Caustic Kills Disconnects?

[floppinab]

Anybody seen anything like this before.

I've had caustic sitting in these lines for a couple of days. Came back this evening to see this :





Not the best pics but you should get the idea. This has happened to two of my discos.
Looks like the caustic has weakened the plastic in the discos and with a little pressure in the line,............... game over!!!

I know a lot of people use caustic to clean their lines, whats the story

 

[Adamt]

What concentration did you mix the solution to?

 

[SJW]

Thay look like those cheap crappy diconnects with the plastic centre spike that depresses the popet too. I wonder if the are just a cheaper, dodgier dico than the steel ones? As I use Pink Stain all the time in mine with no dramas.
Steve

 

[floppinab]

It's the Diggers tub Adam, used the recommended 100gm in 2litres.

 

[floppinab]

Thay look like those cheap crappy diconnects with the plastic centre spike that depresses the popet too.
Steve

Hmmmmmm, the other one is an MFD (? screw in rather than the barb in the photo) but of similar construction. Didn't know you could get them in SS Steve.

I've had a third one that's had a leak through the thread at the top that holds the poppet in as well that I haven't been able to tie down.
All three have come from different retailers????????

 

[SJW]

No that little pin in the middle that depresses the poppet in the keg looks like it's plastic. My local HB Shop wont stock them, he only stocks the ones with a S/S pin in the centre, as the plastic ones do snap off. I just wondered if the rest of the disco was not up to scratch too.

 

[floppinab]

No that little pin in the middle that depresses the poppet in the keg looks like it's plastic.

There you go. I've only seen plastic in mine Steve, but it's not the pin that's given me the trouble.

 

[SJW]

There you go. I've only seen plastic in mine Steve, but it's not the pin that's given me the trouble.

I new nothing about this too, but when I asked Mark (our local HBS owner) why his were a couple of buck more he explained that the dicos with the s/s centre pins are of higher quality and have never broken in his experience. It might be worth investigating. Some comments from a retailer would be welcome at this point in time too :huh:

 

[Doogiechap]

I new nothing about this too, but when I asked Mark (our local HBS owner) why his were a couple of buck more he explained that the dicos with the s/s centre pins are of higher quality and have never broken in his experience. It might be worth investigating. Some comments from a retailer would be welcome at this point in time too :huh:

Following quote taken from here

No offence intended to other suppliers but I buy genuine cornellius connects.The cheaper ones are not made to the same standard as the genuine cornelius parts,IE plastic center pins on the knock offs and stainless steel on the genuine ones.Some will disagree.It comes back to if you want to spend the extra $3.00 dollars.

Cheers
Doug

 

[SJW]

No offence intended to other suppliers but I buy genuine cornellius connects.The cheaper ones are not made to the same standard as the genuine cornelius parts,IE plastic center pins on the knock offs and stainless steel on the genuine ones.Some will disagree.It comes back to if you want to spend the extra $3.00 dollars.

OK an extra $3.

 

[Ross]

The plastic pin seems to be the only bit that survived We sell ones with plastic pins - never personally had one fail & never had feedback on one failing & sold thousands, but yes, would expect a S/S pin to last longer - not that this has anything to do with the failure seen above.

I've never seen or heard of caustic doing this to plastic, but then i don't know the product too well, so hopefully someone will enlighten - It looks like a structrual problem from the pics, but to shatter like that under low pressure has me baffled. How long are you supposed to leave the caustic working; is it not recommended for 30 minutes, rather than days?

cheers Ross

 

[warrenlw63]

What puzzles me is how "unclean" can your lines and disconnects be to resort to using such dangerous stuff? (it scares me). h34r:

To me caustic is more a last resort rather than a general cleaner. Napisan and hot water is far safer and probably in some ways saner.

Warren -

 

[PostModern]

So glad I have pinlock and fully SS dc's

 

[Thunderlips]

So glad I have pinlock and fully SS dc's

You can get fully SS ball lock disconnects but they are expensive
About $77 for a pair on Ebay.
Midwest HB in the states have them for around $19US each.
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/Pr...spx?ProdID=5778

 

[Doogiechap]

You can get fully SS ball lock disconnects but they are expensive
About $77 for a pair on Ebay.
Midwest HB in the states have them for around $19US each.
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/Pr...spx?ProdID=5778
View attachment 18046

Brewers Discount Have them for $16.50 US each too.

 

[floppinab]

I've never seen or heard of caustic doing this to plastic, but then i don't know the product too well, so hopefully someone will enlighten - It looks like a structrual problem from the pics, but to shatter like that under low pressure has me baffled. How long are you supposed to leave the caustic working; is it not recommended for 30 minutes, rather than days?

cheers Ross

One of them was yours Ross (nudge, nudge). Yep I'm thinking that too with regard to contact time. I've read that the active ingredient in a number of keg cleaners is Sodium Hydrox. What's the recommended contact time for the commercial line cleaners???? Again could also be a different concentration as Adam alluded to earlier.

warren I've had a sulphury problem in a number of beers threw the lines of late that Percarb hasn't been able to clear up. As per the above para. a few recommended caustic.

 

[MHB]

I am very much of the school of thought - that you get what you pay for.

The disconnects with the plastic internals (in my experience) arent going to last as long or preform as well at the genuine Cornelius ones.
The only reason that there are any plastic internal disconnects in the shop is that one of my suppliers ships them attached to the little gas chargers that take soda bulbs.

I also have a couple of the "Cheap" metal disconnects in the shop - stuffed ones, unrepairable stuffed.

So given the choice I sell the best ones - I also stock full stainless disconnects but not the crappy diecast ones that people think are stainless - the Australian made ones that cost 3 times a much.

The better quality disconnects cost $2-3 more than do the cheap ones - thats a lot less than a brew and I think it's worth the small extra investment.

Guys there is a truck load of difference between "Cheap" and "Value for Money".

MHB

PS
Generally people use 1-1.5% W/V Caustic solutions for brewery cleaning.

M

 

[Gerard_M]

I have seen a few of these break like that in the past, seems to me as though they crack along a fault in the plastic. Nothing to do with the caustic though. (Just my opinion) I would return them to the retailer/manufacturer. I returned two broken disconnects, both black liquid ones too, and they were happy to get the feedback & replace them. I changed suppliers not long after, and the plastic in the disconnects seemed a bit tougher.
Cheers
Gerard

 

[Andyd]

I have seen a few of these break like that in the past, seems to me as though they crack along a fault in the plastic. Nothing to do with the caustic though. (Just my opinion) I would return them to the retailer/manufacturer. I returned two broken disconnects, both black liquid ones too, and they were happy to get the feedback & replace them. I changed suppliers not long after, and the plastic in the disconnects seemed a bit tougher.
Cheers
Gerard

I have to agree with Gerard - if it was a fault due to cuastic it would be corrosion, and that would not cause the device to shear like that. The clean shear line definitely indicates one of two things to me; either a manufacturing defect or a substantial shear force (like a full keg tipping over and hitting a fixed object).

Andy

 

[floppinab]

PS
Generally people use 1-1.5% W/V Caustic solutions for brewery cleaning.

M

So thats 10 gm per litre. I've used about 5 times that amount? Hmmmmm.

I have to agree with Gerard - if it was a fault due to cuastic it would be corrosion, and that would not cause the device to shear like that. The clean shear line definitely indicates one of two things to me; either a manufacturing defect or a substantial shear force (like a full keg tipping over and hitting a fixed object).

Given two discos have gone this way since running through the caustic seems pretty clear that is the trigger but maybe could be the the last straw on some poor quality discos, both came from different retailers though. Definately no impact involved andy.