Four-Body CM Becker Secondary Regulator Not Working

[Clint Yeastwood]

I got a CM Becker regulator with 4 bodies, and it's not doing anything. I connected a keg to the body nearest the CO2 outlet, and the dial always reads zero no matter what I do with the screw. The other three bodies seem to be okay.

Is there some trick I don't know?

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

The dial that doesn't work wobbles on its stem. I think it's the problem. I think Fedex or someone who packed it dropped it.

 

[doug293cz]

Could be a bad gauge on the one regulator body. Can you post a picture of the unit and annotate which of the four regulators is malfunctioning.

Brew on

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

I'm pretty sure it's the gauge. I have an email out to Keg Outlet.

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

I learned some interesting stuff.

Keg Outlet has not responded to my efforts to get help via email, nor has CM Becker International, the CM Becker distributor. When I called the number for CM Becker, I got a busy signal instantly. I started looking around to see if someone else could sell me a CM Becker gauge, in case Keg Outlet decided to stick me with this nonfunctional product.

I learned that Keg Outlet, Keg Connection, Brewhouse Brands, and CM Becker International have the same physical address, which is 1800 EDC Parkway, Comanche, TX 76442. My package was sent by Brewhouse Brands, according to Fedex.

The reason I contacted CM Becker International is that I sent them a technical question when I ordered, and they responded with this:

Thanks for purchasing our secondary regulators.

Yes, the gas shutoffs have internal check valves. Dont forget that all CMBecker
regulators have a 5 year warranty as well. If you have any issues let me know
and we will take care of it ASAP.

Cheers,

James Carlson
CMBecker International, LLC
1800 EDC Parkway
Comanche, TX 76442
325-356-1037

I'll post a photo of what comes up on Google when you look for 1800 EDC Parkway. It's a farm out in the middle of nowhere. The closest city of any size is Fort Worth, over 120 miles off by car.

Their return policy is not all that great. Here is part of it: "In the case damaged parts are received, the customer must contact Keg Outlet within 3 business days to report the damaged items. After 3 business days all claims of damaged or defective parts will be refused. Keg Outlet must be notified of defect or damage before the product is used in any way."

Of course, many types of defects and damage can only be detected when you try to use the product, so if they apply that policy, a lot of problems that are not customers' fault will fall outside the guarantee's protection.

The site says they accept Paypal, but when you click the Paypal button, nothing happens. Paypal is pretty good about helping buyers.

It sort of looks like this company is one guy who works out of his home. That isn't necessarily bad, but I consider it a bad sign when anyone runs closely related businesses from an atypical property under several different names.

I bought a CM Becker product partly because the company brags of a 5-year warranty. Given that the person or people at 1800 EDC Parkway would be the gateway to warranty help, I am wondering if the warranty actually works.

I can put another company's gauge on this regulator for about $12. I would rather have 4 nice matching gauges, but at this stage, I don't know whether that is possible.

I will give them a couple more days and, then, if necessary, buy a gauge elsewhere. Maybe they are honorable people and I will have no problems.

 

[camonick]

I'll post a photo of what comes up on Google when you look for 1800 EDC Parkway. It's a farm out in the middle of nowhere. The closest city of any size is Fort Worth, over 120 miles off by car.

Using Apple Maps, that address appears to be an industrial warehouse on the edge of Comanche, TX…. Just saying.

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

I wonder what the real story is. That looks considerably different. I used Street View to look up and down the road, and it looked pretty empty.

Hope it turns out to be an honest business.

 

[camonick]

I wonder what the real story is. That looks considerably different. I used Street View to look up and down the road, and it looked pretty empty.

Hope it turns out to be an honest business.

I tried google and it gave me the same results you got. I have found that google maps is incorrect many times when inputting addresses. I have much better luck with Apple Maps.

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

Reviews are scarce. Someone here was highly critical.

A site called Trustpilot gives them high marks, but Wikipedia says Trustpilot has been criticized for allowing fake reviews and letting businesses take down negative reviews.

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

I have found that Google gives bad directions to my house, but aerial views are right on the money.

 

[day_trippr]

 

[jwintersteller]

I have bought from them before and have had excellent experiences.

 

[Peteinno]

These guys have a pretty good podcast called HomeBrew Happy Hour (homebrewhappyhour.com). Todd Burns, the owner of KegConnection and James Carlson have given out their phone numbers in past shows when folks have problems. Try giving Josh a call at 325-356-5204. They all seem like a bunch of good fellas.

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

I already called two of their numbers and sent three emails.

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

In other news, I had a problem with a site called Howdy Brewer. I bought some fittings, but they didn't send all of them. I couldn't get them to respond, so I made a Paypal complaint.

The disputed charge was like 6 bucks. It wasn't the problem. The problem was that I was setting a keezer up and needed the fittings quickly. I didn't want to order these things from another company and then have the ones from Howdy Brewer roll in. Also, I was concerned because I saw a thread here in which complaints were made and it was suggested Howdy Brewer was a scam site.

Not only did Howdy Brewer give me a refund; they also sent a $20 gift card. They offered to send the fittings when they came in, but I declined because I had already given up and ordered from Morebeer.

Really nice of them to send a gift card.

 

[sibelman]

I couldn't get them to respond

So much wasted effort could be avoided if people would communicate! I hope your regulator gets straightened out, @Clint Yeastwood.

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

So much wasted effort could be avoided if people would communicate! I hope your regulator gets straightened out, @Clint Yeastwood.

Thanks.

I'm a lawyer. I'm just thinking about what would happen if someone filed a bar complaint because I didn't communicate, and I told the bar the client was in the wrong because he only tried to contact me by two phone numbers and emails to two addresses. Answer: instant suspension. I guess my background makes it hard for me to believe poor communication is normal or okay. Maybe my expectations are inappropriately high for people who sell brewing equipment.

It's noon on day 4.

If they don't respond, I'll just complain to American Express, order 4 nicer gauges, keep the CM Becker gauges as spares, and see if anything happens.

Interesting thing; it looks like the only difference between a secondary regulator and a primary is what you connect it to. They both have two high pressure orifices plus one low pressure orifice. Something to think about for anyone who wants a secondary regulator and has some old regulators lying around.

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

These guys have a pretty good podcast called HomeBrew Happy Hour (homebrewhappyhour.com). Todd Burns, the owner of KegConnection and James Carlson have given out their phone numbers in past shows when folks have problems. Try giving Josh a call at 325-356-5204. They all seem like a bunch of good fellas.

Turns out they're not the guys from Homebrew Happy Hour.

 

[day_trippr]

I do not believe primary and secondaries are interchangeable as they sport PRVs which cannot be the same. I also expect they use different springs for the same reason...

Cheers!

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

Okay, I got a response. They say they shut down for inventory, and they say a new gauge will be sent out.

 

[sibelman]

I'm a lawyer. I'm just thinking about what would happen if someone filed a bar complaint because I didn't communicate...

I have never so frequently maintained and reviewed a to-do list as during the brief period in the early 80s when I practiced law, but...

Expectations in various parts of the business world vary radically. I generally blame management decisions for the poor responsiveness of many companies' public-facing staff.

As a supervisor of technical support staff I found that some folks needed considerable prodding to rise to the organization's level of responsiveness. Most understood it quickly.

I'm glad that Keg Outlet (eventually) came through. I've been happy with the Taprite 4-body secondary they sold me in 2018.

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

The new gauge arrived, and now the regulator is fine. I checked the barb where the CO2 goes in, and whoever installed it left ragged tape inside the barb. There was also a sticky substance in there like pipe dope. I think tape or dope got into the gauge's orifice and killed it.