Dual regulator w/ MFL - Couple Questions

Closing in on the last steps of my first keezer and ran into a couple issues/questions w/ my dual regulator (picture attached). Trying to figure out what direction to take and if there's any options I overlooked.

1) For those familiar w/ assembling/disassembling regulators - is removing the current 1/4 NPT -> 1/4 MFL nipples a risk to the regulator integrity? (OR are these likely brass nipples than be easily swapped out?)


2) Assuming I keep the MFL outlets (as you can see in the picture) - When running only one keg, is there an easy way to shut off an unused MFL? (Dialing the unused regulator down did not provide a complete shutoff.)


Thanks so much, as always, for any advice/help.

1. No. You can see they are taped, should come out wicked easy.

2. About all you can do is pop the unused QD and hope it self-seals tight (they usually do, but it's worth the occasional test in a glass of water to make sure).

You shouldn't have any problem swapping the flare nipples for the valves, though the even better solution would have been to buy valves with MFL threads for the gas lines...

Cheers!

You can buy a cap to cover the end of a mfl, I would be more concerned that the reg isn't functioning properly. It shouldn't let gas through if it is off you may not be able to keep the desired pressures. I would return and order a better reg (Tap-rite, Cornelius, Norgren, Parker) If you check many have had to replace these cheap ones. Good Luck

If you shut the gas off by using the regulator knob and it's still comes out something is wrong. Get that fixed and you won't have a problem. You would have a hose and keg disconnect attached to it anyway which would seal, even if the reg didn't. You can also cap it.

Thanks a lot for the replies / advice. Ended up going w/ the Taprite T752HP dual body regulator and bypassing a potentially slippery road w/ the pictured regulator.

According to Taprite's website, the T752HP has "2P X 2P, 60lb & 2000lb gauge, tank fitting, high performance, 5/16" barb shutoff with duck-bill check valve, red cap".

The Beverage Factory rep I talked to today thought that beverage CO2 regulators (i.e. Taprite) do not include check valves (?) and this Micromatic article backed that up: "Gas regulators designed for use in the draft beer industry include standard shutoff valves which do not have a check valve...homebrew couplers do not have a built in gas check valve. Therefore when using homebrew couplers, it is important to use regulator shutoff(s) with a check valve."

As I have a couple Gas shut off valves w/ check valves laying around, just wanted to confirm the Taprite regulators DO have sufficient check-valves built in (the "duck-bill" variety they say) and I won't need to swap these extras in on the Taprite. Not sure if all check valves are created equal.

Thanks again for the advice and cheers to you all on the first homebrew keg this weekend!

A follow-up email to the Taprite customer service department was quickly replied to and confirmed that this Taprite T752HP model does have check-valves pre-installed (as listed on their website), as apparently does the large majority of their line of products.

Beginning to understand why buying a quality regulator from Taprite or another vendor is such a smart move. Thanks again for the help - this thread is solved.