Different line lengths for Beer and Soda Kegs on a single regulator?

[nmistry73]

I am in the process of converting my Haier single tower Kegerator into a tripple tower so i can have 2 beers on tap and one of soda water. Before i cut my liquid tubing i thought to ask the following:

Since I am only using one regulator, should consider different liquid line lengths for the beer taps vs the soda tap?

Thanks.

 

[malkore]

Here's the issue. Soda water/soda pop is carbonated WAY higher than any beer (even a hefe).

Most people carb their rootbeer around 30psi, which requires 22-28 feet of tap line on average.

Really, you won't get 'real' soda water and properly carb'd beer off one regulator.

If they are all at the same psi, your tap lines are all the same length for dispensing.

 

[beninan]

Soda is usually kept at a higher pressure and a higher carbonation level than beer. So if you were to have the soda at a higher carbonation level/pressure, you would need a second regulator and a lot more serving line.
If everything is going to be kept at the same pressure, 1 regulator will work, and the serving line length would not be as much of an issue. You will still need enough line to provide the proper resistance to prevent foaming though.
If your soda is kept at the pressure for beer, you may find that it may be under-carbonated. Some people do it this way, but I prefer my soda bubbly like soda, and not bubbly like beer.

 

[nmistry73]

Thanks for the replies.

Since I am limited on space I can only afford to have one soda keg on tap. My wife prefers sparkling water (ie: San Pellegrino) so i have that for her. Flavorings are added to the glass after the fact. This gives us the most flexibility, plus its easier to clean.

For now I think I am just going to cut all the lines to the same length and see how things turn out.

ps. would love to have root-beer or birch-beer on tap someday. May need to build a Keezer in the garage.