check valves needed?

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HBRunner

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I'm looking at building a CO2 manifold for my fridge, because I am ready to have 3 kegs on tap at a time...

Are check valves really needed on the CO2 manifold valves?

I read where they say it keeps beer from getting in the CO2 lines....

Just curious.....


Chad
 
Tradeforcash said:
I'm looking at building a CO2 manifold for my fridge, because I am ready to have 3 kegs on tap at a time...

Are check valves really needed on the CO2 manifold valves?

I read where they say it keeps beer from getting in the CO2 lines....

Just curious.....


Chad
Click to expand...

Well, have you ever had beer in your gas lines? I have. It sucks having to take them apart. I guess if you're really careful about never filling your keg up to the gas-in dip tube, then you shouldn't have problems...but once or twice, I've added enough to get up to that dip tube because I didn't wanna waste beer; the first time you hook that sumbitch up to a split gas system where any of the individual kegs have a difference in pressure from the other kegs on the line, then the one with the greater pressure, if there's enough beer to reach close to the gas-in dip tube, will send beer up the gas line.

Now, most of the manifolds I've seen (I just bought a 3-way manifold and installed it the other day) have check valves built in. Are you building yours from scratch?
 
I have had the beer come back up the gas dip tube as well. I think I'm going to take and cut all my gas dip tubes down to 1/2" I see no reason for it to be 2" long. (I'm also installing check valves at my regulators) Anyone see why that wouldn't work?
 
Evan! said:
Well, have you ever had beer in your gas lines? I have. It sucks having to take them apart. I guess if you're really careful about never filling your keg up to the gas-in dip tube, then you shouldn't have problems...but once or twice, I've added enough to get up to that dip tube because I didn't wanna waste beer; the first time you hook that sumbitch up to a split gas system where any of the individual kegs have a difference in pressure from the other kegs on the line, then the one with the greater pressure, if there's enough beer to reach close to the gas-in dip tube, will send beer up the gas line.

Now, most of the manifolds I've seen (I just bought a 3-way manifold and installed it the other day) have check valves built in. Are you building yours from scratch?
Click to expand...

+1 It sucks big time. I have a clear system from the regulator to a stainless T with two lines going to stainless crosses, each with 3 lines going to kegs. I made the mistake of connecting a gas line to unknown keg at a party and watched in horror as a molasses smelling porter ran through lines. It was like watching a scifi movie blood transfusion. I managed to stop it before it reached the regulator.

Now I never connect a foreign keg without first drawing off a pint of beer.
 
Good point Edwort. Get clear gas tube. I think I got beer into my regulator through a red hose a month or so ago. I've cleaned out the hoses and the reg still works thankfully, but I don't want to repeat that.
 
You could also put a single check valve inline just after the reg. You don't need one for all the split out lines. I don't see a need for valves on the manifold either. If you want to stop the flow to any keg, just pop the disconnects.
 
Check valces are dirt cheap. I got mine at USPLASTICS.com
and installed them on each of my gas lines. It's about a 5 minute ordeal, but well worth it.
BackFlow1.JPG

BackFlow4.JPG
 
Yeah, I saw where some places had manifolds with them, like MoreBeer, and places that didn't, like AHS.....

I will be ordering some today...

Thanks for the advice guys....
 
Ok, I bought a Cornelius double regulator on ePay for like $50 including shipping (like this one, sans ball valves).
dbl-gas-reg.jpg

It has the check valves (like this), so I was excited.
check-valve.jpg

However, I can't seem to find a ball valve to work with this thing. My LHBS only has male threaded ball valves and Lowe's wasn't of any help. I don't want to attach it without any shutoff valves, any suggestions?

Oh, and I need it working ASAP. I have a batch that's done fermenting and it needs to be served August 2.
 
Ach so!
I bet the ones I was looking at at the LHBS had built in check valves. I'm glad the problem is simpler than I was making it.
 

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