Gas enters regulator, but won't go out to kegs

[DeadGuyNick]

I'm just now setting up a 2 faucet fridge kit I got from kegconnection. When I hook up the CO2 tank, the pressure builds just fine. However, when I open the valves to the lines, nothing comes out. I've tried adjusting the screws up front and pulling on the relief valve, nothing. Any ideas?

Edit: Got it working! Not sure what I did to fix it, but it's fixed.

 

[FrozenOcean]

Does your regulator have a valve on it where the line hooks in? What I would do is basically unhook everything, and open that valve (just for a second) to see if any gas comes out. If it doesn't, you've got a problem with the regulator. If it does, then I'd start hooking stuff back up, testing each step along the way to figure out where the blockage is.

 

[DeadGuyNick]

Does your regulator have a valve on it where the line hooks in? What I would do is basically unhook everything, and open that valve (just for a second) to see if any gas comes out. If it doesn't, you've got a problem with the regulator. If it does, then I'd start hooking stuff back up, testing each step along the way to figure out where the blockage is.

I got the Chudnow dual body regulator. This bad boy: http://www.kegconnection.com/chudnow-regulator-dual-body-three-gauge/

I disconnected the line below one of those valves (leading to the beer line at the bottom), turned the gas on, and opened one of those valves. Nothing happened, and the gauges for the lines don't move when I turn the screws up front.

 

[day_trippr]

Did you buy the tank as part of the kit?

Cheers!

 

[DeadGuyNick]

Did you buy the tank as part of the kit?

Cheers!

Nope, got the tank at my local AirGas. They do an exchange program.

 

[day_trippr]

Ok then, you definitely have gas in the tank.

With the tank valve open, does the high pressure gauge (at the far end of the regulator set) register somewhere above 500 psi?
That'd be a start (because "pressure builds just fine" isn't)...

Cheers!

 

[DeadGuyNick]

Ok then, you definitely have gas in the tank.

With the tank valve open, does the high pressure gauge (at the far end of the regulator set) register somewhere above 500 psi?
That'd be a start (because "pressure builds just fine" isn't)...

Cheers!

Yes, it reads about 1000 PSI. The other gauges read nothing.

 

[day_trippr]

Excellent! That means you have tank pressure available to both bodies.

I have two dual-body primary Chudnows and a couple of singles, and they're dead-nuts simple.

So, with the tank valve opened to the stop (a good practice, fwiw) if you turn one of the regulator pressure adjustment screws clock-wise, does the low pressure gauge on the corresponding regulator move off the stop?

Cheers!

[edit] make sure you're not running into the jam nut. You should back the nuts all the way to the screw heads until you get things squared away...

 

[DeadGuyNick]

So, with the tank valve opened to the stop (a good practice, fwiw)

What do you mean but opened to the stop? I have all valves closed, and the screws totally clockwise with nuts up against screw heads.

Edit: And I am making sure I turn the gas on when I try!

 

[day_trippr]

CO2 cylinder valves have positive seals at the top and bottom of their travel.
Leaving the valve partially opened relies on the stem packing to keep gas from leaking out, and stem packings aren't very reliable.

Inside the regulator there's a metal disk that the screw presses against a coil spring that presses against a diaphragm that presses against a pin valve cartridge that looks like this:

Once the screw takes the slack out of all those bits there isn't a whole lot of travel in the system, probably less than a 1/4" total.
The odds of both bodies having defective cartridges seems high based on my experience with Chudnow regs, but I suppose it's possible...

Cheers!

 

[DeadGuyNick]

I got a diagram with my kit that shows the inner workings of the regulator. I see the cartridge on there.

I turn the gas on, the main gauge reads just about 1000 psi. I tried turning the screws on the low pressure gauges clockwise, nothing happens.

Are you asking me to open it up and check out the cartridges?

Edit: Also, in case I can't get this figured out, any idea what I should do with the beer I just put in my keg? I don't want it to get oxidized if I have to wait on replacement parts.

 

[day_trippr]

I'm not suggesting you disembowel the regs. Unless you're curious about what's in there.
It was more about what's moving - and how little travel is involved for full-scale operation to get a feel for how far the screw should need to be turned.

If you just bought that reg set, I bet if you call Keg Connection and tell them what you've done so far they'll send you another one and tell you to just keep that one. You shouldn't have to rebuild those.

Keep the keg sealed and it will be fine. No worries there...

Cheers!

 

[DeadGuyNick]

Keep the keg sealed and it will be fine. No worries there...

Cheers!

I shot them an email, so I should hear back from them tomorrow. Keg's all sealed up, I'll leave it out of the way until I get this fixed.

Thanks for all of your help!

 

[sd_brewbie]

I had a new regulator with a similar problem. The hose connection bit was screwed into the regulator body and ended up being gummed up with loctite..... YMMV

 

[DeadGuyNick]

I had a new regulator with a similar problem. The hose connection bit was screwed into the regulator body and ended up being gummed up with loctite..... YMMV

Hmmm, I can take a look at that.

I went ahead and called them today, and he told me that I should take the low pressure gauges off, and if something is bent, to bend it back. Sound familiar or right to anyone? I don't want to break it and be out $80 or whatever it is.

Edit: I pulled one of the low gauges off, didn't see anything that could possibly bend... I'm assuming now he wants me to open the gauges up? That sounds a bit shady. Anyone have any idea what he's trying to get me to do? I was hoping when I called that I'd just get a new one sent and send back this broken one...

My other thought is that he's thinking the low gauges are broken. Thing is, I mentioned the main gauge works, so co2 is going past the low gauges. It's not going up to read, but it's also not going down to the lines when I open the valve. It's gotta be something in the bonnet, right? Is it easy/obvious to tell if something is wrong inside? I don't know how I'd tell. Both low gauges aren't working, and no air is going through either.

 

[Bobby_M]

Most regulators that have a screw driver slot for pressure adjustment have a locknut on the threads. I've had three customers bring me in similar regs complaining that they think they need a new one only to find that they were engaging the locknut against the body and couldn't turn it clockwise any further. I'd be able to tell you if that were the case if you post a picture. Or, if you do have a locking nut on the shaft, back it all the out counterclockwise so that you can actually turn the adjustment screw clockwise. Actually, I'd bet you 20 bucks this is the problem you're having.

 

[day_trippr]

We covered the lock nut thing yesterday.

Don't disassemble the gauges, that'd be a complete waste of time.
If you can't get gas past the valve cartridge, the gauges are never going to move anyway. And so far, you're not getting gas past either cartridge.

If you want to try something actually useful, back off the pressure adjusting screw all the way and remove the bonnet on the body closest to the cylinder. The whole black thing unscrews (RHT).

When it gets close to coming off, flip the reg over so the bonnet is pointing down. That's so you'll be able to see the assembly order of the metal disk and spring when you remove the bonnet - instead of dropping both on the floor. The disk is dished to keep it more or less centered on the spring.

The diaphragm will likely remain on the body, with a metal ring around the edge. That ring fits into the bonnet. Gently pry that off and you can remove the diaphragm, exposing the valve cartridge. The cartridge unscrews (also RHT). Once it's removed you'll see that the end of the cartridge has a sintered bronze filter.

One of my Chudnows made a shrieking noise whenever I was moving a lot of CO2 (eg: purging a carboy or keg). When I took it apart I found a piece of pipe tape laying across that cartridge filter. With that removed the reg sounded like all the others.

So if you want to take a look around, there's something to do. It's a long stretch imo, but perhaps both cartridge filters are plugged up with something...

Cheers!

 

[Bobby_M]

I see that you mentioned it but I didn't see the OP confirm that he saw that and/or backed off the locknut. Or... was it a private PM conversation? Nevermind, I see it now.

 

[DeadGuyNick]

Thanks everyone for the help, I got it working.

Not sure what I did. I took things apart and put them back together without really doing anything, I think. Maybe something wasn't sitting right? I don't know, but just gave it another shot before emailing the vendor again and it's all working like it should!

 

[day_trippr]

There's at least a dozen "gods of beer" around, one of them must have been feeling good today

It would be interesting to know what you actually did so someone might spot which act brought the reg set to life....

Cheers!

 

[DeadGuyNick]

There's at least a dozen "gods of beer" around, one of them must have been feeling good today

It would be interesting to know what you actually did so someone might spot which act brought the reg set to life....

Cheers!

Unfortunately I didn't bother paying too much attention at first (aside from not losing anything!), let alone take any pictures. Maybe I just wasn't doing something right the first couple times, and got it this time?

 

[Stealthcruiser]

Thanks everyone for the help, I got it working.

Not sure what I did. I took things apart and put them back together without really doing anything, I think. Maybe something wasn't sitting right? I don't know, but just gave it another shot before emailing the vendor again and it's all working like it should!

C'mon now!

You can level with us, we won't tell anybody.....................

 

[DeadGuyNick]

C'mon now!

You can level with us, we won't tell anybody.....................

Ha, seriously! I don't doubt I was just being dumb the whole time, but I have nothing to prove or disprove that! If I ever figure out what I did (or didn't do) I'll be sure to let you all know.