Jump to content
Coopers Community

Leaky tap


DavidB

Recommended Posts

Has anyone had issues with the new coopers taps leaking. I bought a new tap last week, and it's now leaking out of the tap opening. If I jiggle the tap lever I can usually get it to stop, but its a bit of a pita.

20200528_131102.jpg

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

No leaks so far.  But the lugs on the pouring section broke on the second go.  Probably blame myself for not putting a little olive oil on the red seal before I tried to put the tap together.  Turfed the tap, kept the white seals.

In your case, you might have something caught in the red seal.  Maybe a spot of yeast or some other floaty stopping it from sealing well.  Unfortunately you probably cannot do much about it until the brew is finished.  Letting some brew flow out might dislodge it.  Otherwise stick with your jiggling method. 🤞

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

57 minutes ago, DavidB said:

Yeah hopefully that all it is, will give it a good clean after I bottle the stout and then test it out with some water. 

Like I said.  Remember to smear a little olive oil on the red seal before you put the tap together.  Even if you are just testing it.

  • Thanks 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 8 months later...

Yes I have had issues. 

Mine leaked like yours, and then broke as I was examining it. It did 2 brews. Luckily it did not happen mid-brew.

My local brewshop says he often gets requests for replacements for these Taps due to leaks/breaking. He does not stock these taps so yup - ordered a couple today for backup from the store here.

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I lost 23 litres of Czech Pilsner once due to a faulty tap, I moved the FV closer to the front of the fridge to take a reading, it was all hooked up Temp Control/Heat Belt etc & the tap popped off. What a mess, couldn't do anything either than cuss profusely. 

Obviously the back seal part got chucked. I have a few spares but rather impressed with the new screw in types also with the screw on lid/airlock etc. 

At least you know the tap can't come out.

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, Journeyman said:

This is what I see... 😄

Dutch-finger-in-the-dike.jpg

flashbacks to one of my early batches ha!

i solved the problem by twisting slightly the top section, we're talking like under half a millimetre and eventually it stopped but i reckon i lost close to a litre before that worked. butchered a bottling wand length trying to jury rig a stopper with the bottling valve but that didn't work. didn't panic though, just yeah, not a day i'd want to repeat. i test my taps before i commit to a batch now as part of my brew day..

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/18/2021 at 6:40 PM, CLASSIC said:

end of the day the money you are saving on homebrew, what's the price of a new tap now & again.

My thoughts exactly. I just now know I need to replace it every few brews as a matter of maintenance.

I ordered 3 replacements so now I have to catch up a couple of brews... Dang! 😉

My hope is that Coopers will look into this if enough folk report the problem - if enough folk even have the problem. Maybe there is a better way to make them... I dunno. Dammit Jim I'm a brewer not an engineer! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had a run of Coopers Taps separating due to the little locking tabs on each half breaking. Coopers at time recommended that seals on the part of the tap that goes into the FV be lubricated with Olive Oil.

At the time I spoke to Coopers about this recurring problem and they advised me that contrary to their original advice regarding the Olive Oil, to stop using it as they had found that the plastic was reacting with it causing the locking tabs to eventually fail and the two halves of the tap to separate and from now on to use water only as the lubricant.

I stopped using the Olive Oil and haven't had a tap failure since.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Pickles Jones said:

I had a run of Coopers Taps separating due to the little locking tabs on each half breaking. Coopers at time recommended that seals on the part of the tap that goes into the FV be lubricated with Olive Oil.

At the time I spoke to Coopers about this recurring problem and they advised me that contrary to their original advice regarding the Olive Oil, to stop using it as they had found that the plastic was reacting with it causing the locking tabs to eventually fail and the two halves of the tap to separate and from now on to use water only as the lubricant.

I stopped using the Olive Oil and haven't had a tap failure since.

I strongly believe that water is better than Olive Oil, I have never used it but I had one failure with a tap resulting in the loss of the entire brew on the floor before I could bottle it. 

Water is the best in my opinion, if the tap is idle for a while it can dry out just sitting on a shelf so I seal them in an airtight plastic bag in a dark place, not that taps are idle that much.  😀

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I must be lucky I actually replaced trusty old tap with new one because easier to turn on/off and clean. I would also say since lots of initial complaints they had found the problem and fixed it so anyone ordering them from now on should be fine.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, jamiek86 said:

I must be lucky I actually replaced trusty old tap with new one because easier to turn on/off and clean. I would also say since lots of initial complaints they had found the problem and fixed it so anyone ordering them from now on should be fine.

Yeah that's right I spoke to Frank about that from Coopers & he said the same thing. I also like the screw in ones on the AMPI style fermenters as they just can't come out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

yet to brew with my new coopers fermenter  i like the tap  and how they set this up   and i may  give the fermenter a test run with water tomorrow why the good wife is at work
to give it a clean and test for leaks  around the tap before putting nice wort in there

i do see  how these  can have the some issues as well

however this style tapindex.jpg.04d890fe3fb1100e176ae14744cf1941.jpg
while they will not come unscrewed they do have their flaws  as there is alot of places for the wort to hide  and start building up bacteria

they can also be dismantled   and will take some effort  once done a few times they will pry a part for ease of cleaning




 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, CLASSIC said:

It they are sanitised properly they are fine, I have rellies & mates that have been using them for years without issue.

yes i know they are fine.  but what a lot of people don't realise there is little hide holes in the tap in the pic i showed that can easily ruin a beer

they still often need a great clean  rather then just sanitizing them    
 


not saying anyone doesnt give a good  clean and sanitize     but this video may explain my thoughts

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, ozdevil said:

yes i know they are fine.  but what a lot of people don't realise there is little hide holes in the tap in the pic i showed that can easily ruin a beer

they still often need a great clean  rather then just sanitizing them    
 


not saying anyone doesnt give a good  clean and sanitize     but this video may explain my thoughts

Not sure if I need a video to learn about sanitising beer taps but I guess someone might.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

28 minutes ago, CLASSIC said:

Not sure if I need a video to learn about sanitising beer taps but I guess someone might.

this wasnt to pin faults on you    and i get you dont need to learn how to clean and sanatize

my point was to show where  grime  will sit  and could be useful to others



 

Edited by ozdevil
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

I have those taps on older screw top FV's, a tall one and a stubby one. Not sure where they came from as they were part of my initial scavenge from gumtree when I 1st began. I'm not that much of a fan as after a while you will find they screw in past vertical. Then it's out with the plumbers tape. 

BTW, with those taps, you can get little screw on bits to go inside the FV to help keep the trub out of the tap - I've got one but tilting the FV back during ferment does a better job.

I have both Coopers types, the older lever-turn one and the snap tap type. Only issue with either is I discovered with the snap one that when lifting the FV out of the fridge, one can sang one's t-shirt on the top and open the effing tap! 😄 

Of them all, my favourite is the lever-turn tap - it comes completely apart for cleaning and all the bits 'click' when re-assembling so you know they are tight. The snap tap has an entire section that is unreachable that I don't trust for contamination. (unless there's a way to take apart the nozzle bit?)

I use a spray of stellarsan as my lubricant for all the taps after cleaning.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 months later...

Update

In total i have lost 3 taps now

I am wondering if using too hot water during cleaning might weaken those little tabs inside the main body??

 

It has become a part of my brewing now to occasionally order more taps and cycle older ones out of usage

As I think I said last year, the cost is negligable, and compared to buying a slab of swill these days, well, I am still way ahead 😄

 

I like to keep my eye on this topic though

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, jamiek86 said:

@Cee the hot water if too hot like just short of boiling could be the problem as I haven't had one go in 14 months. Ordered new ones when heard they were faulty but haven't had one go on me yet. 🤞

Then maybe this is my problem, not the taps' problem. I'll try less hot water for the taps

 

I was also wondering if emptying my FV through the tap while rinsing/washing might be putting to much workload on the taps. But bottling 20 litres through the tap shouldn't be a prob, so maybe the hot water through the tap for 20 litres is...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Cee said:

Then maybe this is my problem, not the taps' problem. I'll try less hot water for the taps

 

I was also wondering if emptying my FV through the tap while rinsing/washing might be putting to much workload on the taps. But bottling 20 litres through the tap shouldn't be a prob, so maybe the hot water through the tap for 20 litres is...

it's hard to say I soak the tap in warmish hot water sometimes but if consistently using hot could be problem. Or maby its just luck that I haven't had a bad one yet.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...