Secondary Regulator Question

[cegan09]

I think this is a dumb question, however, is there any reason a secondary low pressure regulator that is sold for CO2 can't be used for Nitrogen? I mean once you've done the main bottle interface everything downstream is just pressure right? I know primary regulators aren't directly swappable. Nitrogen uses a higher pressure and different thread style on the bottles. But there shouldn't be a reason that a downstream regulator would need to be different.


I'm asking because I can't find a secondary regulator that actually says it's for nitrogen. I'm doing some kegging experiments with cocktails, and I want to have 1 keg at full high pressure served through a nitro tap, and another at very low pressure just used to push through a regular tap.

 

[day_trippr]

A whole new paradigm Literally never read or even considered such a configuration.

As long as one respects the min/max inlet pressure specifications that result in full operation of a secondary regulator, I suppose it doesn't matter if the working gas is straight CO2, straight nitrogen, or a beer gas mix. Most secondaries require a minimum inlet pressure to have bare functionality (eg: for Tap Rite that's 5 psi above whatever one wants to set the secondary regulator) and at least some have a maximum input pressure (Tap Rite secondaries have a max of 65 psi iirc, for a maximum service pressure of 60 psi).

Anyway...mixed gas cylinder valves are typically cga 580, while co2 cylinder valves are usually cga 320. And as I implied, a secondary reg on a nitro/beer gas line is not something one sees very often...or at all...

Cheers!

 

[SanPancho]

its fine. works no problem, have something similar-ish. the only time you need to worry about co2 vs n2 vs o2 is on rotometers and other measuring devices for flow/volume. but pressure is pressure.

other than the threading on the stem piece there's nothing different between primary regulators for co2 and n2. ditto for secondary.

 

[cegan09]

Cool, thank you everyone. I know it matters on flow meters (experience from the welding world), which is what made me second guess pressure regulators.

And yea, the way I plan on using this is set the primary regulator on the Nitrogen tank to the high pressure used for the stout/nitrogen tap, then run that output to a manifold. Out of the manifold I can have two feeds at high pressure, and one that runs to the secondary regulator. That way if I want two kegs at high pressure I just use those lines, and if I want one at high and one at low I can swap to those lines. Which is not much different than how you'd rig a multi-regulator setup with CO2.

 

[day_trippr]

[...]other than the threading on the stem piece there's nothing different between primary regulators for co2 and n2. ditto for secondary.

This is definitely not true for Taprite secondary regulators! With a max inlet pressure around 50-60 psi they definitely would not work as a primary reg!

Cheers!

 

[cegan09]

I think SanPacho was specifically talking about primary regulators, not secondary. No secondary regulator should be attached straight to a bottle.

However I don't think you can use a CO2 primary on a Nitrogen bottle (if you found a way to adapt the different threads). Nitrogen is at a much higher pressure, which the CO2 ones aren't built for, at least the bottle pressure gauge isn't. But you can use a Nitrogen regulator on a CO2 with an adapter because it's designed for that higher pressure.

 

[SanPancho]

This is definitely not true for Taprite secondary regulators! With a max inlet pressure around 50-60 psi they definitely would not work as a primary reg!

Cheers!

referring to primaries for n2 vs c02. not primary vs secondary.

I think SanPacho was specifically talking about primary regulators, not secondary. No secondary regulator should be attached straight to a bottle.

However I don't think you can use a CO2 primary on a Nitrogen bottle (if you found a way to adapt the different threads). Nitrogen is at a much higher pressure, which the CO2 ones aren't built for, at least the bottle pressure gauge isn't. But you can use a Nitrogen regulator on a CO2 with an adapter because it's designed for that higher pressure.

you're right about max pressure. i was referring to the design of the units. its the same piece of brass, but the springs are stronger. most n2 units will see an all brass housing, but ours has a normal plastic spring cover like co2. so in that case, its literally a difference of internal spring. and higher gauges, obviously.

 

[cegan09]

Cool insight, thank you.