3 output CO2 regulator - leak on primary?

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chris2012
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3 output CO2 regulator - leak on primary?

Post by chris2012 » Sun Dec 13, 2020 4:05 pm

Hi,

I've got a 3 output co2 regulator, with 3 screw turnable knobs, the 'primary' dial shows
normally around a bit less than 50 bar. However I'm thinking there must be a leak now.

As I turn off the gas tank, leave over night.

Then the primary dial reads 0 bar, but the psi readings for the 3 outputs seems
to remain the same.

I just got a co2 leak detector spray, but haven't found anything yet.

I tried spraying near the tank connection, and around the reg.

I just capped off 2 co2 outputs with an endstop, the other is connected to a keykeg.

Any pointers would be great!

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PeeBee
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Re: 3 output CO2 regulator - leak on primary?

Post by PeeBee » Sun Dec 13, 2020 8:12 pm

If I've got this right: The gauge is telling you tank pressure. Displaying 50BAR would be about right (actually about 60BAR, or 860PSI, while any liquid CO2 remains in the cylinder but those high pressure gauges are hopelessly inaccurate). You've turned the cylinder off. What the gauge is then telling you is the pressure in the tiny volume of pipe between the regulator and the cylinder. It would be remarkable if such a tiny space held onto the pressure it had. The gauge itself may have "leaks" sufficient to drop the pressure.

You'd get worried if you could actually see the needle falling when the gas is turned off. But if the needle takes all night to return to zero, consider it "normal". I too turn off the cylinder (it's timer controlled so I don't forget). When I do actually turn off the cylinder (rather than let the timer do it), my high pressure gauge (tiny, barely readable, but it's not really displaying much useful information) also returns to zero, but does take a couple of days about it.
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Jocky
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Re: 3 output CO2 regulator - leak on primary?

Post by Jocky » Sun Dec 13, 2020 8:39 pm

If the tank pressure gauge is dropping after you turn the primary regulator off, then yea you have a leak.

If it’s happening within 10 minutes then you need to find it, as it’s really leaking and will empty your CO2 cylinder. If it’s a few hours then it might be less of a problem.

Basically you now need to isolate bits of the system piece by piece until you find where it might be leaking. Then you cover that item in leak detector spray.

I had one that took an hour or so to drop the needle earlier this year. It turned out to be a very small leak on a secondary regulator.

There’s a good video showing this process here:
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Re: 3 output CO2 regulator - leak on primary?

Post by chris2012 » Sun Dec 13, 2020 9:09 pm

PeeBee - that's very interesting re. your primary dial also returning to zero after a while

Cheers Jocky, will watch that video.

Did you end up replacing the secondary reg, or fixing it somehow?

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Jocky
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Re: 3 output CO2 regulator - leak on primary?

Post by Jocky » Sun Dec 13, 2020 9:43 pm

The leak on the secondary reg was from the thread where the dial screws into the regulator body. It just needed tightening up a bit.

Now I could turn the gas off for weeks and not see that dial move (unless in the process of carbonating a beer).
Ingredients: Water, Barley, Hops, Yeast, Seaweed, Blood, Sweat, The swim bladder of a sturgeon, My enemies tears, Scenes of mild peril, An otter's handbag and Riboflavin.

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Re: 3 output CO2 regulator - leak on primary?

Post by chris2012 » Sun Dec 13, 2020 10:16 pm

Interesting thanks, do you recall if there was any PTFE on that thread too?

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Jocky
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Re: 3 output CO2 regulator - leak on primary?

Post by Jocky » Sun Dec 13, 2020 11:17 pm

I think there was liquid PTFE from the factory. When I asked the seller about it they said to take it off and add ptfe tape and screw it back in. As it was I was able to give it another turn without much difficulty and that did the trick.
Ingredients: Water, Barley, Hops, Yeast, Seaweed, Blood, Sweat, The swim bladder of a sturgeon, My enemies tears, Scenes of mild peril, An otter's handbag and Riboflavin.

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