Faucets & Shanks

faucets & Shanks

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Know Your Faucets & SHanks

The faucet, where draft beverages meet the outside world, is often called the "tap" or "spigot" and is one of the most critical components of a draught system. And with such wide varieties of beverages now ON TAP, it's essential to know what types of faucets are available and for what products.

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304 Faucet

Designed for performance and built-to-last, the 304 Faucet delivers on style, purity, and quality! Constructed of 304-grade stainless, this faucet is the most versatile in the industry, capable of dispensing any beverage.

standard faucet

Whether dispensing from a kegerator or a large multi-tap commercial draft system, Standard Faucets are a great economical option for pouring a perfect pint of draft beer. Comes in a variety of finishes and styles to meet your needs.

side pull faucet

Differentiate your wine on tap beverage program with the Side Pull Faucet. This decorative tap adds both function and style and is constructed of 304-grade stainless steel, preventing 'off-tastes' for the best beverage purity.

SWING LEVER Faucet

This distinctive Swing Lever Faucet includes flow control technology, which allows the ability to adjust the flow to the desired pour rate. The faucet allows you to create thick, dense heads of wet foam that is part of the ritual for consuming Czech style beers.

Creamer Faucet

Serve draft beer with the perfect amount of head with this Creamer Faucet. To start dispensing beer, pull the lever forward. When you’re ready to top off your pour, push the lever all the way back to initiate the creamer mechanism that delivers a frothy head to your glass.

Stout Faucet

With our premium line of quality Stout Faucets, you can serve your favorite stout on draught. These faucets are specially made to dispense beers infused with nitrogen gas and allows the nitrogen gas to flow smoothly through the faucet with the beer to create a smoother, creamier beer.

FORWARD SEALING Faucet

The Foward Sealing Faucet allows the shaft to seal at the front of the body vs. the rear allowing the body to remain full of product preventing the buildup of unwanted bacteria in the faucet body, and improving hygiene.

trigger tap Faucet

Perfect the pour. Minimize loss. Trigger Tap™ is a faucet with only two positions, open and closed; this prevents bartenders from pouring with a partially open faucet, resulting in foam and revenue loss.

flow control Faucet

Control the beer flow with this Flow Control Faucet. The longer spout design helps pour down the wall of the pint or growler to eliminating excess foam. Perfect for higher carbonation-style beers, ciders, wine, and cocktails.

Faucet Finishes available

Chrome – The body is forged brass, which is then chrome plated.
Polished Brass – The body is forged brass, polished to a bright finish.
Polished Stainless Steel – The body is forged in stainless steel, then polished to a bright finish. This is the best faucet available today. The stainless steel will not impart any off-tastes. The finish will not tarnish like brass or pit like chrome. Excellent choice for all beer, wine, cocktails, or cider as it is not affected by acidity.
PVD – The body is forged in stainless steel, with a tarnish-free brass-like finish. Excellent choice for all beer, wine, cocktails, or cider as it is not affected by acidity.
Plastic – All components touching the product are plastic. It must be used for wine or cider applications due to its acidity. Not recommended for beer.

Faucet Components

Shaft – The shaft is moved by the lever resulting in an on or off position—any position in between results in foam. If the shaft cannot move in the faucet body, it will be difficult to open and close the faucet. Dispensing issues will occur if the two vent holes are clogged with yeast or mold.
Lever – The lever holds the faucet handle and pivots on the shaft. Brass or stainless steel levers are available. Brass levers are more economical but are more susceptible to damage. A stainless steel lever is more durable and is ideal for larger, heavier faucet handles.
Friction/Ball Washer – Black rubber washer sits on top of the white nylon ball washer. Check for wear; the washer can become crushed with use. Replace when the bonnet can no longer be hand tightened.
Lever Bonnet – This compression nut on top of the friction/ball washer determines lever action. Hand tightens only.
Coupling Washer – Thin black washer between the faucet body and shank. Visually inspect the washer during faucet cleaning. Replace if damaged to eliminate leaks.

SHANKS

The shank creates a stable mounting place for the faucet. It is the transition point between the beer line and the faucet. Shanks come in a variety of lengths. The shank is an excellent conductor of cold between where the kegs are stored and the faucet. However, it is important a shank does not go through thick walls where the beverage would be allowed to warm up. Shanks are available in economical chrome-plated brass or quality stainless steel.

Straight Shank – Requires additional fittings to connect beer line: hex nut (874), tailpiece, neoprene washer (759), and clamp.
Nipple Shank – Built-in tailpiece for easy beer line connection. Only a clamp is required.
Shank with Bent Tube – Utilizes elongated 1/4" O.D. tube extending down through the tower into a kegerator. Threaded fitting on end allows for easy connection with a hex nut and tailpiece inside the kegerator.

Maintenance

Maintaining the faucet is critical to proper dispensing. Start by disconnecting the faucet using a faucet wrench (also referred to as a "spanner"). Disassemble and clean the faucet when cleaning the beverage lines and couplers; always use a recommended cleaner. A few minutes of routine maintenance will protect the beverage quality and reduce dispensing issues.

If you don't see what you're looking for or are unsure which shank or faucet to use, please call our customer service team at (866) 327-4159 or email us at insidesales@micro-matic.com.