How do I determine if a regulator is leaking?

Brewing Processes
21

Yeah, check valves, that’s what I meant by “a one-way valve”.  I have trouble coming up with the right words sometimes :slight_smile:

Well, at least you’ve narrowed it down a bit.  Let us know how it goes.

22

Oops.  Guess i missed that or it only registered subconsciously.  I would have come to my conclusion faster had I.  Yeah one way valve, check valve, same difference.

23

Well first test is a fail.  I hooked up one of the secondary regulators alone with the pass through plugged and my pressure tester hooked up to the check valve outlet last night.  This morning both gauges were registering a drop in pressure!  I had sprayed all connections with soapy water and witnessed no bubbling.

I even used special gas teflon tape I found at the hardware store.  I had not seen that before.  It is thicker and less stretchy/flimsy with a slightly yellow tinge to it.  It is intended for use with propane, natural gas etc. so I figure it was good for this purpose.

AHHHH!!!  >:(

I am thinking I may and try opening up one of the secondary regulators today to see what I can see.  Never done that before so I may be sacrificing the regulator as it may get damaged…  ::slight_smile:

One other possibilty I am considering is that the gauges themselves are leaking?  As I was reassembling the secondaries (rewrapped the threads and put gauges, and fittings back on) one of the gauges got damaged somehow and is no reading 8 psi all the time.  I started another thread inquiring about gauges.

24

At long last!  The leak source has been found!  It was not the regulators after all.  It was the cheap @ss ball valves I got from  morebeer have had problems with in the past.  Trouble is, I never saw any leaking from them despite dunking the entire junction under soapy water!  I just finally got frustrated and removed the T section they were a part of as a last ditch effort.  No more leaks.

Thanks everyone for your help along the way.  Man that was frustrating.

25

Wow, what a pain!  Well, at least it’s done. :slight_smile:

Sorry about the hose problem too, man, it’s almost enough to make someone want to stop having homebrew on tap . . . nah.