SixFoFalcon
Well-Known Member
I just wanted to share some equipment annoyances I've gone through on my kegerator setup. Specifically crappy hoses and useless hose clamps.
I have a single regulator and a 3-way manifold on the gas side of my kegerator. This adds up to 8 connections where gas hoses are attached to barbs. I initially set most of the system up with tubing from MoreBeer and standard "worm-gear" hose clamps. It leaked like crazy, and the tubing was ridiculously stiff (which in addition to making it a pain in the ass to move things around, didn't help the seal at the hose barb, either). I incrementally tightened everything up until it was leak-free, but I always had to be careful whenever I moved anything because the hoses were so stiff they'd move on the barbs and start a leak again.
After a couple weeks, I was inspecting things one day when changing a keg, and I noticed two of the hose clamps had snapped! I guess this was due to high tension they were under--temperature cycles were just too much for them. I replaced them, being careful to only tighten the new clamps just tight enough to prevent leaks, but a couple more clamps snapped over the next few days. It didn't seem to be isolated to any one brand of clamp--I had three different brands succumb.
I was already frustrated with the inflexible tubing, and I remembered how the Perlick and Micromatic tubing I used in the past was SO much better, so I decided to toss all the MoreBeer tubing and replace it all. I ordered up like 50' of good tubing (replaced all the gas lines, beer lines, and kept some spares.) I have to say it was worth every penny. The Perlick/Micromatic tubing is easier to work with since it actually stays flexible at fridge temps. It also seals better on the hose barbs--so well that I found the clamps are actually unnecessary. I started to clamp everything down as a matter of course, but I ran out of clamps halfway through. And when I checked for leaks initially and then again over the next few days, I found that the only connections that leaked at all were ones that were clamped! (The clamps distort the tubing because the clamps don't stay perfectly round as you tighten them.)
Now I'm sure Oetiker clamps would work much better than the worm-gear style--in fact I was planning on ordering a big bag of them--but I have to say after assembling and disassembling everything a few times, and moving things around a lot, I have yet to have any issues with leakage or connections coming loose when you accidentally yank on the tubing or anything like that. It's been several months and several kegs since I stopped bothering with clamps, and the only leak I've had was unrelated to the tubing connections (didn't tighten a quick-disconnect enough when I reassembled it, so the gasket was leaking a bit--easy fix).
Anyone else not bothering with clamps? Anyone else get frustrated with the tubing from MoreBeer that turns rock hard in the fridge?
I have a single regulator and a 3-way manifold on the gas side of my kegerator. This adds up to 8 connections where gas hoses are attached to barbs. I initially set most of the system up with tubing from MoreBeer and standard "worm-gear" hose clamps. It leaked like crazy, and the tubing was ridiculously stiff (which in addition to making it a pain in the ass to move things around, didn't help the seal at the hose barb, either). I incrementally tightened everything up until it was leak-free, but I always had to be careful whenever I moved anything because the hoses were so stiff they'd move on the barbs and start a leak again.
After a couple weeks, I was inspecting things one day when changing a keg, and I noticed two of the hose clamps had snapped! I guess this was due to high tension they were under--temperature cycles were just too much for them. I replaced them, being careful to only tighten the new clamps just tight enough to prevent leaks, but a couple more clamps snapped over the next few days. It didn't seem to be isolated to any one brand of clamp--I had three different brands succumb.
I was already frustrated with the inflexible tubing, and I remembered how the Perlick and Micromatic tubing I used in the past was SO much better, so I decided to toss all the MoreBeer tubing and replace it all. I ordered up like 50' of good tubing (replaced all the gas lines, beer lines, and kept some spares.) I have to say it was worth every penny. The Perlick/Micromatic tubing is easier to work with since it actually stays flexible at fridge temps. It also seals better on the hose barbs--so well that I found the clamps are actually unnecessary. I started to clamp everything down as a matter of course, but I ran out of clamps halfway through. And when I checked for leaks initially and then again over the next few days, I found that the only connections that leaked at all were ones that were clamped! (The clamps distort the tubing because the clamps don't stay perfectly round as you tighten them.)
Now I'm sure Oetiker clamps would work much better than the worm-gear style--in fact I was planning on ordering a big bag of them--but I have to say after assembling and disassembling everything a few times, and moving things around a lot, I have yet to have any issues with leakage or connections coming loose when you accidentally yank on the tubing or anything like that. It's been several months and several kegs since I stopped bothering with clamps, and the only leak I've had was unrelated to the tubing connections (didn't tighten a quick-disconnect enough when I reassembled it, so the gasket was leaking a bit--easy fix).
Anyone else not bothering with clamps? Anyone else get frustrated with the tubing from MoreBeer that turns rock hard in the fridge?