Grey/Gas Quick Disconnect absurdly difficult to attach/remove.

[lonlonmilklover]

I have two Torpedo brand 2.4 gallon kegs that I just love. (they're my first kegs).

However, one issue I've had since purchase is that the gas (grey) connection is ridiculously difficult to attach and remove. It's simply very tight. So tight that I have to put as much of my own weight on it whilst holding the release for it to snap on.

It's equally difficult on both kegs. After removing it just recently from one of the kegs, it's been such a battle that one of the rubber gaskets on the "in" valve had a chunk pop off of it when removing the gas / grey quick disconnect.

Now, as I'm new to kegging and this hardware, is there such thing as food-safe keg valve/gasket lube I'm supposed to have been using? (There was no documentation alluding to such, but then again... I'm the rookie here )

 

[day_trippr]

If you press down on the Gas post poppet, then the Out post poppet, is the Gas poppet significantly more difficult to depress?

Cheers!

 

[MikeCo]

Yes, you can buy keg lube, and you should use it on all your keg o-rings to lubricate them and help them seal. Just google keg lube and you find several places to get it. That alone may not be the problem.

Check the poppet on the gas post as day_trippr suggests. If you unscrew the posts a bit do the poppets get easier to press? Also check the valve pins inside the gas connectors to make sure they can be depressed with a reasonable amount of force. If not, disassemble them and see what's happening inside. If you have spare gas connectors, try them on the kegs and see how they feel.

Also make sure the gas and liquid posts have not been installed in the wrong locations. They have slightly different diameters.

I have had this problem before with the liquid posts. One time it was because the liquid connectors had gotten too cold in the kegerator and the valves were frozen, so the pin that goes in the keg post poppet would not displace. The other time was that the new o-rings I put on them were a little too fat. I'm not sure how that happened but I swapped o-rings and then all was fine.

I believe torpedo kegs are a morebeer product. You can contact them and see if they have any suggestions.

 

[NTexBrewer]

Best thing to do is Call Morebeer and have them help you out. It is possible that keg lube would help but I had one similar to yours that Morebeer replaced. I had ordered two kegs and one of them would not take a gas connection but the other one worked fine. I think sometimes there are tolerance issues with the posts.

Also, just double check and make sure that the Gas post in attached to the correct side. The Gas post has small notches where you would tighten with a wrench.

 

[mirthfuldragon]

The only time I have had difficulty is when I had the posts reversed. I ultimately took a paint marker and made grey circles around all my gas posts. The gas post should be the one with the short dip tube. There are plenty of pictures online illustrating the difference between gas and liquid ball lock posts, but honestly, in my keezer, I can't tell the difference most of the time.

 

[Robert65]

Gas posts are always quite clearly marked by a series of notches running around the base, while liquid posts are smooth. Gas on the left, liquid on the right of this little gadget. These are Cornelius type. Firestone/Challenger have a lower profile base, but exhibit identical notches or lack thereof.

 

[lonlonmilklover]

Thank you all for your replies!

I verified the in and out posts per notched markings are on the correct places on both kegs.

I also tried pressing on all poppets and both the in and outs depress with similar moderately easy effort on both kegs.

I will get a replacement O-ring for the butchered one w/ the chunk out of it and will see about proper Keg Lubricant. Simple as it was to check, I learned a lot from this!

 

[blizz81]

I feel like mine got a bit easier to take off after I stopped using lube on the o-ring every time.

 

[Robert65]

I feel like mine got a bit easier to take off after I stopped using lube on the o-ring every time.

What kind of lube? Petroleum products will stiffen in the cold, not to mention eat the rubber o-rings. I switched to 100% silicone grease, and it was a great improvement over both petroleum based lubricants and no lubricant at all.

 

[day_trippr]

One needs to make sure the lubricant is compatible with the O-ring.
Silicone grease is quite compatible with Buna-N, not so much with silicone post O-rings.
Petroleum grease may work great with silicone O-rings, but can cause Buna-N to swell.

My lhbs used to sell colored O-rings but the light blue ones would dissolve using silicone Keg Lube.
No bueno, it virtually welded a pair of gas QDs to two kegs I was carbing over a couple of weeks...

Cheers!

 

[Robert65]

One needs to make sure the lubricant is compatible with the O-ring.
Silicone grease is quite compatible with Buna-N, not so much with silicone post O-rings.
Petroleum grease may work great with silicone O-rings, but can cause Buna-N to swell.

My lhbs used to sell colored O-rings but the light blue ones would dissolve using silicone Keg Lube.
No bueno, it virtually welded a pair of gas QDs to two kegs I was carbing over a couple of weeks...

Cheers!

Good info. I always just use plain old black Buna-N o-rings. I would not have guessed that silicone grease and silicone wouldn't be compatible. Thanks.

 

[blizz81]

I’ve been using Petrol-gel. Could try a silicone lube I reckon.

 

[gnef]

Before trying a new o-ring or the lube, what I would do is take the o-ring off, and when the keg is empty (this is important!), try the disconnect with no o-ring to see how it feels going on and off. If it is still difficult, it points towards the circumferential bulge that the balls lock on to being out of spec and too large in diameter. If this is true, what I am wondering is if the machinery was set for the liquid spec on the gas post (since you already confirmed that they are on the appropriate posts).

If it slips on and off easily with the o-ring off, but it is really difficult when there is an o-ring, what that points towards (at least in my mind), is the groove for the o-ring wasn't cut deep enough, and it is forcing the o-ring to sit more proud than it is supposed to. Keg lube will help this, but ultimately, it is probably out of spec, and you will destroy o-rings a lot faster than you should.