Ball lock QDs should keep pressure w/out keg(s)?

[idbrewguy]

Hello all, newbie here to both brewing and kegging. I am trying to track down a CO2 leak. Setup is kegco triple-tap kegerator w/dual-gauge regulator. I've submerged manifold and ball lock QDs in water to check for leaks and think I'm good as long as the valves on the manifold are closed. But when I open any/all of those, after several hours pressure has dropped to zero.

My question is this: If I put the system under pressure with all valves open and the three ball lock QDs hanging (no kegs), then turn off the valve at the CO2, should I expect the pressure to hold indefinitely?

Cheers.

 

[day_trippr]

If by "indefinitely" you mean like "over night", then yes, it should.

fwiw, when I tested this setup there were four leaks to fix, including a poorly taped manifold plug, a missing O-ring inside one QD, a loose swivel nut, and another flare connection with the nylon gasket up-side-down.



Did you submerge the manifold and all of the QDs and tubing when leak testing under pressure? (there have been folks that have had leaky manifold valves so it's important to check those).
If you didn't detect any leaks, the problem must be elsewhere - like the kegs.
You can check those, too, by gassing them up then inverting them in a bucket of water...

Cheers!

 

[idbrewguy]

Cheers for the fast reply. Knowing my system should hold at least overnight is a big help--I am going to resubmerge per your picture and check again. The first time I did this it was leaking from virtually every orifice. I tightened all and thought I was good, but there's still a slow leaker somewhere before the kegs.

One thing: I've read different things about teflon tape and haven't used it anywhere in the picture above. Are there spots where I should absolutely use tape?

 

[day_trippr]

In that picture the only places that should be taped are the straight pipe fittings threaded into the manifold. So the inlet, valves, and plug. That's it.

None of the flare fittings - the swivel nut/barb combos that screw onto the valves and the QDs - should ever be taped, if only because it's pointless to do when there's a big ol' hole right through the middle of the nut, and the tape may interfere with making a tight seal...

Cheers!