cleaning bottle pressure leak

[kunsanmil]

Hi!

Hoping you can help give me some ideas. Here's my situation:

We use Miller kegs. I know the "D" coupler is supposed to be used with them.
The couplers we have work ok on the kegs. The problem I am having is with the cleaning bottles! Although the bottles are Micromatic and they supposedly work with both "D" and "S" couplers, I can not keep pressure to them when connecting with the NEW couplers I have. (I am pretty sure I have "D" couplers, but I will verify.) I have tried everything I can think of, even pushing the little metal pins in the cleaning bottle caps back in to tighten the 'lock-in' when I attach the couplers.

It should be noted that this problem started becoming troublesome on lines that are 'long lines'. I really had not had difficulty using the bottles when cleaning 'under the counter' systems and I have not had any previous trouble cleaning this particular 'long line' system. But I have a 10-line 'long line' and I cannot clean 5 of the lines now, because I cannot get/keep pressure to the bottles.

The only thing I can think of that might help is to get some kind of washer/gasket for the cleaning bottle caps. But I cannot find that any are available anywhere.

The bottles are not that old, so I doubt that new bottles would be called for.

Does anyone have any ideas on something that works, or someway to make this work?

Rob at Kunsan

[Scott Zuhse]

Please reply with a link from MM site on the bottles that you are using.

[kunsanmil]

Thanks, Scott - hope you can help.

I am using the Dual Container Cleaning Bottles -
Bottles Page

I have the wire frame holder, though - not that THAT matters, but it might 'age' the bottles for you.

Bob

[Scott Zuhse]

Bob,

What type of pressure are you using to propel solution through the long system with these bottles? They were really never designed for long systems. Have you tried circulating pumps? We'll continue to research this issue and get an answer back to you.

[ernestbud]

those small cleaning bottles will barely fill the line in a long draw system, and you got to remember to criculate the solution thru the lines for at least 1-15 min

[kunsanmil]

Scott,

We use a normal CO2 bottle. It works fine for pushing the beer and has always worked fine (before) on the solution in the bottles. The type of pressure is not the problem. The connection between the keg tap and the bottle is still where the problem lies.

Here's a little more detail:

The pressure from the CO2 bottle is set to 10-15 PSI. Each line has its own regulator (adjustable) and is also set at about 10-13 PSI. With the valve on the individual line regulator shut off, the gauge reads 13PSI. When the tap is locked into the bottle cap and the valve is turned to ON, the PSI drops to 0 and air is hissing around the tap.

Hope that helps.

ernestbud,

Believe me, I know!

This is the only longline I have left to work with and it is a pain! It was bad enough to work a three line system, what with having to fill the cleaning solution bottle several times for each line and then flushing with several bottles of clean water on every line. (That system was finally replaced by an under-the-counter system (again!)).

But this is a 10-line system!

Rob

[Scott Zuhse]

Did these caps work before on the long system? Inspect them carefully for any cracks. What brand are your "new" couplers? Possibly the bottom seal on the couplers are shorter and they do not seal properly. I am not a fan of these bottles and have used them sparingly. I'll try to evaluate these once I am in one of our distribution centers and get back to you.

[Scott Zuhse]

The bottom body washer on or economy couplers are not tall enough for a secure seal at high pressures. It is recomended to use replacement bottom body washer (http://www.micromatic.com/draft-keg-...d-FT84-2A.html)

[kunsanmil]

Scott,

Sorry for not getting back to your earlier post - we went into a very busy week then.

We have used these bottles/caps on the longline system and they still work (I will double check this) on other/non-new couplers.

I will check for cracks in the caps and the brand of the new couplers. I was told they were ordered from Micro-matic, but I will check. (NOTE: To my mostly untrained eye, the new couplers look exactly like the older ones, except of course, that the washers are 'tighter'-looking, that is they are new, while older ones naturally have a tiny little evident 'expansion' about them.)

The 'bottom seal' and the 'bottom body washers' would be the same thing?

Appreciate the info on the replacement washers! I was looking for such and could not find them. (Probably worth a try!)

Let me get more info on my couplers and I will be back.

Thanks.

Bob