Regulator pressure creeping up

[brian231]

I setup a new tap rite nitrogen regulator yesterday. To check for leaks in the regulator I closed the output shutoff and closed the nitrogen tank overnight.

In the morning noticed that the output pressure creeped up overnight.

So for example, I had the pressure set at 40psi. In the morning the pressure gauge had creeped up to 100psi. If I then open the valve to let it fill the keg, the pressure goes back to 40psi.

Is this normal?

Brian

 

[Golddiggie]

That level of creep is NOT "normal". I only get a slight increase due to not adjusting properly. Meaning I go too far and don't check the level later (from 5-30 minutes later) to see if I went too far. We're talking about a few PSI (at most) here. Not a 60psi gain.

Is the regulator brand new, or did you get a used one? If brand new, talk with the vendor/seller about this. Leaking from one side to the other to that amount is concerning. Especially since you have no way to know how it will act when you leave the tank valve open. IME. the outlet gauge reading shouldn't change when you close the tank valve. Or at least not increase. If anything you'll have a degrease if you have a leak (or you have the tank in the kegorator/keezer).

 

[brian231]

Thanks, looks like I was misreading the maximum on the gauge. It was creeping to 60psi from 40psi. In a minute it would creep 5 psi.

It is brand new. I ended up disassembling the regulator (as per the rebuild kit instructions) and found a tiny sliver of metal from machining on the valve seal. I cleaned that out with compressed air, reassembled, and it seems the creep largely went away. Now I see maybe a tiny bit of needle movement, but I still to wait some more time.

 

[Golddiggie]

Once you figure out how to adjust it for pressure level desired, you should get very little (if any) creep once set.

Good that you were able to take it apart and find the culprit. Sucks that it was something inside of it. I've not had that in any of my regulators. But I did have something like that in an air solenoid for a set of train horns I installed on a previous vehicle (furd Ranger).

 

[hotbeer]

Maybe the temps of the gas increased and then you'd get a increase in pressure. With no leaks, it had nowhere to go. If you were letting the gas out quick before shutting off the line beyond the gauge, then it will have been pretty cold gas.