LOSING GAS I GUESS?

[LORDOFDEADSWINE]

I HAVE CHECKED ALL FITTINGS FROM TANK TO TAP AND I CANNOT FIND ANY EVIDENCE OF ANY GAS LEAKAGE, BUT I AM ONLY GETTING ABOUT 1 TO 1.5 KEGS PER 5 LB CYLINDER.

I SPRAYED SOAPY WATER ON ALL FITTINGS, VALVES AND EVEN THE REGULATOR AND I DO NOT SEE ANY LEAKS.

ANYONE HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS?

THANKS,

JEFF

[wineglow]

Try using no drip windex

[draught guy]

Is your bottle turned all the way on? Do you have a washer on the mail fitting entering gas bottle? Does your taverhead have a thomas valve beneath the hex nut on the air line connection? If yes is it the correct thomas valve (diffrent brands of taverheads use diffrent thomas valves (perlick,******,micromatic).You should get about 5 1/2 barrels to a 5' cylinder you are losing gas some where .Make your soapy water real soapy sometimes bubbles are tiny and hard to see.

[LORDOFDEADSWINE]

Is your bottle turned all the way on? Do you have a washer on the mail fitting entering gas bottle? Does your taverhead have a thomas valve beneath the hex nut on the air line connection? If yes is it the correct thomas valve (diffrent brands of taverheads use diffrent thomas valves (perlick,******,micromatic).You should get about 5 1/2 barrels to a 5' cylinder you are losing gas some where .Make your soapy water real soapy sometimes bubbles are tiny and hard to see.

yes my bottle is all the way on

yes i have a brand new red nylon washer between the bottle valve and the regulator connection.

if i knew what a taverhead was maybe i could answer your question.

plus i do not know what a thomas valve is either

can you explain a little further?

thank you,

Jeff

[draught guy]

Sorry,tavernhead is the device that plugs into the keg Budweiser-American stankey Heineken European stankey micromatic gives them letter designations and might refer to them as keg couplers thomas valve is a small plastic or rubber piece that goes in the tavern head beneath the gas connection hex nut on the side of the tavernhead to ensure you dont get beer into your air line and regulator. I used to work for a Bud distributor and I was taught tha if knob on gas bottle not turned fully on or fully off it could leak.

[Larry Tapper]

Lots of good ideas, I always start by shutting down all valves a then watch the gauges, but there can be no beer drawn when doing this. If gauge pressure drops you can start to pin point the leak area and then use soap. Have had to use a bucket of water to put hose in, small holes in the tubing are hard to locate.

L. Tapper

[Scott Zuhse]

To leak test the entire system, leave all valves open with the keg couplers in on position. Be certain that no one is dispensing while testing. Turn the gas cylinder wheel off and observe the high pressure gauge (indicates pressure in cylinder). If the needle begins to drop, you have a leak somewhere in the system.

To isolate, turn all the valves off and raise the handles on the keg couplers turning beer off but leave them in the keg well. Turn the wheel back on pressurizing system and then again turn off noting the needle on the high side gauge. If it drops, your leak is right at the regulator since the shut off below it is in the off position.

If it does not drop, your leak is downstream. Open the regulator shut off and repeat turning wheel on and off. Continue this process until you isolate where the leak may be. Using leak detector soap or other detection device, find and repair. Be aware that the leak could reside at the coupler or even the keg itself.

Scott Zuhse, Instructor Micro Matic Dispense Institute

[LORDOFDEADSWINE]

QUICK UPDATE TO THIS POST:

I ISOLATED THE LEAK ON THE GAS LINE TO BE THE NEEDLE VALVE AT THE BACK OF THE UNIT. I NOTICED GAS LEAKING AROUND THE VALVE STEM. I TIGHTENED THE PACKING GLAND NUT AND FOR NOW THAT SEEMS TO HAVE SOLVED THE PROBLEM. (THE LEAK WAS SO INSIGNIFICANT THAT I EASILY OVERLOOKED IT) I GUESS EVEN AN EXTREMELY MINOR LEAK MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE WHEN IT LEAKS 24-7

THANKS,

JEFF

[mmwmark]

I hate to ask the obvious, but do you have the regulator mounted tightly? The regulator should be tight enough as to not allow it to be turned at all. Also, make sure that the hose fitting are tight, you should not be able to turn the clamps at all.

[mmwmark]

Sorry, I did not read all of the way down before posting my last comment. Sorry about that.