Do you find check valves to be a nuisance?

[klangers]

G'day all.

I've been recently moving into kegging and spending much of my hard-earned on all the toys to make it happen. I've found that the check valves that are so widely recommended for CO2 manifolds (and are installed on the one I purchased) are a bloody nuisance.

• They require a minimum opening pressure to counteract the spring force (appears to be about 8 PSI on my gauge/setup)
• They make stupid annoying hooting noises with low flow
• Most frustratingly, prevent you from removing gas (volume and pressure) from a keg which is a total pain the proverbial when it comes to force carbing, because at this stage I have to muck around and disconnect things to burp the keg, and even then I don't have the benefit of the pressure gauge (which is obviously on the CO2 cylinder prior to the manifold)

This is my manifold:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/4-Way-Gas-Manifold-Distribution-CO2-Splitter-W-Check-Valves-Complet-Kit-DISCONN-/381197423468?hash=item58c123136c

I want to get rid of the check valves, but they're press fit into the ball valves, so it looks like I'll have to replace the whole assembly. Has anyone come across some ball valves (sans check valve) that will fit?

My thoughts for solutions are:

• Get new check valve-less ball valves/manifold
• Get an additional pressure gauge and put this on a T piece on the keg coupler

Any thoughts or similar experiences?

 

[Coalminer]

Turn off valve and release pressure with PRV that is fitted to the keg

 

[klangers]

Ah yes, I should mention I'm using 50L D-type kegs, not cornies. No PRV on the keg.

 

[Yob]

cant you put a t-piece and bleed valve in, you know one of those little line splitter jobbies?

 

[n87]

from some stuff i have read/seen, you can loosen the nut on the gas side of the coupler to release pressure