co2 leak through broken gauge?

[nikko]

Hi, i have a 20lb CO2 tank that i managed to use about 3-4 times and now it's empty. Only thing i can think of that might cause it and im wondering if someone can verify this would be that one of my gauges is missing the face plate and i can actually touch the needle on the inside. can this have something to do with the leak?
BTW it's my high pressure gauge that's broken

thanks.

 

[gabeweisz]

It probably shouldn't.

Did you try the soapy water trick on every single connection? I lost a few tanks due to a leak in a "Y" connection that was assembled by the guy I bought my kegerator parts from (which took me forever to find)

 

[nikko]

i haven't tried that but for sure i will once i get the tank refilled, i just thought since it's missing a faceplate and the insides are exposed that co2 might be flowing in there to make the needle rise and tell pressure. oh well.

thanks.

 

[david_42]

No, the works are sealed away behind the plate. Believe me, if your high pressure gage was leaking you would know from the frost.

 

[Funkenjaeger]

Regardless of where it's leaking, be it in the gauge or at any one of the many connections, the soapy water test will be able to find it. It's so amazingly simple, it's a shame more people don't do it BEFORE learning the hard way by losing a tank full of CO2 to a slow leak.

 

[nikko]

thats the thing my high pressure gauge doesn't have a face plate.

 

[cactusgarrett]

Doesn't matter. The part you view isn't under pressure. The faceplace sits loosly on there anyway and is not gas tight.

 

[fpugsley]

Doesn't matter. The part you view isn't under pressure. The faceplace sits loosly on there anyway and is not gas tight.

This is correct. The glass faceplate just protects the needle from being damaged. The pressure 'sensing' part is sealed inside where you cant see it.

 

[Rhino17]

Nikko, when you are using the soapy water to check connections, be sure to check the connections where the guages screw into the regulator body. When I first built my keggerator, I was careful to check all connections, but assumed the the factory connections on the regulator were good.

I was wrong, and a full 20lb tank was gone in a couple of weeks.

Rhino