Shortening CO2 lines

[Bru]

Does the length of the CO2 lines have any effect ? I want to tidy up the spaghetti in my keezer by shortening the lines

 

[bja]

No effect at all.

 

[shortyjacobs]

Any length/diameter is just fine.

 

[wyzazz]

Not to hijack, but out of curiosity does the thickness of the line make any difference for CO2?

 

[shortyjacobs]

Not to hijack, but out of curiosity does the thickness of the line make any difference for CO2?

As long as it is rated for the pressures you're using, no. There might be some small changes in diffusivity, so you might "leak" CO2 very slowly out of thin walled line, but at the volumes we use CO2 for beer, you'd never notice.

 

[wildwest450]

There might be some small changes in diffusivity, so you might "leak" CO2 very slowly out of thin walled line, but at the volumes we use CO2 for beer, you'd never notice.

What in the hell?

 

[wyzazz]

@shortyjacobs - Not that I don't believe you but is there any resource you could point me to to confirm the "leak" theory?

 

[bja]

@shortyjacobs - Not that I don't believe you but is there any resource you could point me to to confirm the "leak" theory?

It happens moreso with vinyl tubing but co2 will slowly diffuse through tubing. Although the amount is probably on the order of a pennys worth of co2 per year.

I'm not really sure why he even mentioned it.

 

[TipsyDragon]

correct me if i'm wrong here guys. but doesn't the length of the lines make a difference. the longer the lines the more the CO2 has to expand to fill them and the lower the effective pressure will be. the regulator may be allowing 10psi out of the tank but that 10psi now has to fill the CO2 lines, the keg, and the beer has to fill the beer out line. this would all allow for pressure loss.

 

[bja]

correct me if i'm wrong here guys. but doesn't the length of the lines make a difference. the longer the lines the more the CO2 has to expand to fill them and the lower the effective pressure will be. the regulator may be allowing 10psi out of the tank but that 10psi now has to fill the CO2 lines, the keg, and the beer has to fill the beer out line. this would all allow for pressure loss.

It may take a second or 2 but the pressure will equalize.

 

[shortyjacobs]

It happens moreso with vinyl tubing but co2 will slowly diffuse through tubing. Although the amount is probably on the order of a pennys worth of co2 per year.

I'm not really sure why he even mentioned it.

Yeah, like I said, it doesn't matter. I just mentioned it to head off the "thin lines leak CO2" responses. There was a big argument a while ago about "CO2 proof tubing", which was all BS.

correct me if i'm wrong here guys. but doesn't the length of the lines make a difference. the longer the lines the more the CO2 has to expand to fill them and the lower the effective pressure will be. the regulator may be allowing 10psi out of the tank but that 10psi now has to fill the CO2 lines, the keg, and the beer has to fill the beer out line. this would all allow for pressure loss.

It's a closed system, pressure is pressure. 10 PSI at the reg means 10 PSI throughout the entire system, no matter how long the lines are.

During DYNAMIC changes, (pouring beer), longer lines will show more of a pressure drop along the line during flow. This drop is VERY minimal though, and since you are only removing a pint from the keg, there's not a lot of gas flow required to take its place. Pressure in the keg MIGHT momentarily drop a tenth of a PSI or two, but will immediately come back to 10 PSI (or whatever), once you stop pouring your pint.

Edit, to maybe clarify, going with your "beer has to fill the liquid lines" bit, we all know that longer dispensing lines allow for the beer to bleed off pressure as we pour. So, it's 10 PSI in the keg, but as the beer travels along the line, (WHILE WE POUR), it drops down to only 1 or 2 PSI by the time it reaches the tap, so it doesn't foam. HOWEVER, as soon as you close your tap, the beer in the entire line jumps BACK UP to 10 PSI. If it didn't, you'd get decarbonation, (bubbles) in your beer closer to the tap whenever you stopped pouring.

 

[TipsyDragon]

During DYNAMIC changes, (pouring beer), longer lines will show more of a pressure drop along the line during flow.

ah, thats what i was remembering. i knew beer lines had an affect somewhere. thanks.

 

[Gremlyn]

Short lines = super foamy head. There are charts around to help you figure out line length.

 

[wyzazz]

Short lines = super foamy head. There are charts around to help you figure out line length.

I take it you missed the part about these being CO2 lines, not beer lines?

 

[Gremlyn]

I take it you missed the part about these being CO2 lines, not beer lines?

Yes, that would be a correct statement. Carry on...

 

[wyzazz]

I did the same thing yesterday when responding to a post! Getting old is a real PITA!

 

[Pubwilson]

Shorten away my friend, by buddy has a 5" running to his air distributor and its works well!

 

[Bru]

Thanks all !