Airtrol relief leak in spunding valve

[gluepot]

I have made a spunding valve recently after reading some threads here. I primarily plan on using it to naturally carbonate beer and therefore need an absolutely leak free system. Based on recommendations here, I used an Airtrol pressure release valve (60 psi max). Unfortunately, after hooking up the spunding valve directly to gas and setting a pressure, the valve slowly leaked. Specifically, it leaked directly through the airtrol relief valve output (losing about 10 psi through the night). The rest of the connections where sealed with yellow gas teflon tape and were checked submersed under water and were leak free. Somehow the Airtrol relief valve is leaking pressure (it slowly releases bubbles through the output port). Has anyone else had this problem?

Right now a new Airtrol relief valve is on the way (McMaster's customer service is amazing) and hopefully this one will not have the same slow leak.

 

[gluepot]

Well the new valve is pretty much just as finicky. I called Airtrol, and they were not surprised. They said it is intended for a constant flow as apposed to maintaining pressure. I imagine this is fine for fermentation under pressure (given that the leak is very, very slow), but not so good for natural carbonation. I guess I will just get a ball valve and manually release pressure when necessary. Perhaps someone has had better success with a different pressure release valve for pressure maintenance?

 

[thefost]

Bummer. I think I have the exact same issue with my spunding valve, only mine is the 30psi version. I was just about to buy another one to replace it, but I'm a little worried now if you're repeatedly having the same issue. What's weird is I posted this problem in the pressure fermentation thread and no one else seemed to have this problem, and this still seems to be the recommended prv for spunding valve use.

 

[sandyeggoxj]

I use this one for my spunding valve: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007GDY3CU/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

It works fine. No real problems. It doesn't have the best precision but it gets the job done.

 

[cfrazier77]

I use this one for my spunding valve: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007GDY3CU/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

It works fine. No real problems. It doesn't have the best precision but it gets the job done.

I use this one and have not had a problem. It holds pressure just fine. But the indication marks on it have no correlation to reality.

 

[sandyeggoxj]

I use this one and have not had a problem. It holds pressure just fine. But the indication marks on it have no correlation to reality.

Yes. Times infinity!!! I have mine set around 30psi to keep 3psi in my fermenter. haha. It does let me set real low pressure, which is nice. I have a 0-15psi gauge on my spunding valve.

 

[day_trippr]

lol! You'll find my review 6 down on the left...

Cheers!

 

[gluepot]

I'll have to try that other valve. Has anyone tried attaching it directly to a tank, shutting off the supply valve and leaving it overnight? The small volume of gas in the tank line changes psi more readily in response to very minor leaks. The pressure leak is very slow in the Airtrol valve and I expect if used only in pressurized fermentation, it would never be noticed. Perhaps this is why it is not mentioned more frequently.

For the time being, I have attached a shutoff valve in front of the pressure release valve so that I can close the system as soon as the desired pressure is reached.

 

[sandyeggoxj]

I left my fermenter turned off from the gas at 3psi for about a week while I cold crashed/conditioned while waiting to keg. No change in pressure. Good enough for me.

 

[The_Bishop]

The problem with testing via a tank connection is that CO2 tank valve stem only seals completely open. When the valve is closed or partially open you'll have leakage around the stem.

 

[gluepot]

The problem with testing via a tank connection is that CO2 tank valve stem only seals completely open. When the valve is closed or partially open you'll have leakage around the stem.

I have a shutoff valve coming out of the regulator that I use to stop flow from the tank supply to the spunding valve. I'm not actually closing the tank valve itself.