Doutight regulators

[kevink]

Has anybody ever used these Duotight regulators and are they any good? I'm building a new CO2 manifold and want to use a few of these so I can put different pressures on different kegs.

DuoTight Inline Regulator with Gauge

 

[kevink]

Anyone?

 

[gavinr]

I've used the previous version from kegland ( https://www.williamsbrewing.com/DuoTight-In-Line-Regulator-P4404.aspx ) and it was a piece of junk. I also have the blowtie Spunding valve, which looks like it has the same plastic regulator parts as the newer one you refer to. I would go for a metal secondary regulator, or check out Gov Reg. This new regulator is tempting, but if you do end up getting it, go very easy on the adjustment screw - this plastic parts are not very heavy duty. I got to say I love the duo tight fittings in combination with EVA barrier tubing. No leaks, and makes life much easier.

 

[TenaCJed]

I have 4 of the older style as well. The newer style has not been made available yet on the US sites like MoreBeer or Williams Brewing, but they are coming soon.

I have had mixed results with the older style. I had 2 that basically exploded on their own, the screw part was all of a sudden no longer connected and some plastic pieces were also on the bottom of kegerator. Only running 22PSI into them, well within their specs.

I received replacements from Williams Brewing. One of those replacements basically does not adjust. If I try to go lower than the incoming pressure, it is not releasing the CO2 supply. So 2 out of 4 failed, then 1 out of 2 failed.

I am very interested in the updated version and I will probably get 2 at first to give them a go.

I also have the blowtie and that has worked out very well for me.

Unfortunately I have had several of the other duotight connections break on me as well. The connector that goes onto ball lock fitting, they crack pretty easy. Most my gas side fittings have broke. For some reason no issues on my beer side though.... I do not over-tighten either, go by hand and then less than a quarter turn by pliers.

 

[murphyslaw]

I've been trying to find these and just emailed Kegland to see when they might become available here.

I got a Kegland Series 4 kegerator with 3 taps around christmas and need to split my gas line. Previously I had a dual regulator on the tank but with this setup I need inline regulators inside. I would cost about $150 for 3 inline taprites, so these look pretty appealing at $13/pop.

 

[TenaCJed]

Williams Brewing shows the end of the month to be expected. Not sure when MoreBeer expects to have them. Basically from what I have read it sounds like they are on the way, just depends on how long it takes to get here.

 

[gavinr]

I have 4 of the older style as well. The newer style has not been made available yet on the US sites like MoreBeer or Williams Brewing, but they are coming soon.

I have had mixed results with the older style. I had 2 that basically exploded on their own, the screw part was all of a sudden no longer connected and some plastic pieces were also on the bottom of kegerator. Only running 22PSI into them, well within their specs.

I received replacements from Williams Brewing. One of those replacements basically does not adjust. If I try to go lower than the incoming pressure, it is not releasing the CO2 supply. So 2 out of 4 failed, then 1 out of 2 failed.

I am very interested in the updated version and I will probably get 2 at first to give them a go.

I also have the blowtie and that has worked out very well for me.

Unfortunately I have had several of the other duotight connections break on me as well. The connector that goes onto ball lock fitting, they crack pretty easy. Most my gas side fittings have broke. For some reason no issues on my beer side though.... I do not over-tighten either, go by hand and then less than a quarter turn by pliers.

You have to be careful with overtorquing the Duotight flare nuts and cracking them. They do not need the plastic insert like the metal flare fittings do. If you make sure the inside flared surface is clean and scratch free, you can get a good seal on a male metal mating surface without excessive torque. I check the seal on the beer side by immersing the QDs in water under CO2 pressure, and tighten ever so slightly if I see bubbles.

 

[day_trippr]

I definitely murdered a Duotight 1/4" FFL to 8mm OD tubing through over-torque. Blew the back out with a circumferential crack.
But it was one of 35 of that specific model fitting, and the others have been perfect for months now.
Given how great these PTC fittings are -for both installation ease and on-going maintenance - losing one to a learning experience was ok...

Cheers!

 

[Horseflesh]

Has anybody ever used these Duotight regulators and are they any good?

No experience, but if you figure out a good Duotight manifold ... please share! The lack of an off the shelf or at least easy to build option is slowing my plans to switch to better tubing.

 

[TenaCJed]

I definitely murdered a Duotight 1/4" FFL to 8mm OD tubing through over-torque. Blew the back out with a circumferential crack.
But it was one of 35 of that specific model fitting, and the others have been perfect for months now.
Given how great these PTC fittings are -for both installation ease and on-going maintenance - losing one to a learning experience was ok...

Cheers!

Thing is that they did not crack until a couple of months in. I did crack my first or second from overtightening, and that happened right away. My last gas side one cracked about 4 months in! So I lost 3 tanks due to these cracking on me randomly! Thankfully when the two duotight regulators went on me it just stopped gas from flowing.

With that said I am going to try the new regulators, and I am going to run the gas lines along the wall of the kegerator for several inches and tie them into place to ensure too much pressure is not put on the regulator ends. I probably will not go back to the duotight fittings on my ball lock connections though.

 

[murphyslaw]

Anyone want to organize a freight forwarder?

Man, I'm gonna need an online regulator before I can get them from William's.

 

[day_trippr]

fwiw, JohnGuest also makes an 8mm (5/16") OD push-in x 1/4" ffl fitting (PM4508F4S)...

Cheers!

 

[gavinr]

... I probably will not go back to the duotight fittings on my ball lock connections though.

Probably wise. Most plumbing literature will advise against using plastic female with metal male threaded fittings - the other way around is OK. Female fittings expand when tightened, and over time plastic stresses very differently than metal - it tends to fail suddenly and catastrophically.

 

[TenaCJed]

View attachment 678744

Anyone want to organize a freight forwarder?

Man, I'm gonna need an online regulator before I can get them from William's.

Williams or MoreBeer will probably have them before enough people are gathered and order makes it through Customs.

 

[kiwipen]

Probably wise. Most plumbing literature will advise against using plastic female with metal male threaded fittings - the other way around is OK. Female fittings expand when tightened, and over time plastic stresses very differently than metal - it tends to fail suddenly and catastrophically.

tI didn't know that, thank you for sharing.

 

[Jayjay1976]

No experience, but if you figure out a good Duotight manifold ... please share! The lack of an off the shelf or at least easy to build option is slowing my plans to switch to better tubing.

https://www.homebrewfinds.com/2019/...2-manifold-for-kegland-evabarrier-tubing.html

 

[Dbedard41]

Have these, they worked great for a bit. Now seems as though they don't adjust pressure. Also my main regulator will read the pressure of the keg instead of the pressure I set it at. Any ideas?