Solution for Sticking Draft Faucet ???

[processhead]

My beer faucets stick closed if I don't use them frequently. I am guessing that the beer residue is drying on the seat and valve causing this.

Is there a solution to the problem (besides using them more frequently)?

Could the faucet valve and seats be lightly coated with food grade O ring lube to help keep them free?

 

[Double_D]

These are the most common solutions to a sticky faucet besides drinking more..

http://www.kegworks.com/perlick-perl-stainless-steel-beer-faucet-412-p174618?_s_icmp=nextopia
http://www.kegworks.com/the-tap-soother-beer-faucet-cap-412-p21089?_s_icmp=nextopia

 

[lewybrewing]

Buy a Perlick?

 

[thargrav]

That's not the only solution.

What's going on is the beer left on the shaft that moves in & out when you pull / push the handle is turning into goo and making the tap handle stick - the solution is simple, assuming you don't want to invest in Perlick faucets.

Go down to your local Wally-World and invest in a $3.00 pump sprayer, the kind people like to mist plants with.

Go home and fill it with cheap vodka or Gin -I use cheap Gin because I hate cheap Gin and I'm less likely to turn it on myself.

Label the bottle as Sanitizer to keep the kids out.

Every evening you pour one or more beers, or even the next morning, grab a dish towel and your "Sanitizer". Place the dish towel under the mouth of the faucet and spray the heck out of the inside - no disassembly needed, by the way.

Let it drip dry & you are done - the water and alcohol will flush out the beer residue and the alcohol will also sanitize the mouth of your beer faucet.

 

[Double_D]

So.. the tap soother is cheaper than the cheap gin and $3 sprayer combined. But I'd say that's a middle of the road price. Water works as well in a spray bottle.

 

[StainlessBrewing]

Sell your current tap to help pay for a Perlick and be done with it.I have little doubt you'll regret it.

 

[ClaudiusB]

My beer faucets stick closed if I don't use them frequently. I am guessing that the beer residue is drying on the seat and valve causing this.

Is there a solution to the problem (besides using them more frequently)?

Could the faucet valve and seats be lightly coated with food grade O ring lube to help keep them free?

Here is my solution to the sticky problem.
At the end of day I inject SANICLEAN into the vent hole and at the same time the spout is cleaned.

 

[processhead]

Thanks for the hints.

The day may come when I upgrade to Perlick faucets, but for now I will try the flush techniques.

 

[geniz]

Make yourself one of these:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/diy-beer-line-cleaner-226497/

 

[thargrav]

A beer line cleaner is over kill for just a sticky faucet. You just need something to flush out the beer residue from inside the faucet after pouring a few beers without disassembling & cleaning everything.

 

[onthekeg]

I just use my starsan spray bottle into the spout after I'm finished for the evening. In the summer its worse since fruit flies sometimes find the spout and thats just wrong!

 

[SpottedDogBrewing]

Buy Perlicks!

 

[thargrav]

I just use my starsan spray bottle into the spout after I'm finished for the evening. In the summer its worse since fruit flies sometimes find the spout and thats just wrong!

Beer faucet spout plugs take care of the fruit flies. They cover the faucets when you aren't pouring a beer - just look for them on the internat.

 

[processhead]

Just some follow up feed back on the advice given by others...

I have been back flushing the beer faucets with a small amount of plain water in a squirt bottle from time to time and the sticking problem has gone away.

 

[thargrav]

Sometimes the least high tech solution is the best.