Don't Connect A Secondary Regulator To The Gas Tank!

[freezkat]

I am writing this as a public declaration of my moronity...

Don't connect a Secondary Regulator to the Gas Tank!!! (or in-line with a primary)

It physically can be done with some regulators. If you are a genius like me you can go to the hardware store and figure out how to destroy a secondary regulator.

A primary regulator is meant to handle the pressure from a fully charged CO2 tank.

A secondary can only handle 0- 100 psi. (I don't know that metric conversion) and likely will have a 65psi
relief vent to prevent damage.

Secondaries are meant to be connected to the low-pressure side of the primary regulator via a hose. It is very convenient to do this. You can have one primary at the tank and then send a 30psi to a network of secondaries. You can have all kinds of fun playing with your secondaries various lower pressure settings near your kegs. You wont need to send a line all the way to the tank. Isn't that bloody grand??!!!!!

But NNNOOOOooo! Smart Boy here, figures out how to nipple all these regulators together, regardless of what type they are. They say ignorance is bliss. It's expensive, I'll tell you this.

Be smart. Ask questions. No matter how stupid you think they are or how stupid people will think you are. Once again this is a basic thing that has eluded me in my early education of kegging and equipment.

I'm off to refill my CO2 tank.

Cheers

Bob

 

[Barndillo]

Is it worth taking a photo of, or is the damage internal?

 

[Thefatdoghead]

I don't understand what you are trying to achieve there buddy??? Why don't you just have a normal reg 0-200bar with a low pressure gauge 0-6bar as they typically come as one unit there aren't to many thing's you can do to lose all your gas like you have done.

 

[jacknohe]

Is it worth taking a photo of, or is the damage internal?

Or emotional?

Nah, seriously. I like it when forum members front up with their disaster stories. Everyone learns from each others mistakes.

Thanks.

 

[freezkat]

Or emotional?

Nah, seriously. I like it when forum members front up with their disaster stories. Everyone learns from each others mistakes.

Thanks.

All the damage was internal. Diaphragms perforated, o-rings evaporated, Gas gone... a big tank. Lucky I have a big house that is well vented. Or we could have suffocated.

The dog knew something was up.

So now I am down to one Primary. 3 taps. I have a manifold with the flare fittings that have the check valves built in. I will get the barb/quick connects for that somewhere. I was at 4 stores today...no luck. I hope the CO2 place has them. I had to leave my tank to get a 50% discount. Only $16 for 20 pounds (9Kg? I don't know how you buy it there. Big Scuba tank size Approx)

 

[freezkat]

All the damage was internal. Diaphragms perforated, o-rings evaporated, Gas gone... a big tank. Lucky I have a big house that is well vented. Or we could have suffocated.

The dog knew something was up.

So now I am down to one Primary. 3 taps. I have a manifold with the flare fittings that have the check valves built in. I will get the barb/quick connects for that somewhere. I was at 4 stores today...no luck. I hope the CO2 place has them. I had to leave my tank to get a 50% discount. Only $16 for 20 pounds (9Kg? I don't know how you buy it there. Big Scuba tank size Approx)

I was able to contact a very bright young lady from MicroMatic who was able to find a repair kit for my "no longer available" 642-PL dual gauge primary. For $16 including shipping. God Bless her. I will be able to connect a dual Primary system together. On one I will have a manifold with quick connects. On the other I will have it on a long line for force carbing. I am very happy right now. My system is becoming more legitimate all the time.

 

[punkin]

I was able to contact a very bright young lady from MicroMatic who was able to find a repair kit for my "no longer available" 642-PL dual gauge primary. For $16 including shipping. God Bless her. I will be able to connect a dual Primary system together. On one I will have a manifold with quick connects. On the other I will have it on a long line for force carbing. I am very happy right now. My system is becoming more legitimate all the time.

That's how i have mine setup, but i have two regulators screwed into each other (yes with hardware fittings).

I guess they must be both 'primary' regulators as the system works well.

 

[freezkat]

That's how i have mine setup, but i have two regulators screwed into each other (yes with hardware fittings).

I guess they must be both 'primary' regulators as the system works well.

I'm not in business yet. I need to pick up my tank Monday (Its is 23:00 Sunday here now) with some barbed to "flare" quick connects.

My repair kit for the MicroMatic is coming from Chicago. I ordered last Thursday. It could be here Monday.

It's Presidents Day. Some of us have another 3 Day weekend. I hope the refill shop is open. I may be forced to buy beer.

 

[wombil]

OH,what a horrible thought.

 

[NickB]

Ha, some of us have our bi-weekly Monday off Brewed a double batch of Brown Porter

At least you get a good selection of reasonably cheap beers!!! You should try it in Aus... h34r:

Cheers

 

[freezkat]

Ha, some of us have our bi-weekly Monday off Brewed a double batch of Brown Porter

At least you get a good selection of reasonably cheap beers!!! You should try it in Aus... h34r:

Cheers

I have quite a few bottled. I was hoping to save them for the State Fair HB competition in Minnesota (Northern Brewer runs it). I need to have 2 bottles to submit a flavor. I have a Dark Doppelbock, IPA/Barley-wine, American Lager, Amber, Oatmeal Rye Stout, a few Ales and my Minnesota Raw Rye is in a corney lagering in the fridge is not bottled yet.

My biggest worry with that competition is I need to get my bottles back. We don't have returnable bottles anymore. My competition bottles are clear white glass. So the judges can see clarity easily, before they disturb the sediments.

 

[freezkat]

I have quite a few bottled. I was hoping to save them for the State Fair HB competition in Minnesota (Northern Brewer runs it). I need to have 2 bottles to submit a flavor. I have a Dark Doppelbock, IPA/Barley-wine, American Lager, Amber, Oatmeal Rye Stout, a few Ales and my Minnesota Raw Rye is in a corney lagering in the fridge is not bottled yet.

My biggest worry with that competition is I need to get my bottles back. We don't have returnable bottles anymore. My competition bottles are clear white glass. So the judges can see clarity easily, before they disturb the sediments.

Isn't she a Beaut'?

 

[freezkat]

Isn't she a Beaut'?

while I'm ecstatic about my very official tank setup I would be remiss if I didn't tell people the exact mistakes I made.

1. I connected a secondary regulator in-line with my primary regulator.

This is easy to do with some older primary regulators and Norgren brand regulators. On some, lets call them pragmatic/capitalistic vendors they will use a reverse thread for the cylinder pressure regulator connections. My Cornelius brand secondary and my Norgren primary have the same threads on all connections. I simply bought a 1/4" mpt to 1/4" mpt nipple and linked the regulators together... horizontal...on the high pressure sides.

2. I fashioned a male tank connector to attach to the left side of my (cough,cough) secondary regulator so I could connect my other primary regulator. This was only possible with the aid of teflon tape and polishing the 1/2" mpt bushing that adapted down to 1/4" fpt. This was not an actual tank connector, but it worked for a little while. It doesn't have enough of a flat surface to make a good seal. It's just the end of a pipe.

3. My second biggest mistake was thinking seals, gaskets, diaphragms etc..., 9+ years old were going to hold up to the pressure of a new 20 pound co2 tank.

4. my biggest mistake was not researching enough. I should have known the difference between a primary and secondary regulator.


For those who don't know:

Primaries run 0-3000psi and connect directly to the cylinder. They will almost always connect to the cylinder with pipe
, they will have a high pressure guage most of the time connected at one end. (Primaries can be linked)

secondaries run 0-200psi and will have one low pressure gauge on top and either linked to other secondaries or will have flare or hose connectors leading to the beverage or the low pressure connector of a primary. Here's a hint...if the regulator has wall mounting hardware attached, it is likely a secondary