Touchy taps

[Cider123]

Yes touchy taps. Maybe I should say overly sensitive taps?

Whatever. I have 2 perlick 525 taps with SS shanks. The last month or so they have become very touchy, like if you lightly hit or "tap the tap" it starts pouring beer or at least spurting some out. Lately I'm afraid I'll go out to the garage one day and there'll be 5 gallons of beer on the floor under my kegerator.

Is this a sign they need to be broken down and cleaned, or it is a worn gasket or some defect?

Thanks for any help

 

[day_trippr]

Perls can be touchy if the bonnet is too tight and binding the lever, or if there's enough crud built up on the faucet lever pivot (5) and its lower O-ring (2) - the one you have to pull the lever out to get to.

For the former, you back off the handle and the collar (8) a few turns, then back off the bonnet (7) a turn or two, then slowing tighten the bonnet while testing the action. For the latter, you could try breaking it down and giving it a good cleaning, then when assembling, put the slightest film of silicone keg lube on the faucet lever pivot ball.

Finally, the O-ring at the spout (3) can develop flat spots over time (probably quicker with heavier tap handles, I imagine) that can cause a failure to close (euphemistically speaking). For that one you pretty much need to replace that O-ring, but in a pinch you can try flipping the old one over.

fwiw, I've been running a half-dozen first-gen 525SS faucets for years now and have only ever had to change a part on one of them (that #3 spout O-ring). There's a bit of a knack to tuning them straight out of the box, but otherwise they've been stellar performers, and I don't get any sense that they degrade over time...

Cheers!

 

[Cider123]

Thanks Trippr,

I tried backing off the bonnets. Both were definitely too tight, but it hasn't changed the issue. I'll need to break down the taps and clean when I change over the next kegs. I hope I didn't crush any gaskets.

 

[beersk]

Do you have big heavy tap handles? That'll make them easier to accidentally open.

 

[Cider123]

Do you have big heavy tap handles? That'll make them easier to accidentally open.

Nope. Just the small black handles that they sell with the perlicks usually.

I could see one of those big Boddington tap handles just flopping over and dumping all my beer out.