Vanishing CO2

[mendozer]

I have the 20 lb tanks of CO2. I end up buying a new one maybe once every 3 months, maybe 5 months. I have 4 kegs in my keezer and I drink maybe 2 pints per week. How in the hell is it lasting only this short time? There is no leak, at least not a clearly detectable one.

The joint at the tank gets a new gasket every time and it's re-tightened the next day as well. I have a good quality 4 way secondary reg setup again without leaks. I've done the soapy water (or star-san) test and nothing. Should I just overhaul all my disconnects for their o-rings? Maybe do gas and liquid?

 

[Thorrak]

I'm sure you've checked this already, but I found that my regulator was leaking where the regulator stem (the metal post going from the regulator body to the nut that attaches to the tank) attached to the regulator body. It was a very slow leak, but I was going through a 10 lb tank about every month despite not pushing much beer through my keezer. I was really surprised about this as I originally thought it was all one solid piece, but apparently I was mistaken.

Again - you mentioned doing the soap test, but if you haven't tested that part with soapy water you might want to give it a shot!

 

[mendozer]

I'll test it all again when I get a new tank tomorrow. I'm also leaning towards buying overhaul kits for all kegs, all new universal poppet valves, and maybe even the springs in the QDs

 

[shoengine]

Two pints a week? That's your problem!

 

[mendozer]

hahaha. Well I have to balance it with wine and water.

 

[Gravity]

I have the 20 lb tanks of CO2. I end up buying a new one maybe once every 3 months, maybe 5 months. I have 4 kegs in my keezer and I drink maybe 2 pints per week. How in the hell is it lasting only this short time? There is no leak, at least not a clearly detectable one.

The joint at the tank gets a new gasket every time and it's re-tightened the next day as well. I have a good quality 4 way secondary reg setup again without leaks. I've done the soapy water (or star-san) test and nothing. Should I just overhaul all my disconnects for their o-rings? Maybe do gas and liquid?

Yes, overhaul, that much CO2 loss is insane

You can check with soapy water at all the joints including the lid of the kegs

 

[chickypad]

Yes, overhaul, that much CO2 loss is insane

No doubt, at 2 pints a week that tank should last forever. Even if you overhaul though you still need to source the leak. I'd suggest dunking everything downstream from the regulator in water - manifold, lines. I found a slow leak that way that was missed with soapy water/starsan.

 

[Sailingeric]

5 pounds last me about 6 months and I have a pint or so every night from my 4 kegs. Since a 20# is a bit on the heavy side, if you do exchanges maybe the place you do it has a 5# you could borrower when doing the dunking test.

 

[Gravity]

No doubt, at 2 pints a week that tank should last forever. Even if you overhaul though you still need to source the leak. I'd suggest dunking everything downstream from the regulator in water - manifold, lines. I found a slow leak that way that was missed with soapy water/starsan.

For sure

20 pounds lasted me about 4/5 years

 

[daveMN]

Turn off the tank and note the pressure. Wait a few days and recheck. If the pressure is lower, you have a leak. Judging from how fast you go through the tank, you have a leak somewhere.
Next, repressurize and close off your shut-off valves and reclose the tank valve and see if the pressure holds. That will help pinpoint the leak if you can't see and starsan bubbles from leaks.

 

[mendozer]

I thought dunking the regs wasn't a good idea. It's fine to do that?

 

[Horseflesh]

Dunk the parts downstream, not the reg itself.

Also inspect your kegs and gas posts. Snap on the gas and fiddle with it--rotate it, wiggle it. I had a grey gas fitting that leaked but only when you pulled on the tubing just a tiny bit.

 

[mendozer]

I just cleaned and reassembled all gas and liquid QDs. In doing so I either discovered and made worse OR just created a leaky QD. The gasket of one gas QD was torn. So that one's not connected now. But it didn't hiss as violently before, so maybe I screwed it up. I'm waiting for the poppets and keg o ring kits to arrive. Then it all gets an overhaul this weekend. I know that some of the MFL barbs rotate in the air tubing. I had the red and black air hose style of tubing, but when I sprayed there it was fine.

 

[mendozer]

OK so I left it overnight hooked up to the secondary manifold, but not the kegs. This eliminated one variable. It dropped down from 65 to 63 on the master reg. Then I dunked everything and saw the bubbles! It was the brass 1/4" coupling joining my shutoff valve to the secondary regs. It had two small cracks in the brass.

Swapped that out and also found a tiny leak at another hose joint, but that's because somehow the worm clamp became loose. While I was at it I just cleaned out the entire keezer, chipping away ice and hosing everything out outside. While doing this, I changed all O rings and poppets for the remaining 3 kegs with beer, regardless of condition. I usually change these as needed, so it was probably time for a major overhaul. Then I rolled it back inside, hooked everything up and....NOOOO!!! Somehow I forgot to put one o ring back on for the root beer and I got my cleaned keezer all dirty again. Needless to say I was pissed. Fixed the o ring issue and shut everything with disdain for looking at another piece of kegging equipment for the rest of the day.

So...check your brass!!!

 

[Sailingeric]

I have the same 4 reg set up. Should I have trouble, I will know where to start.