Co2

[jalc6927]

I recently filled my 20lb co2 bottle around 1 week ago

The tank gauge was well up in the mid range Saturday

Yesterday it showed in the red? Second time this happened

I have 3 corny kegs on it and no leaks that I can find.

Does the co2 just go empty that quick, or is there another issue

Thanks

 

[balrog]

You'll have to isolate to find
--Leak at bottle
--Leak in regulator
--Leak regulator to manifold
--Leak manifold valve
--Leak on each line from manifold
--Leak at each keg input
--Leak at each keg lid/relief valve

StarSan sprayed liberally is your friend.

 

[jmcquesten]

I recently filled my 20lb co2 bottle around 1 week ago

The tank gauge was well up in the mid range Saturday

Yesterday it showed in the red? Second time this happened

I have 3 corny kegs on it and no leaks that I can find.

Does the co2 just go empty that quick, or is there another issue

Thanks

What are you using for regulators? Do you have a splitter? Do you have shut-off valves?

 

[jalc6927]

4way with shut offs

I sprayed them yesterday and didn't see anything I'll try again

The weird thing is it stays at good level for a week or so then in one night empty

 

[balrog]

4way with shut offs

I sprayed them yesterday and didn't see anything I'll try again

The weird thing is it stays at good level for a week or so then in one night empty

That happened to me when I changed CO2 tank from house (warm) environment to cold environment—the connection at the tank contracted and leaked.

 

[gromitdj]

Because those gauges work on gas pressure they are really only good at telling you what you already know (you're out of gas). I would venture to guess that you have a leak somewhere. Unless you managed to carb and dispense a number of kegs over that time...

I think I get about 5 or 6 kegs (5G) out of a fill (5lb) and have actually lasted me close to a year at that rate.

 

[jmcquesten]

"4way with shut offs"

I put up with a slow leak for over a year and finally just got tired of it. I couldn't find it spraying everything down, but had a suspicion that it was my cheap "Chinese made" shut off/check valves. I just ordered and installed some nice check valves with hose barbs (eliminating the shut off valves) and feel like this should take care of my leak. It's been 2 weeks since the changeover, so I'm still monitoring it.

 

[mongoose33]

4way with shut offs

I sprayed them yesterday and didn't see anything I'll try again

The weird thing is it stays at good level for a week or so then in one night empty

You still have a leak.

You have liquid CO2 in your tank; it's only in gaseous form in the headspace, and as long as there's liquid in there, the headspace will read constant. As the regulator calls for gas, a small amount of the liquid turns to gas, and keeps the tank headspace pressure the same. But once your liquid is exhausted, you have only compressed gas in the tank, which now will show a decline on the gauge.

 

[gromitdj]

^^ That is a way better explanation than my attempt^^

 

[jalc6927]

Thanks

I think I found the leak on one of the gas lines into the keg

I'll be replacing all the lines and clamps asap

 

[doug293cz]

The high pressure gauge can go into the red zone if you put a full cylinder into the keggerator/keezer. If it went into the red zone in a short time, without the cylinder being chilled, then yeah, you have a leak (which you apparently found.) For the future remember that red only means "almost empty" if the tank is relatively warm.

In actuality, when there is any liquid CO2 in the tank, the high pressure gauge functions as a thermometer, not a content amount meter. For compressed gasses (no liquid in tank) pressure gauges really are content amount meters.

Brew on