Kegerator leaking from inside the tower

[Packie]

I have a Marvel dual tower kegerator. I've suddenly got beer dripping from inside the tower and into the fridge. I suspect that I tugged on the line a bit too hard and loosened something in there. Would this be fixable? Meaning, can you even fully replace a line inside a tower? I would think that might be hard to do with no space to work inside there. Thoughts? I haven't taken it apart yet to look as I had to do a lot of work to get it into place through my countertop.

Otherwise, i'm gonna try to find a replacement tower. Marvel replacement parts are crazy expensive ($1200) and other ones are more reasonable, but I'm wondering if the screw hole measurements are the same. I have it screwed in through my countertop, so I can't really drill new holes to accommodate if the replacement isn't the same drill hole configuration.

 

[sibelman]

@Packie , you'd have to take this thing off the countertop to replace it, so take it off to fix it instead!

There's gotta be a way to remove the failed line and replace it. It seems most likely it's failed where the line meets the shank to which the faucet is attached. You may be able to get at that without removing the tower from the countertop.

If you decide to replace, consider a tee tower - much easier to maintain. Rather than drilling new countertop holes you might be able to modify the replacement tower to fit the existing layout. If the counter is stone then re-drilling the metal tower flange would be way easier.

Best of luck on the repair. My sympathies on your leak. You can use a picnic tap on the fridge meanwhile!

 

[Brushwood Brewing]

Yes the line can be replaced, but more likely the connection just needs tightened. I recommend getting a draft wrench (like this one on Morebeer for $4) to get the faucet off and give yourself room to work in the tower, and to see where the lines are connected. It's simple with the right tool.

 

[Broken Crow]

The online pics of Marvel kegerators look to have standard towers....can't you just pop the cap off and take a look?
Changing out shanks and lines is easy.

 

[Packie]

So this is what I see when I look down the tower. (The white tube down this is for cooling the tower with a fan.) So do I unscrew that brass nut and it all comes out? Any chance I'll lose a part down there? ... And what is holding the beer line to the metal?

 

[sibelman]

You won't lose anything. The tube is attached to the shank with Oetiker clamps. Any sense where the leak is?

 

[Broken Crow]

I usually use a piece of string, long tin-tie or bit of wire to hang the inside nut, washer & spacer on so I can feed the line up from the bottom and out with the shank.

 

[Packie]

I'm intriged with this replacement beer line from KegWorks that includes the beer line already attached to the elbow fitting, but I'm unsure how that elbow fitting then connects into the shank. Does it just slip in there or does something hold it in there? I'm awaiting a special wrench that will help get the nut off the beer tower, so I haven't yet seen what that all looks like disassembled, but I'm hoping this product would work with my set up and would be easy to use ... thoughts?

 

[Packie]

You won't lose anything. The tube is attached to the shank with Oetiker clamps. Any sense where the leak is?

The leak is somewhere down lower in the tower. I hooked the keg up again last night and popped the top of the tower off but didn't see anything and the connection at the top looked dry, but it was still pouring beer down into the fridge unit. So weird.

 

[wsmith1625]

You need a faucet wrench so you can take the brass nut off on the inside of the tower. Then you can pull the beer line out from the top to inspect it. I would suggest new beer lines, it's cheap and easy to do. An oetiker clamp is best to attach the new lines, but worm clamps work too.

And don't buy the beer lines you were looking at. They likely won't work with your shanks. Just read the specs on the current lines, ID and OD, and but the same size and length of vinyl beverage tubing.


https://www.kegoutlet.com/deluxe-faucet-wrench-faucet-and-nut-wrench.html

 

[Bobby_M]

Loosen the locknuts and pull the shanks and lines out of the tower so you can get a better look at where the drip is coming from.

Replacing the whole tower because of one drip is like buying a new car because one of the tires has a slow leak.

 

[sibelman]

one drip

Bobby is right, even though it's more than a drip.