Ryano2 Posted July 10, 2020 Share Posted July 10, 2020 Hey guys, I've got a weird one. Just wondering if anyone has any idea what's going on. I've got a 2 tap kegerator with a regulator and a 2way manifold. Recently I've been trying to force carb some beer like I usually do. Crank it to 30 psi and shake for a few mins. However, when my ball locks are connected to the kegs I can't get the pressure above 12psi. When I disconnect from the keg, the pressure shoots straight up to 30-40. It's only when I connect to the keg (I've tried 4 kegs, 2 of which aren't mine and I know hold pressure). Any ideas what is causing this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red devil 44 Posted July 10, 2020 Share Posted July 10, 2020 I would normally suspect a blockage in the post, but as you say you’ve tried 4 different kegs. Have you changed the ball lock for another ? Or Can you change the white ball lock on the gas line to a black ball lock ( beer ) and try that, so pushing CO2 down the dip tube on the beer line ? I had a blockage on my keg ( couldn’t get beer out ) and I fixed it that way, a little different to your problem. Bit of a strange one this is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryano2 Posted July 10, 2020 Author Share Posted July 10, 2020 Yeah I have put the gas on the dip tube, same issue. Even if there was a blockage it should still build pressure right? I might change out my gas ball locks and keg posts. Seems to only be an issue when they are connected to the kegs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journeyman Posted July 10, 2020 Share Posted July 10, 2020 (edited) 6 minutes ago, Ryano2 said: Yeah I have put the gas on the dip tube, same issue. Even if there was a blockage it should still build pressure right? I might change out my gas ball locks and keg posts. Seems to only be an issue when they are connected to the kegs. Does the gas come through when you push on the centre of the disconnect? Just so I understand, when you have just the line you can crank it up to 30 psi but after you connect it drops back to 12? Or do you clear it with the manifold first THEN it only goes up to 12? I haven't looked inside a manifold so not sure where the 1-way vale is (presuming yours has them) - might it be in the manifold - the 1-way is sticking somehow? Can you try bypassing the manifold and see if it makes a difference? Edited July 10, 2020 by Journeyman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red devil 44 Posted July 10, 2020 Share Posted July 10, 2020 23 minutes ago, Journeyman said: Does the gas come through when you push on the centre of the disconnect? Just so I understand, when you have just the line you can crank it up to 30 psi but after you connect it drops back to 12? Or do you clear it with the manifold first THEN it only goes up to 12? I haven't looked inside a manifold so not sure where the 1-way vale is (presuming yours has them) - might it be in the manifold - the 1-way is sticking somehow? Can you try bypassing the manifold and see if it makes a difference? The Check Valve could possibly have a blockage. The correct term JM is a Non-return Valve or Check Valve ( for a 1-way valve ) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journeyman Posted July 10, 2020 Share Posted July 10, 2020 (edited) 2 minutes ago, Red devil 44 said: The correct term JM is a Non-return Valve or Check Valve ( for a 1-way valve Yessir Massa! I be corrected. I be learning gooderer now... Edited July 10, 2020 by Journeyman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryano2 Posted July 11, 2020 Author Share Posted July 11, 2020 I've just connected directly to the regulator and I'm getting the same issue.... Could it be empty tank? The pressure isn't at empty though and it's getting to 50psi when nothing is connected. I'm so confused... As soon as it's connected to a keg it just goes back down to 10psi and can't climb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red devil 44 Posted July 11, 2020 Share Posted July 11, 2020 Hey Ryano2, what is the pressure in the gas cylinder ? ( Left Gauge ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryano2 Posted July 11, 2020 Author Share Posted July 11, 2020 The left gauge is just above red. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red devil 44 Posted July 11, 2020 Share Posted July 11, 2020 Yep there’s enough pressure there, thinking blockage in check valve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journeyman Posted July 11, 2020 Share Posted July 11, 2020 Perhaps a silly question - you've checked for leaks? From the disconnects back past the manifold? ( assuming here it isn't kegs because you used other known-good kegs) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryano2 Posted July 11, 2020 Author Share Posted July 11, 2020 Yeah I've checked for leaks. The thing that I don't get is when it's not connected to a keg. The pressure goes up as far as I want it. As SOON as it goes in a keg. It goes down. Then probably takes 20 minutes to climb, if at all. I've bypassed the manifold and am going straight from the regulator to a new ball lock to the keg. Same issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red devil 44 Posted July 11, 2020 Share Posted July 11, 2020 Change out that ball lock mate, it has to be that, you can’t possibly have 4 x faulty kegs, unless you are really really unlucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryano2 Posted July 11, 2020 Author Share Posted July 11, 2020 I've just changed to a brand new ball lock! Connected direct from regulator to keg. Exact same issue... I tried on my mates brand new keg too. Same. Thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red devil 44 Posted July 11, 2020 Share Posted July 11, 2020 I’m scratching my head mate as to what the problem is Elimination suggests you have plenty of Gas, you’ve bypassed the manifold, do you have a check valve in your tubing to the kegs ? if so that could be the culprit? Kink in the line somewhere ? Failing all that I would turn the gas off, take the line off the Regulator, wind to 30 PSI & see if she roars out, bit of a waste of gas but only do it for a few seconds. Im suspecting a collapsed diaphragm inside the Regulator ( I’m a mech fitter, now a trainer within the gas industry ). it would still read 30 PSI on the gauge but is not allowing that volume to pass through the diaphragm, how old is the Regulator mate ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journeyman Posted July 11, 2020 Share Posted July 11, 2020 Got me stumped. You've swapped to other gear so that removes most of those issues. Apart from RD's comment above, all I can think of is to do with the disconnect or ball lock. You DO have the disconnect on the right post... right? Not trying to put gas disconnect on the beer out post? (I don't even know if that's a problem, just vague memory reading that's why they put the notch on the gas posts) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journeyman Posted July 11, 2020 Share Posted July 11, 2020 4 minutes ago, Red devil 44 said: Im suspecting a collapsed diaphragm inside the Regulator Maybe he doesn't have an inline return valve and got some beer back into the reg? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben 10 Posted July 11, 2020 Share Posted July 11, 2020 29 minutes ago, Ryano2 said: I tried on my mates brand new keg too. Same. Thing. Can you swap regs with him for a bit? 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryano2 Posted July 12, 2020 Author Share Posted July 12, 2020 Yeah I'm going to have to try his reg. Very very strange. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryano2 Posted July 12, 2020 Author Share Posted July 12, 2020 The regulator is probably 3 years old. I'm due an upgrade to a dual one, so I'm going to see if that fixes it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryano2 Posted July 15, 2020 Author Share Posted July 15, 2020 So a new reg has fixed the issue! Cheers for the help guys 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red devil 44 Posted July 16, 2020 Share Posted July 16, 2020 7 hours ago, Ryano2 said: So a new reg has fixed the issue! Cheers for the help guys Good to see you got it sorted mate, you could probably purchase a spare diaphragm for the old one and keep it as a spare Regulator ? If you wanted to do that let me know and I can guide you through replacing it ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryano2 Posted July 16, 2020 Author Share Posted July 16, 2020 Thanks mate, I might do that. There's one on kegland for $13 would that be it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red devil 44 Posted July 18, 2020 Share Posted July 18, 2020 Your Regulator is a Keg King isn’t it ? Can’t imagine KegLand would stock it, look on Keg King site 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryano2 Posted July 20, 2020 Author Share Posted July 20, 2020 Yeah there's one on keg king for $13. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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