I agree using the Duotights would save some money but not a ton and and might possibly be lesser quality. Upfront you can just buy a regulator that has the flare threads on the shutoff. Assume just doing that for either a Duotight setup or say a Taprite double secondary. Avoiding putting evabarrier on a barb is worth the fitting cost there. Switching between sizes would cost a reducer coupling anyway. A leak will cost a tank of gas. Duotight setup would need two regulators (~$17 each) plus two inline valves (~$3 each) and two check valves (~$3 each) plus one elbow ($3) and a tee ($3). That totals about $54. A Taprite double secondary costs $107 from Brewhardware with the MFL and Duotight flare fitting. However...at Brewhardware you could buy a dual pressure but primary regulator (with the red knobs) for $109 and then their single secondary regulator ($43). It's "bare bones" so looks to need a 1/4" male npt to ptc fitting for the in ($2.25). That's about $154 but The Duotight ($54) setup needs the single output primary and that's $69 for so $123 in comparison and only a ~$31 difference instead of about $53 the way I first described it. Only at Brewhardware though because most everywhere else, those Taprite regulators cost a bit more and don't always come with the flare fitting on the check valve.
putting duotight on a barb is by no means a horrible experience. its easy. i've done it at 1am behind a crowded bar, in the dark, with nothing but a ball point pen and a glass of not-quite boiling water. took me few minutes.
Hi, I am addressing the OP's desire for three different pressures based on the link to the Sparc branded triple output regulator in the first post. You seemed to have understood that the first time when you said, "for the secondaries". Two Duotight secondary regulators would be required to do that. We can ignore the primary pretty much if comparing those two Duotights against another set of two secondary regulators as both cases are attached after the primary regulator output with the same tubing. After the primary you would branch, with one branch to a keg and one to the secondaries. Then send the secondary branch to a tee which has one secondary on it and the line continues to the second secondary. An elbow would keep both secondaries in the same orientation. An inline ball valve and check valve after the Duotight secondary would have comparable function to the Taprite (or other brand) secondary. Or you can look at the second comparions of the Duotights but consider a dual output primary as I said. If you don't care about the barbs well, this Micromatic secondary is $57 and with two you would need the connector so about $120
You apparently don’t know it’s thermoplastic? It softens and expands with heat. Shrinks when cool.
I've had to cut tubing off of barbs before doesn't mean it wasn't leaking either, even with a clamp. You're also conveniently ignoring that you said to put a reducer on it afterwards so why not just put the ptc fitting on correctly given the opportunity as the manufacturer intended. One of the reasons the outer layer has the specific polymer used is so that it is smooth and makes a good seal with ptc fittings.
What are you guys calling a "Primary" regulator. All the pictures I have seen posted are single stage or gangs of single stage.
Where you looking for three or four different serving pressures? Just asking as you could get by with just a double body secondary with a single primary if only three.
again- check ebay. they're available for sure. its a bit of a crapshoot but a few times i've found a seller who had a few different things for sale at once and was able to negotiate a deal for three separate items. dont be afraid to send them a message and make an offer if you find something like that, worst they can say is no.
I'm pretty sure that the pressure both regulators have on the high side is the same = tank pressure. That's why the pressure on the far left gauge still reads tank pressure, it is one common manifold.
"Come at the end of the shift we'll go and get pissed!"
its funny how you the point the finger about ignoring things- check the mirror. as i've already told you, its thermoplastic. it literally SHRINKS onto the fitting. vinyl and pvc do NOT. they get "stuck" to the fitting after you squeeze the bejeesus out of them with clamps. not the same. heat shrink eva doesnt even need a clamp. ever heard of Pex-al-pex? same thing. it DONT leak.
I left out "money" where I said "...a little bit more [money]" which may have created a little confusion. Yes. I think so as well as to what you are saying about the one I linked. Taprite seems to mostly use the red knobs for their primaries and gold knobs for their secondaries although they have a gray knob on what they call a "hybrid" on their primary regulator page. (That one has two different ranges for the two low pressure gauges.) The one I linked has two red knobs.
You were the person that took issue with using the flare fitting initially. It's a hack to stick the evabarrier on a barb-- particularly when not including at least a clamp--when the manufacturer designed it for ptc. You are deforming it as well and in a homebrewing situation that line is going to be bumped, pulled, pushed, and twisted. Which we seem to agree on but you are being so stubborn as to not even put a freakin' clamp on it. I've only used regular and oxygen barrier pex when I personally replaced my water lines and radiant heating system in my house. I prefer using the crimp rings on the barbs vs the clamps. I know what pex-al-pex is and that it generally uses either crimp rings or compression fittings. I'm not completely familiar with it though but can you ream it out with a pen and heat gun it? Sounds like an inspector fail but you do you. No you don't generally get a leak with the crimp rings, I only ever had one no go leak (ring was too far away from the end), but if you just stick the pex on the barb yes it will leak for sure as I have forgotten to crimp one before.
I am not doubting what you are saying but why do Taprite and Micromatic (and possibly other companies) go so far as to have a completely different webpage for primaries and secondaries? There's the high pressure gauge nearly always and the tank nut on the primaries and one I missed the mounting bars for the secondaries. It is just the addons then, which is what @PCABrewing was asking. The bodies do the same thing (for the same quality level). While it is not untrue, the language often used for the secondaries is that they take an intermediate pressure or they take pressure from the primary. It really makes it seem like they can't take the tank pressure when fed through the horizontal port.. They go so far as to separate them distinctly when selling them when they are just like different options packages for the same model car.
In your illustration above, I could accomplish exactly the same thing with three identical regulators.
I have one with two regs and that is barely stable. Would not take much to topple it if not tied down. Three would be worse for sure.
Yes you can, but it would have to either have a CGA320 tailpiece or a high pressure supply hose ($$$$).
If you only want two different pressures yes. If you want three pressures, you need three regulators whether they are setup like my drawing or if they are setup as a 3-bank primary.
Only wasted if you think you can get what you want with two regulators.
Yes, that's what I said but the "accessory" hardware does matter, such as the CGA320 connection to the tank.
And in some cases drilling the one hole is scary enough.
I agree. The only way I'd put a double primary on a 5lb is if it's inside the kegerator and jammed or clamped in such a way that it can't fall over. It's not something to casually have sitting on the floor. If you do, the clamp on steel damage guard is a must. I don't think it's responsible to even sell a 3-pressure tank mount primary.
I don't think we have an argument, your points are all valid.
