Kegs not sealing

[Brasco20]

I just got my kegerator put together and hooked up all my lines. I filled the keg with water so i could test things out. When i turned on the gas, i could hear it coming out of the outer edges of the lid. I tinkered with it for a while and finally got it to stop leaking. Is there a certain way the lid needs to be put on? Seemed like it had to be in that perfect position to seal. I need to figure this out before i put beer in the keg, i dont want to have to keep taking off the lid once the beer is in. Gaskets look like their in good condition, but they are used kegs.

Thanks for any help

 

[rocketman768]

Those lids are finicky. Even though they look symmetric, you may also find they work better in one direction than the other. I have to pull hard on the bail and turn the pressure way up to get a seal. Soaking the gaskets in hot water seems to help, as does keg lube.

 

[Brasco20]

Ill try doing that.

Thanks for the reply!

 

[liljimmynorton]

I definitely say use some sort of food grade lube to help. Make sure all your seals are not flattened. On mine I had air escaping around the edge of the lid. What I did was crank up the pressure and sprayed some Starsan on the top so it would bubble where the leak was and you will know when you have stopped the leak. I then held the tip of a large flat head screwdriver on the keg lip that seals the lid and hit it in with a hammer. It helped to reshape the lid opening and give me a more secure seal. Cranked pressure to 30+ and have no issues now.

 

[homebeerbrewer]

I don't recommend hitting the keg with a hammer, but the Starsan bubbles is a great way to find the leak. Keg lube on the gasket would work better than trying to bend the lid, IMO. Also, the gaskets aren't that expensive, and when I buy a used keg, I replace all of them. You can get the dip tube o-rings and post o-rings at Lowes or Home Depot. The lid o-rings aren't so easy to find locally, but your LHBS should have them.

 

[MikeG]

Yeah, I also highly agree with the keg lube. If those seals aren't new when you bought it I recommend you buy new ones just to be sure, only a few bucks.

 

[malkore]

I have found the 'keg sealing o-rings' sold at williamsbrewing.com do a better job of sealing old kegs that have been around the block. They are a little fatter and a little softer rubber.

 

[outdoors76]

This might help out.

Dip Tube O-Rings
5/16″ ID x 1/2″OD x 3/32″ width
9452K172 BunaN #109
Pkg 100/$1.89

Post O-Rings
7/16″ ID x 5/8″ OD x 3/32″ width
9452K23 BunaN #111
Pkg 100/$2.15

Lid O-Rings
3 1/2″ ID x 4″ OD x 1/4″ width
9452K218 BunaN #417
Pkg 10/$12.50

 

[Captain_Bigelow]

Use a generous dose of keg lube around the o-ring. I had the same issues initially and that did the trick.

 

[liljimmynorton]

I don't recommend hitting the keg with a hammer...

You are not actually hitting the keg with a hammer. You are using the screwdriver to direct the power of the hammer to one part of the lid opening. You are doing this with the lid in so you can create a better seal between the lid and keg. I am also not saying to hit it as hard as you can, use your best judgement. Just remember this is steel so you are not going to kill it, it has already taken much more abuse in its past life than we could dish out. This method sealed up 3 loose lids for me.

 

[Brasco20]

Hey thanks for all the replies, helps a ton!

 

[david_42]

Seemed like it had to be in that perfect position to seal.

Yep! What I've found helpful is to use the relief valve ring as a handle. I pull up on the ring (after lubing the o-ring) and wiggle the lid a bit. This gets in in the right position. Without letting up on the ring, snap the retainer into position. Close the relief valve and pressure check.

 

[Bobby_M]

If you are not totally cash strapped, I highly recommend #417 SILICONE orings. They are softer so they conform to a divot/dent a bit better. Also use lube.

 

[Homercidal]

You shold be able to see if the edges of the opening are flat. Both the lid and the keg. If not, gently reshape with a hammer/tool.

If they look ok, then you should probably be ok with new O-Rings and lube. It actually doesn't take much lube to do the trick.