Removing Tank Pressure Gauge on Taprite Regulator

[AlienVortex]

After owning a brand new Taprite dual gauge regulator for a few months the tank pressure gauge is now totally destroyed from having the tank fall over too many times. I am now considering removing the tank pressure gauge entirely until I can demonstrate competency in tank regulator ownership. This might be a stupid question, but can I simply take off the tank pressure gauge entirely or will it leak CO2 without it on?

 

[doug293cz]

If you remove the pressure gauge, you have to put a plug in the hole that it came out of. Otherwise, by-by all of your CO2.

You really should strap the tank to something so that it can't be knocked over. If you just remove the gauge that is taking the hits, the regulator body will now be taking the hits.

Brew on

 

[grampamark]

A new tank pressure gauge is $10-12. A bungee cord is about a buck. Just sayin’...

 

[AlienVortex]

Thanks for the info and bungee cord idea.

 

[Wayne1]

You could replace the gauge and look into getting something like this:

https://www.morebeer.com/products/gauge-cage-taprite-co2-regulator.html

 

[camonick]

A new tank pressure gauge is $10-12. A bungee cord is about a buck. Just sayin’...

Not to mention the possible rocket projectile if something happens to the valve in the next tip over.

 

[doug293cz]

Not to mention the possible rocket projectile if something happens to the valve in the next tip over.

I have seen what happens when a 2400 psi gas cylinder gets its valve knocked off (video, not in person), and it makes a very dangerous projectile. The pressure in a CO2 cylinder is about 850 - 1100 psi at "room" temp, and the temp and pressure will quickly drop with a rapid discharge. Be interesting to see a video of a CO2 cylinder getting its valve knocked off.

Edit: Looked around on YouTube and could only find gas cylinder vids, no CO2. A virtual beer to anyone who finds a vid of a CO2 cylinder getting its valve knocked off.

Brew on

 

[camonick]

I have seen what happens when a 3000 psi gas cylinder gets its valve knocked off (video, not in person), and it makes a very dangerous projectile. The pressure in a CO2 cylinder is about 850 - 1100 psi at "room" temp, and the temp and pressure will quickly drop with a rapid discharge. Be interesting to see a video of a CO2 cylinder getting its valve knocked off.

Brew on

Still a lot more pressure than I’d like to be around when it’s released instantly.

 

[Robert65]

I have seen what happens when a 2400 psi gas cylinder gets its valve knocked off (video, not in person), and it makes a very dangerous projectile. The pressure in a CO2 cylinder is about 850 - 1100 psi at "room" temp, and the temp and pressure will quickly drop with a rapid discharge. Be interesting to see a video of a CO2 cylinder getting its valve knocked off.

Brew on

Saw the Mythbusters where they not only put a T size bottle through one concrete block wall and halfway through the next, but the first wall was moved a full inch off its base. And the scuba tank that flew around like a party balloon and punched out the wall of a shipping container. Pretty friggin cool. Don't need to see another demo in my basement now. All well secured with chains.

 

[day_trippr]

Where's the fun in that?

I made wood tank "nests" for all of my cylinders. Not quite as secure as a chained mount but with just a modicum of prudence they work well...

Cheers!

 

[grampamark]

I’ve seen an SCBA cylinder snapped off at the high pressure connection. It was strapped to the back of a fellow volunteer firefighter at the time.

We had responded to a report of a freight truck with a possible fire in the trailer. The truck was pulled over at a rural highway junction. It was early winter, just after sunrise, and the temp was around 20°F.

It was decided to ladder the rear of the trailer and send a firefighter up one ladder with a Halligan tool (an industrial strength wrecking bar) and another firefighter with a charged line up another ladder. First guy would knock a hole in the roof of the dry van (which was only slightly thicker than a beer can), second guy would knock down any fire.

While the ladders were being raised, one of the guys going up to the roof was waiting, wearing his SCBA, by the side of the trailer. A charged red line (1” hose carried on a hose reel on an engine) was layed out on the highway with the nozzle cracked to maintain circulation through the pump. The trickle of water was flowing across the road on the the shaded side of the trailer where the guy in the SCBA was waiting. He turned, stepped on the semi-frozen puddle and fell straight down on his ass. The neck of the bottle, where the high pressure line to the regulator is connected, was about level with his tailbone. The connection snapped off when he hit the pavement. You know how the coyote would spin around rapidly when the road runner went speeding past him? That’s exactly what the guy on the ground did. Spun around about 3 revolutions on his butt like a break dancer on speed.

Fortunately, there were no injuries, the fire turned out to be a case of restaurant soda cracker packets, which had gotten too close to the propane space heater used in cold weather in trailers carrying mixed freight, and was smoldering. And, we all learned what a 150lb guy wearing 30lbs of bunker gear and breathing apparatus does with a 2200psi bottle rocket strapped to his ass.

 

[doug293cz]

I’ve seen an SCBA cylinder snapped off at the high pressure connection. It was strapped to the back of a fellow volunteer firefighter at the time.

We had responded to a report of a freight truck with a possible fire in the trailer. The truck was pulled over at a rural highway junction. It was early winter, just after sunrise, and the temp was around 20°F.

It was decided to ladder the rear of the trailer and send a firefighter up one ladder with a Halligan tool (an industrial strength wrecking bar) and another firefighter with a charged line up another ladder. First guy would knock a hole in the roof of the dry van (which was only slightly thicker than a beer can), second guy would knock down any fire.

While the ladders were being raised, one of the guys going up to the roof was waiting, wearing his SCBA, by the side of the trailer. A charged red line (1” hose carried on a hose reel on an engine) was layed out on the highway with the nozzle cracked to maintain circulation through the pump. The trickle of water was flowing across the road on the the shaded side of the trailer where the guy in the SCBA was waiting. He turned, stepped on the semi-frozen puddle and fell straight down on his ass. The neck of the bottle, where the high pressure line to the regulator is connected, was about level with his tailbone. The connection snapped off when he hit the pavement. You know how the coyote would spin around rapidly when the road runner went speeding past him? That’s exactly what the guy on the ground did. Spun around about 3 revolutions on his butt like a break dancer on speed.

Fortunately, there were no injuries, the fire turned out to be a case of restaurant soda cracker packets, which had gotten too close to the propane space heater used in cold weather in trailers carrying mixed freight, and was smoldering. And, we all learned what a 150lb guy wearing 30lbs of bunker gear and breathing apparatus does with a 2200psi bottle rocket strapped to his ass.

Glad no one was hurt. Must have been scary as hell.

Brew on

 

[grampamark]

Glad no one was hurt. Must have been scary as hell.

Brew on

It happened so quickly there was no time to be scared. As soon as Jack stopped spinning we realized what had happened. Jack looked up, moved his arms and legs, said “I’m good” and we all started laughing. It’s not often that you see life imitating cartoon art.