I bought a new 3 tap tower and upon dis assembling to add longer lines and perlick faucets I realized that the shanks that came on the tower are not elbow shanks but just regular shorter shanks. I feel like the bend in the beverage line from a horizontal faucet shank going straight down my tower is going to make a bend where I will end up getting a disruption in liquid flow thus foaming. Does anyone know if it is common practice to always use elbow shanks with a tower or whether the regular shanks it came with will be fine?
Confused about my new 3 tap tower
- Thread starter crlova2
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I always thought those towers came with elbows. It likely isn't the shank that bends though. It should just be a 90° barb that attaches to the shank. Do you have pictures of what you received?
camiller
Well-Known Member
Yeah, have to agree with IP, pictures would help clarify. Most of the tower shanks I have seen have a 90 degree curved nipple brazed onto the shank, although if you just have a shank with no nipple at all perhaps you need 90 degree tailpieces like these. with a regular beer nut. Normally towers don't use regular shanks/tailpieces/beer nuts because of the lack of available space.
Edit: the tower shank linked above says this in the description:
so maybe there is a manufacture still using older style shanks? If yours uses regular nuts to affix a tailpiece, then the elbow tailpieces linked above should help you out.
crlova2
Well-Known Member
Sorry for the confusion I think I used the wrong terminology. Here is a link to another guys photo that looks basically the same as what I got expect I have three and the third one is a little lower.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/how-remove-kegerator-shank-tower-139137/
I just thought it would come with 90 elbow nipple or "elbow shank." I just wasn't sure if the tubing would be heavy enough that it would cause a bend right where it comes off of the horizontal nipple and thus cause disturbance of beer flow.... I figured elbow shanks were created to avoid that problem but I am not sure that is why I am trying to figure it out before I put the whole thing back together. Also, does anyone have any suggestions for how to get the hex nut on and off easily?
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/how-remove-kegerator-shank-tower-139137/
I just thought it would come with 90 elbow nipple or "elbow shank." I just wasn't sure if the tubing would be heavy enough that it would cause a bend right where it comes off of the horizontal nipple and thus cause disturbance of beer flow.... I figured elbow shanks were created to avoid that problem but I am not sure that is why I am trying to figure it out before I put the whole thing back together. Also, does anyone have any suggestions for how to get the hex nut on and off easily?
My 3-faucet tower has straight shanks no elbow. I don't have a problem with beer flow, but I make sure to give the lines a bit of leeway going into the tower so they do not bend dramatically.
crlova2
Well-Known Member
Alright thanks! Just wanted to make sure before I labor over trying to get the hex nuts attached again inside that little 3" tower.
I sure hope you have a draft tower faucet wrench. I cannot get a regular wrench on the shanks inside my tower. Also, a hint:
Due to the limited range of motion inside the tower, it is easier if you get the wrench on the nut, then do most of the rotation by twisting the faucet on the outside with your other hand. It goes on a lot faster that way.
Due to the limited range of motion inside the tower, it is easier if you get the wrench on the nut, then do most of the rotation by twisting the faucet on the outside with your other hand. It goes on a lot faster that way.
crlova2
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the advice. I don't have a faucet wrench but I got it all worked out after about 2 hours and a lot of screaming f**#. I just used a regular wrench for the bottom one and one of the top ones. The wrench would not fit around the third one because the others were too close so I used channel locks and my fingers. I definitely didn't get the third shank as tight as the others but it is tight enough. I am glad that assembly is over b/c it was a pain. Definitely looks bad a$$ though. Now I just need to wire a fan and mount my secondary regulator somewhere and I'll be set. Not sure how I am going to mount it because I don't know if I should drill screws in the sides of my kegerator.
