CO2 leak

[texag06ish]

Yesterday I added a 3 way CO2 distributor to my kegerator. At the advice of the guys at my local homebrew supply store I decided to check my system for CO2 leaks before I kegged my first batch.

Here is what I did:
Filled the keg with water. Hooked it up to the co2 and beer line. Made sure only one line was turned on at the distributor. Turned on the co2 and left it on until I stopped hearing it flow into the keg. I then poured out a pint of water and turned off the co2. The gauge read around 10 psi. Let it sit overnight and in the morning the gauge read 0.

Did I do something wrong? If not, where can the leak be. My guesses are somewhere in the keg, the hose or the distributor, anywhere else it could be? How do I find out where it's leaking?

 

[day_trippr]

Once you turned off the CO2 tank valve, the gas remaining in the system may have simply been absorbed by the keg full of water.

If you want to do the test you thought you were doing, start with a totally empty keg...

Cheers!

 

[E-Mursed]

Spraying some Starsan on your connections and seals while under pressure will show where any typical leaks may be.

This is known as a bubble or soap style test.

Wherever you see bubbling - that,s where you have a leak.

 

[texag06ish]

Thanks.

 

[Jersh]

I use about a 50/50 mix of liquid dish soap and water and spray down all the connections. You may need to let it sit for 5-10 minutes... I had a slow leak when I first built my keezer, I emptied a 20 lb CO2 tank and only emptied about 5 kegs.... When I set it up first I checked everything but didn't let the soap sit long enough so I missed the leak. When I realized I had a leak I did the soap test again and found the leak after letting the soap sit for a bit.

 

[texag06ish]

Ok. I turned on the co2 and sprayed starsan on the posts, lid, and all hose connections (used some starsan that was prepared as directed in a spray bottle). I waited about 2 minutes and saw nothing.

I think I'm good to go. Right?

 

[malkore]

what I do is not hookup anything to a keg, just setup all the tubing, disconnects, etc. Then pressurize the system, again with no kegs connected, and then shut off the Co2 valve on the cylinder.
Wait 12 hours and if pressure's still held, you have no leak up to the point of keg connection.

Then verify kegs don't leak when connected. My kegs leak at some of the poppets if NOT connected, but as long as I leave the QD's on its air tight.

 

[Mikespunchlist]

I'm fortunate to have an air compressor for my woodworking. I have adapted both pin lock and ball lock ends to connect to the quick connect on my compressed air that I use to test with. No wasting any CO2. I just pressure it up to about 50 or 60 lbs and squirt everything with soapy water and check for leaks. The place where most leaks occur for me is the big O ring around the hatch. A little keg lube greasin her up usually takes care of it.

 

[texag06ish]

I don't think there is a leak. I jacked up the PSI to 45, turned everything on, sprayed it with soapy water and waited but saw nothing.

 

[audger]

I don't think there is a leak. I jacked up the PSI to 45, turned everything on, sprayed it with soapy water and waited but saw nothing.

if you didnt change anything since you posted this:

The gauge read around 10 psi. Let it sit overnight and in the morning the gauge read 0.

then you still have a leak. retest it like you did in the first post if you disagree. if it now holds pressure, then the leak is gone.

 

[texag06ish]

One of the first posters mentioned that the keg full of water may just have absorbed the co2 overnight.

The system, without the keg, has held pressure for 2 days now.

If I shot CO2 into an empty keg for a few seconds without the water, would that be enough to check if actual keg is leaking? I didn't do this at first because I didn't want to waste to much CO2.

 

[day_trippr]

One of the first posters mentioned that the keg full of water may just have absorbed the co2 overnight.

That would be me.

The system, without the keg, has held pressure for 2 days now.

If I shot CO2 into an empty keg for a few seconds without the water, would that be enough to check if actual keg is leaking? I didn't do this at first because I didn't want to waste to much CO2.

All of my kegs were empty but pressurized when I picked them out (over the better part of one year). It was like #1 on my check list. I'm sure some of those kegs had been gassed up many weeks to even months before.

So, yes, that would be an effective way to check for a tight system. Gas up the tank, spray the lid, beer post and around the gas QD with either soapy water or Star San mix, fix anything that bubbles.

But, it seems likely to me that your system was tight already, you just got spooked when you partially carbonated that tank of water

Cheers!

 

[texag06ish]

I hope so.

Come to think of it, the kegs had pressure before I started messing with them. I remember pulling the release and hearing them let out pressure.

 

[day_trippr]

I hope so.

Come to think of it, the kegs had pressure before I started messing with them. I remember pulling the release and hearing them let out pressure.

There ya go...

Cheers!

 

[dongger1]

I just started kegging this week and have gone thru 2 10lb bottles of CO2. I have tested the system by spraying with starsan and see no leaks. On my second bottle I thought I had it figured out. A guy told me to pressurize my 2 kegs at 40 psi for a couple of days then backoff to 5-7 psi to serve. My second bottle of CO2 emptied in 1 day. Not sure what to do. The 2 kegs have had pressure then no pressure then pressure then no pressure. Lots of money spent to start kegging and no favorable results. Help please.

 

[day_trippr]

Yikes, that's a heck of a lot of gas to dump and not be able to find any leaks!

A description of the system topography might be helpful, but honestly, it's hard to believe a spray bottle of soapy water or Star San mix with everything hooked up wouldn't prove enlightening...

Cheers!

 

[Dan]

Once you turned off the CO2 tank valve, the gas remaining in the system may have simply been absorbed by the keg full of water.

If you want to do the test you thought you were doing, start with a totally empty keg...

Cheers!

I haven't read through all the replies. I agree with day_trippr

 

[bad67z]

Dongger1

Don't forget to check the regulator to cylinder connection and the gauges. That is a hell of a lot of Co2 to loose in such a short period of time. I would think you could hear a leak of that magnitude.

 

[bob1852]

I just started kegging this week and have gone thru 2 10lb bottles of CO2. I have tested the system by spraying with starsan and see no leaks. On my second bottle I thought I had it figured out. A guy told me to pressurize my 2 kegs at 40 psi for a couple of days then backoff to 5-7 psi to serve. My second bottle of CO2 emptied in 1 day. Not sure what to do. The 2 kegs have had pressure then no pressure then pressure then no pressure. Lots of money spent to start kegging and no favorable results. Help please.

What pressure did you test at? I had a leak that starsan didn't detect at 12psi. Finally, i submerged the manifold in the bath tub and cranked to 30 psi. That's how i found my leak.

 

[Golddiggie]

I found that if you charge your system (without any kegs connected) to about 30psi, you'll hear almost any leak point. Again, as already mentioned, charge the system at a higher pressure than you'll use (I test at about 30psi), then turn off the tank valve and see what the gauges read after 12-48 hours. If you don't have any pressure loss on the gauges, then you're leak free.

Personally, any time I change a part of my gas system, I check for leaks via a high pressure test. I make sure to turn off the manifold lines, or disconnect the kegs from the gas lines, first. At 30psi, I've been able to find leaks by simply listening.

One way to ensure you have far less chance for gas leaks is to drop the worm clamps in favor of Oetiker clamps. You can use side cutters, or get the crimping tool (you can get them for pretty short money). Once you get used to them, you can remove them pretty easily/quickly too. I'm using them on all my hoses now and don't regret it for a second. The fact that my hands are not getting cut by the worm clamps is well worth the cost of the tool. Of course, the clamps being less expensive than worm clamps also helps. The full 360 degree clamping also ensure a solid seal on the hoses. I'm using them on my gas and beer hoses in my kegging system. I'm even using them on my 1/2" ID silicone hoses that I use while brewing.

 

[Dan]

I, like probably most of us have used kegs, mine are cornys with a relief valve. I have three. I find that my PR valve lets loose around 30 psi but have read the kegs themselves are tested much higher. Weak spring, poor seals?

Anybody?

 

[day_trippr]

I, like probably most of us have used kegs, mine are cornys with a relief valve. I have three. I find that my PR valve lets loose around 30 psi but have read the kegs themselves are tested much higher. Weak spring, poor seals?

Anybody?

iirc, the typical corny keg is rated to somewhere between 130-150 psi, but the PR valves are usually set for around 80 psi. I can't say I've ever put more than 30 psi on any of my kegs, so experience is lacking, but if I had to guess, I'd finger a weak spring...

Cheers!