tap rite dual guage regulator

[thippe]

I just connected my first full 20 lb Co2 tank to this tap rite dual body regulator.
Assuming the gas company filled the tank all the way, this represents full i guess. I thought it would be a lot higher on green. am i wrong?

 

[55x11]

I just connected my first full 20 lb Co2 tank to this tap rite dual body regulator.
Assuming the gas company filled the tank all the way, this represents full i guess. I thought it would be a lot higher on green. am i wrong?

the CO2 is in liquid form, and the pressure you see is just the pressure of the vapor coming out - in other words, you cannot use the regulator reading as a measure of how full the tank is. Until it gets very close to empty, you run out of liquid (it's all vapor inside) and you will see a fairly rapid drop from green to red.

The only way to know how much CO2 is left in the tank (or how full it is to begin with) is to weigh the completely empty tank, and then weigh the actual tank.

Keep in mind that the only way to get 20lbs of CO2 into "20lb tank" is if the tank is very cold. If you are not doing exchanges and bring a warm (room temperature) tank, it will not be full 20 lbs.

 

[Inkleg]

Like @55x11 said, the gauge reads pressure, volume is measured by weight. That's where mine reads hooked up to a full 5 or 20lb tank.

 

[fatherdan]

same here, mines a 20lb tank and full registers just as your pic.

 

[william_shakes_beer]

And, in anticipation of your next question, when you put the bottle into the kegerator, the pressure will drop. It doesn't mean the tank is empty, or indeed that you have lost any co2. It merely means that the drop in temperature has chilled the liquid co2 and reduced its pressure. I panicked big time when I popped the cylinder into the kegerator and the next day it read just a hair above empty. A year later it still reads a hair above empty. How many kegs will a 20# bottle serve? I have no idea,. I have yet to refill it

 

[thippe]

great. thank you all for the responses!