So I ran through 20 lbs of CO2 in a couple days , shitty. I havent had time to get my tank refilled for a couple weeks. I just checked the two corny kegs the gas was hooked up to and they still have a seal. Can I assume that the gas leak is somewhere within the tubing and the actual tank or could it still be at a connection point?
The tubing and tank are rarely the problem, connections/o-rings will be your chief suspects. When a molecule of CO2 leaves my tank there are 13 connections it goes through before it escapes from the faucet . . . so lots of places for trouble. A couple of tips, high pressure (45'ish) and starsan are part of your detective kit. I also use a flashlight/magnifying glass. If you're really stuck; pressurize your lines, isolate them with the shut off valves, disconnect the QDs from the cornys, and let them sit overnight. Open each line separately, there will be a distinctive sound if the line re-fills. You may want to repeat this technique after you find your leak . . . just to be sure. In this case, silence is golden. Also, don't rule out your cornys. The CO2 in the headspace of your tank should escape from the leak after the CO2 tank goes to zero. Then the beer will start to off-gas. At least for a while the corny will continue to be pressurized (until the beer goes below ~4 psi). Not really sure how they could still be sealed after a couple of weeks with no pressure in your system. Is there any pressure to relieve when you pull the relief valve on the corny?
There was still pressure on my ball lock. I don't have a release valve on the pin lock that was in there, but I assumed it still had pressure when I couldn't break the seal by pushing down. I appreciate your detailed response and ill certainly try to follow your steps once I pick my tank back up.
That makes sense . . . if you isolated your cornys from the leaking tank/line/connection quickly after you discovered your leak, then they would stay pressurized. If it's still holding pressure after weeks, you are pretty sure the leak is somewhere else. Once you refill your CO2 tank, you may want to re-pressurize the cornys first thing. If the beer had any off-gassing while the corny was connected to the leak, this will start to bring it back in balance. Also, some leak detectives will recommend using a water/soap solution (bigger bubbles) . . . no problem with this type solution if the connections tested are not in contact with your beer.
I wish it was quick enough to save my gas tank haha. Also, what did you mean by bringing it back into balance or balancing your system? I hear people mention this quite often and I've never been sure. Thanks again
what did you mean by bringing it back into balance or balancing your system? If your corny is connected to a line that has a leak (and no tank pressure), the CO2 will come out of solution and find the leak. Over time the beer would go flat and as the pressure drops the seal to the corny would be lost. It sounds like you caught it in time to keep the seal (and the air out), but you may have lost some of your original carbonation. Re-connecting it to gas will restore the carbonation . . . may take a day or three, but the beer should return to normal. The term "balancing your system" refers to the pressure, temp, carb level, and line length of your kegerator. All of these variables are related and should be in balance. If you are happy with your system (other than it leaking), don't touch anything. If you are getting pours that are too foamy, or beer seems over/under-carbed, here's a pretty good tutorial: http://beersmith.com/blog/2011/07/14/keg-line-length-balancing-the-science-of-draft-beer/
With my system I notice leaks mostly around where the CO2 tank and regulator connect. You really need to crank down on that one. The other culprit is the lid. Lube is required on some of my lids. The release valve is also worthy of checking, along with the posts. Use some star san and go crazy anywhere near you think there's a leak. If your hose clamps are tight around your connections, these rarely leak. Edit: Another good idea is to leave it alone until you get your next fill. When you hook back up, you should check where your leak is. After that you'll know what to look for in the future too.
Really cranking down on that will damage the gasket, more likely creating a leak than fixing one. Go easy on that connection (or any connection, for that matter). It's the gasket, not elbow grease, that creates the seal. If it's leaking, it's likely a bad gasket. They're cheap - replace it.
