I`ve been kegging for about 3yrs now with no issues. I`ve got a dual regulator and 5lb Co2 tank that both sit inside my converted fridge. About 2 weeks ago I kegged and IPA and had a berliner in the other keg, no problems. This Sunday it was pouring fine with good pressure, no sign off problems. Last night I go to pull a sample off of IPA and nothing, tried the berliner weisse, again, nothing. I opened the fridge and the pressures on the regulator that were once set to 8psi were 0. My first thought was to get the Co2 tank up to temperature so I could get an accurate pressure reading. It warmed overnight and today the reading is around 700, far from empty. I did pull the release valve on the berliner and there was very little pressure in the keg, but didn`t want to purge the IPA. Any suggestions as to where I sould start looking for the problem? Work from the tank to the keg, or from the keg back to the tank?
I let it warm up to room temp and the regulator said there was still plenty of Co2. I also tried opening and closing the on/off valves on the regulator but that didn`t seem to do anything. Also played with the release valves at the top, nothing.
Your symptoms seem to be contradicting each other. When your tank runs empty it will be empty regardless of temp (okay, a smidgen of pressure increase as it warms). Here's a chart that shows temp/pressure. Can you set the secondary pressure with your regulator? When you open the shut-off valve do you hear a rush of gas? You may just have a bad regulator. If you're out of liquid CO2 and down to gas (vapor) only you will notice the pressure dropping with each application (explained in the link above) . . . this is your sign that you need a refill. If you still have CO2 quantity/pressure I would hit both tanks with the required pressure to keep them from off-gassing (going flat) anymore than they already have. If it's a bad regulator you will need a rebuild kit at the least, possibly a remove-and-replace. If you have CO2 remaining and suspect a leak, I would start the troubleshooting with high pressure (40+ psi) and look for leaks (bubbles) and hissing. If you're really empty it will require a refill to find the trouble spot. I like to start at the tank master valve and work toward the keg. And the final step is to leave your system pressurized overnight with the tank master valve "off" and see it it holds pressure. You really don't want to visit the refill guys enough to learn their first names.
I have not seperated the tank from the regulator to see if there is pressure, but I will do that next. Someone in my homebrew club also mentioned that the regulator could have possibly gotten moisture into it and frozen? I doubt that since the temps are in the 40`s, but I do get a good bit of condensation inside the fridge. If I`ve still got good pressure out of the tank start evaluating from leaks from the connection point towards the keg, right? I really think the tank is just empty, but I ususally get a year out of them and have only had this one 9months. I have done a little more brewing than usual this year though.
My money is on a bad regulator. Or possibly a bad gauge that is causing you to adjust the regulator incorrectly - that would be a $5 repair. I would recommend following the steps outlined by PortLargo. A couple of points: If the gauges are working, the pressure reading on a cold tank is just as accurate as a warm tank. It's just different. You observed that the pressure was 700 psi and concluded that it was 'far from empty'. That's like observing that it's warm outside, and concluding that your car's gas tank is full. There's no correlation. A pressure gauge measures pressure, not volume. If it reads 700 psi the day it's filled, it will read 700 psi on the morning of the day you run out. It will then drop to zero before tonight's party. That's why a spare tank is strongly recommended. The only way to know how far you are from empty is to weigh the tank. Subtract the tare weight (labeled 'TW'). The difference is how much CO2 you have left. It should be 5 lbs on a full tank, zero when it's empty.
Well it was the tank. Going to get a refill tonight, which hopefully will solve the issue. Just so we`re clear. Even without a tank attached the regulator should still read 700psi? Attached or not the thing doesn`t move.
No. It should read 700 psi (or thereabout, depending on temperature) when the tank is full, or half-full, or dang near empty. When it's empty, or with nothing attached, it should read 0.
That`s what I thought. It`s got a warning level for ordering new gas, but the thing has sat at 700psi for the last month or so. I guess as long as the regulator is working to the kegs I can deal with monitoring the tank for when it`s getting empty by weight.
If it reads anything other than zero when it's not connected to the tank, then the gauge is bad. Anyplace that sells CO2 should have replacement gauges. Your local homebrew shop may stock them, as well. Expect to pay somewhere between $5 and $15.
This is also true of a perfectly functioning regulator. By the time it drops into 'reorder' range, it's too late. I would hazard a guess that most of us who keg have more than one tank.
