Dodgy Gas Line - Advice Needed on a Good Source

[brocasarea]

So I've had two blow outs on one of my gas lines and I've lost nearly a full 10kg cylinder of gas on my new keg setup. I almost cried. The first time I thought it was bad luck but the second it was obvious that it was crap quality hose. Where it was attached to the barb is full of cracks and weird fraying right at the end like it had been brittle. It was 6mm hose on 6mm barb at a max of 12psi from memory. It's the house brand polyethylene hose from Keg King.

Now Keg King has not admitted that it could possibly be a quality issue but are willing to replace it with better quality hose nonetheless. It's their house brand 5x8mm vinyl hose. Should I go with that stuff or could I possibly face the same fate down the line?

 

[SBOB]

did you soften it in boiling water prior to pushing the hose onto the barb?

 

[Lyrebird_Cycles]

That damage looks typical of UV degradation of the PE, probably simply because it was stored in sunlight*. Typically the damage will be on the outside and worse on one side than the other. The UV potentiates free radical attack, oxygen is an agonist.

The damage is irreversible.Toss it and buy some more from a reliable source.

Do the original vendor a favour and tell them their tube is buggered.



* or for a very long time under fluoro or HID lights or in the presence of a UV bug zapper.

 

[brocasarea]

did you soften it in boiling water prior to pushing the hose onto the barb?

That's what the Keg King guy said!

It was 6mm hose on a 6mm barb. Went on quite easy.

 

[brocasarea]

That damage looks typical of UV degradation of the PE, probably simply because it was stored in sunlight. Is it by any chance worse on one side of the tube than the other?

The damage is irreversible.Toss it and buy some more from a reliable source.

Really? I have a dual pressure reg and that probably explains why one side has gone twice and the other not at all. And the other side has had more use.

 

[brocasarea]

Also, is PE hose typical of gas line in home brew off the reg? All the bars I've worked at have something that's braided and often double walled.

 

[Lyrebird_Cycles]

Yep, PE is very typically used for pressure hose. It's strong,light, abrasion resistant and cheap. It can be made UV resistant but the natural colour stuff generally isn't.

 

[peteru]

Interesting info about UV.

I also use KK PE hoses for gas. My setup will get 2-3 hours of sunshine per day on the gas hoses. Only early morning sun, through a normal domestic glass window pane located about 3m from the kegerator. Windows are less that 10 years old, so I presume that they would block most UV.

The other light sources are standard domestic CCFL and LED light globes at around 4-6 hours a day.

Would that still be enough UV exposure to be of concern long term? If so, how long before you would expect trouble? Months, years, decades?

 

[brocasarea]

Who knows peteru. I just know that I wasn't impressed with the stuff out of the box. It had Keg King branded down the length of the hose and the paint used to put it on there came off on my hand like powder. Just screamed cheap. I thought it would be ok seeing I wasn't asking much of it but apparently that was too much. I reckon a warm day and a stiff breeze would probably blow it right off your reg.

I'm going to replace mine with some rated gas hose. I'm looking at some that will be about $1.50-2ish a metre. Cheap insurance if you ask me. I have to refill my bottle again soon and I'm not trusting the Keg King stuff with it.

 

[brocasarea]

I should also say that my neighbour, who is a chemist, backs up Lyrebird_Cycles in saying that it looks like UV damage. Apparently he uses this stuff in his work.

 

[Lyrebird_Cycles]

the paint used to put it on there came off on my hand like powder.

It's ink rather than paint. As previously, the UV damage occurs first on the outside skin, I would expect this is also the cause of the ink not adhering.

 

[Lyrebird_Cycles]

The other light sources are standard domestic CCFL and LED light globes at around 4-6 hours a day.

Would that still be enough UV exposure to be of concern long term? If so, how long before you would expect trouble? Months, years, decades?

The fluoros have some UV output but it's pretty low. LEDs have almost none, they emit in a tight band in the blue only (the white is created by adding a yellow phosphor).

Generally 3 months in full sunlight is enough to significantly damage PE or PP. Ordinary clear glass is mostly transparent to UVA, so the total exposure depends mainly on time and solar angle. Probably best to screen the hoses somehow or replace them yearly.

 

[MHB]

I always use the duel layer Nylon/PE line for both gas and beer. It's dearer, sure but it has never let me down.
I tried solid Nylon, its so tough and springy that it can make keeping fridge doors closed a pain, the duel layer gives most of the advantages of Nylon and it's reasonably easy to manipulate.

Always had a good relationship with Andale, so used their line "Brewmaster", I'm sure there are lots of other products just as good, its worth spend the extra.
Ask your LHBS what they have available.
Mark

 

[brocasarea]

I have an Andale close to me. I'll probably go for that stuff when I see any damage/failing of my Keg King beer lines. But for the gas lines, I might go for a braided pressure hose like this:

https://www.blackwoods.com.au/part/04193900/hose-pvc-pressure-tmptpr-transluc-6mm

Also, has anyone heard of Bevlex beer/gas line?

http://www.thekeggingcompany.com.au/beer-gas-line-1-4-id-3-8-od-bevlex/

 

[WarmerBeer]

Valpar Flexmaster II

http://craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=828

Buy once, buy right.

 

[brocasarea]

Buy once, buy right.

Yeah... My system is full of lancer and micromatic gear and this is the one thing I skimp on... Bit me in the arse good.

 

[Lyrebird_Cycles]

Also, has anyone heard of Bevlex beer/gas line?

http://www.thekeggingcompany.com.au/beer-gas-line-1-4-id-3-8-od-bevlex/

If it's their 170 series, it's a double wall tube like the Andale and Valpar tubing mentioned above. If it's their 200 series it's PVC, if it's their 220 series it's single wall PE.

 

[good4whatAlesU]

This stuff seems to work alright and it's not too expensive:

http://www.theirrigationshop.com.au/shopping/proddetail.asp?prod=2115

 

[brocasarea]

Yeah, that's the sort of stuff I'm aiming for. I'd like the temperature range to start a little lower though. I'm using a freezer and the fan blows directly onto one of the couplings.