Leaking Kegerator system, not sure how to fix.

[awoitte]

Buddy of mine got a kegerator for free and when I connected everything a leak started coming from the small pipe looking piece in the photo. You can see the suds of starsan oozing out, it was mainly coming from the top. When I unthread the brass/bronze fitting its placed into (which the small pipe will come out of by the way), it looks like its resting up against a material like an eraser. It doesn't actually fit inside this eraser looking piece, but just rests nearly flush against it. I'm not sure if the leak is happening because I need to force the piece into the hole in the eraser material, and I didn't see if it was fitted in it already before it was taken apart. Thoughts?

 

[awoitte]

Bump

 

[pbrennan10]

The eraser is a gasket of some sort likely.

In order of attempt:
Tighten more
Replace washer/gasket
Teflon tape

 

[awoitte]

*Attaching two additional photos.
1) I don’t think tightening will do anything. As mentioned, the threaded piece is not locked into the pipe, so I’m screwing more into the eraser but the metal tube isn’t progressing forward.
2)This eraser is fitted into the shank, no idea how to replace that. Is there something I can put over the tubing?
3) Will pick some up and see if that helps out.

Will post results, thanks!

 

[pbrennan10]

Sorry I didn't understand what you were saying.

Does the end of the pipe look like a flange may have been sheared off?

 

[Bobby_M]

The metal tube must inserting the bore of that rubber gasket. When the threaded piece hits the rubber, it compresses and seals.

 

[The_Bishop]

That's 'packing' in the shank.

Needs to be replaced. You can still get it, but my recommendation is to just replace the whole damn shank with a modern version.

 

[awoitte]

That's 'packing' in the shank.

Needs to be replaced. You can still get it, but my recommendation is to just replace the whole damn shank with a modern version.

Is my best bet emailing someplace like morebeer/northernbrewer for a modern version? I'm not too experienced with that I would need.. Trying to avoid buying additional parts if they aren't necessary.

Thanks for all the advice!

 

[The_Bishop]

This will fix you right up:

https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/shanksstower.htm

 

[awoitte]

This will fix you right up:

https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/shanksstower.htm

Could you explain how this will fix the issue? The tubing looks right but the hardware before it just looks like its going to make things more complicated to connect. My original hardware doesn't match that

 

[The_Bishop]

That's a replacement tower shank. You're going to take the original old one completely off the tower, and replace it with the new one. It's not complicated once you see how it goes together.

 

[awoitte]

That's a replacement tower shank. You're going to take the original old one completely off the tower, and replace it with the new one. It's not complicated once you see how it goes together.

Thanks Bishop,

Ordered the shank, I'll post my results once it arrives and I mess with it!

 

[awoitte]

Ok,

I got my new shank and installed it. I resolved the original leak, and created two additional. I resolved the first (new) leak with teflon tape, but the second one is coming out of the tap itself. I've loosened/tightened areas around it, not sure what I can do about this one.

 

[day_trippr]

Whoa. You should never need pipe tape there. The back of the faucet should engage with the O-ring stuffed inside the coupler making essentially a flare connection with the two mating metal surfaces sealed to each other by that O-ring.

And if that red box is indicating the leak is through the faucet spout, that's due to fluid getting around the faucet plunger O-ring - item 10 in this diagram, nothing to do with the shank...

Cheers!

 

[awoitte]

Whoa. You should never need pipe tape there. The back of the faucet should engage with the O-ring stuffed inside the coupler making essentially a flare connection with the two mating metal surfaces sealed to each other by that O-ring.

And if that red box is indicating the leak is through the faucet spout, that's due to fluid getting around the faucet plunger O-ring - item 10 in this diagram, nothing to do with the shank...

Cheers!

So, I need to get two new O rings to go with my new shank? How do I know what O-rings to buy?

 

[day_trippr]

For the faucet coupler, you need one of these skinny O-rings - item 7 in the previously posted diagram.

For the faucet, I'd need to know the make/model to identify a replacement...

Cheers!

 

[awoitte]

Is there a small listing of those that I could just buy/try for all of them since they're ~$2.00 each? This is becoming a pain in the ass and all I wanna do is find the easiest solution to get this operable without liquid coming out of several areas.

 

[day_trippr]

The o-ring that fits inside the coupler is a defacto standard, so you can get that any place that sells dispensing equipment.

Otoh, I don't know if there's a "generic" rear-seal faucet plunger seal, but I found this picture of a plunger washer for a Perlick standard rear-seal faucet and it appears it's 1/2" OD, 1/4" ID and 1/8" thick. Might even find something like that in a big box hardware store.

Are there no identifying marks on the faucets? Even a picture could help...

Cheers!

 

[awoitte]

Would something like this give me the washers I need to replace?

 

[day_trippr]

That O-ring set is for a forward-seal faucet, so while it has the faucet-to-shank O-ring it won't have an o-ring for your plunger.
You'd probably have better luck with this set...https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002EAKHM/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 which is meant for rear seal faucets like yours...

Cheers!

 

[awoitte]

Going to look into the kit from amazon. I've attached a few more photos as well because I'm not totally sure everything is as it should be

 

[day_trippr]

The large skinny o-ring that's supposed to seal to the shank coupler looks dried out.
And that looks like any conventional rear seal faucet.
Lacking any further identification there's still a good chance the Amazon kit will solve your leaks...

Cheers!

 

[awoitte]

Success!

The washer replacements did the trick and stopped all leaks. Thanks everyone for the advice!

Cheers