The Most Difficult Spot to Check for CO2 Leaks
If you’ve found this article odds are pretty good you’re having trouble tracking down a pesky leaks.
Check for CO2 Leaks
First things first, if you haven’t already used traditional methods to try to track down your leak, check out my resources on the topic.
- Step by Step: Finding and Fixing Keg CO2 Leaks
- Checking for Draft System CO2 Leaks – Using The Pressure Gauge Method
The Most Difficult Spot to Check for CO2 Leaks…
Even a small leak can cause your beer to carbonate slowly (or not at all) and lead to… empty CO2 tanks. That’s a waste of time and money and it’s frustrating.
Color coded post o-rings. From our Keg Rebuild Post – Jump To: Replace O-Rings
In my opinion the most difficult spot to check and the cause of many a lost CO2 tanks are… gas post o-rings.
Testing at this point using the “spray bottle method” (spray Star San everywhere and check for bubbles) is impossible or at the very least difficult and messy. Leaks will only surface here when a gas QD is actually engaged. The problem is, you can’t easily see that spot when a QD is on.
The problem stated more simply… You need a QD on to see if it’s leaking, but you can’t see it if a QD is on. You can use what I call the pressure gauge method to check for overall leaks. But even using that method you know that you have a leak but it gives no indication where it’s at.
Be quick to replace gas side o-rings… I’m quick to replace gas post (and gas dip tube) o-rings. Beyond slow and no-carbing beers, a bad gas side o-ring can lead to empty tanks. That’s a waste of time and money and it’s frustrating.
These o-rings cost pennies each when you buy them in bulk. Liberally replacing these can save time, money and frustration.
- Keg Post O-Rings
- Keg Dip Tube O-Rings
- Full Lineup of Bulk Food Grade O-Rings
- Bulk Keg Orings and Keg Repair Part Numbers
Related:
- How Often Should You Replace Keg O-Rings? – A Proposed Schedule for Keeping Kegs in Great Shape
- Why Won’t My Homebrew Carbonate? Fixing Beer Carbonation Problems
- Rebuilding & Reconditioning Homebrew Kegs!
Color Coded Post O-Rings for Easy Identification:
Valuebrew carries two color schemes to color keg posts. Doing this allows you to quickly identify keg posts. Gray and Black match standard keg QD colors. Blue and Green are meant to be remembered by “Blue for Beer” and “Green for Gas”. All options are made from FDA rated silicone. Since they work equally well on gas and liquid posts you can also mix and match to come up with your own color coding standard.
Also: Kegerator Tips & Gear | Keg Repair Part #s | Recent Keg Finds
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