How tight for barbs on gas manifold?

[CapnHook]

Easy question for more experience brewers. I'm assembling my keezer. How far past hand right should the barbs screwed onto the gas manifold be? Half turn? Full turn? More? I don't want to overtighten, but I'd like to know what the sweet spot for tightening is!

Thanks in advance for your input.

Jim P aka CapnHook

 

[zachattack]

I like to say that in general, NPT fittings should be somewhere in between "damn tight" and "pretty damn tight." If the fittings are stainless you can have galling issues, and sometimes the metal itself can crack if you overtighten. For brass-on-brass since usually you can go pretty tight without damaging things since the metal is so soft.

My personal rule (I work in a lab and deal with NPT fittings a lot) is that you can always go tighter if you need to, so start out relatively tame with the torque, leak check, and then tighten more as needed.

Do a few wraps of PTFE tape then get the fittings nice and snug without going crazy. Leak check and go tighter if you need to.

 

[m00ps]

yeah I've found that I need to get them as tight as I possibly can in order to prevent leaks - Both the fittings and the worm clamps. Especially if you start carbonating at room temperature. A seal may be able to handle 10psi, but not 30

 

[BigRob]

You mean the threaded side that screws into the manifold itself, or the tubing that slips over the barb?

If threaded, you need to use a sealant of some type, teflon tape (5-6 wraps if the crappy white stuff, 2-3 wraps if the decent pink stuff) or some kind of dope like Loctite 567. You want to tighten that down, with wrenches not pliers, not sure of the torque you'd wanna goto, but I'd say if you have more than 3 lines of thread still showing outside the manifold, you might want to tighten it more. fire up the gas, and put the manifold under water, make sure your shutoffs are off. Any leaks are going to be easier to find than with soap or starsan.

If you're talking about gear clamps on the barbs, you might try dipping the gas hose into boiling water, slipping it on the barb and tightening the clamp until it starts to deform the hose a slight bit.

 

[MagicMatt]

Wait, are y'all saying to use teflon tape on the quick disconnets? Where the swivel barb fittings screw on?

I've never done it, nor found it necessary. Is there a reason to use it if you get a good seal without?

 

[BigRob]

No, I am saying use T-Tape on the pipe thread joints that screw into the manifold. Do not T-Tape flare joints (swivel nut joints).

 

[zachattack]

Wait, are y'all saying to use teflon tape on the quick disconnets? Where the swivel barb fittings screw on?

I've never done it, nor found it necessary. Is there a reason to use it if you get a good seal without?

By "barbs screwing onto manifold" I was assuming NPT.