the CO2 off, purge the pressure from the kegs and then engage the CO2 again to repressureize it to 12 psi. Is this even remotely normal?

Did you guys buy from Beverage Factory? I bought a new setup and have experienced similar issues. I lost an entire batch of brew because my regulator over pressured the keg and beer flowed out the picnic tap... just curious if this might be related to Beverage Factory of not...