Regulator Malfunction?

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gcdowd

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Hey all,

I've been using my current regulator on my kegerator for about 2 years (I have a chest freezer 4 tap system). Recently, something has gone horribly wrong. I tried numerous combinations of things but to no avail. Here's the basic gist:

My regulator seems to be no longer regulating my pressure. I tried to troubleshoot it but cannot figure it out. The main thing I tried (which gave me the idea that it was the regulator to blame) was that I shut off all my valves and turned off the CO2 tank. I bled the pressure from my regulator to get 0 psi. I then opened the screw all the way (again, to 0 psi) but when I turn my CO2 tank back on, the guage starts going up, like to the point where it was getting to like 50 psi. I cannot figure it out, other than my regulator is shot. Is there anything I am missing here? I can answer any and all questions in the event I did not provide enough information.

Please help! Thanks!

edit: My tank is inside the kegerator and temperature has been a consistent 40 degrees
 
Totally out of the blue. It did seem to happen after I disconnected a keg and connected another one in order to purge the O2. But then I immediately connected the original keg. I've done that before though and it was never a problem.
 
I'm having the same issue. Hoping I can get a warranty replacement. I saw where someone claimed to have taken apart, cleaned and put back together and that worked for them. Might be worth trying.
 
I've seen pictures taken of brand new out-of-the-box regulators that were virtually packed with brass machining debris. Assuming there's such a thing as a totally debris-free regulator out there, the rest of the population falls somewhere in the middle.

So it's possible some bit of crud has wedged itself into the regulator seat. What you can try is this:

- close the tank valve
- remove any tubing attached to the cranky regulator body outlet port
- if there is a shut-off valve on said outlet, open it fully
- turn the regulator pressure control clockwise to "wide open"
- get a good grip on the tank/regulator assembly, make sure to point the outlet port in a safe direction, then open the tank valve to create a couple of good sharp blasts.

- close the tank valve, crank the regulator control counter-clockwise to "zero", and close the outlet shut-off valve if there is one.

- open the tank valve and see if the output pressure creeps from zero, or if it's now holding stable. If you get past that ok, dial the pressure up to 10 psi and check if it's still stable. If not, it's time for a rebuild or replacement...

Cheers!
 
Thanks for the tip. At this point, I'm of the mind to just replace the damn thing. I'd rather just drop the cash for a new one. Any suggestions on a decent one?
 
I just bought a Taprite t-742HP off of Amazon for ~$62 delivered. I would recommend buying through them as even though mine was 6 mo old, they issued an immediate refund. I bought a Kegco brand the first time. Too many people having issues with that brand
 

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