Gas leaking from ball lock post

[Truman42]

I've just recently put some new ball lock posts on a corny keg however when I connect the quick disconnect I can hear gas leaking. If I wiggle the QD the flow slows and sometimes stops, same thing if I push on the top of the QD.

I've tried two different QD,s and they both leak so I'm assuming it's the post. The gas isn't leaking out from the bottom of the post so it must be leaking past the poppet valve somehow when the QD is connected.

But I have no idea why it would be leaking. Does the O ring on the outside of the post need to be a fair bit wider than the post itself to seal properly? If so maybe that's the problem although the O ring came with the posts and were already fitted. These posts were brought from KK. Anyone else have problems with these?

Cheers.

 

[djar007]

Did you use rubber grease. That can help . Also I seat the posts and poppets with a sealing pressure of thirty psi and then back it off to carbonating pressure.

 

[Bribie G]

I always have a couple of spare poppets on hand, not too dear from the likes of CB. I Seem to need one every year or so. No idea why something so simple can fail, maybe the tiny bit of rubber at the end of the poppet perishes or something if it gets beer up into it.

edit; were they "new" as in new, or from a scrapped corny as they often are?

 

[Truman42]

i used keg lube but not sure what you mean by seat the posts and poppets with 30 PSI. I just slid the poppet and spring inside the post then screwed the post onto the keg and tightened it up with a spanner.

The gas dip tube O ring was a little bit perished but I figured if that was leaking I would have gas coming out the bottom of the post which I dont.

 

[djar007]

you know when you seat a tyre after you change it. Well I seat the valve. As do others. Lube helps.

 

[Bribie G]

as djar says, disassemble it then put it back together again, often does the trick.

 

[mr_wibble]

I had exactly this problem today.

I pulled the post off, pulled out the inside tube. Lubed the o-ring on this tube, replaced the worn o-ring on the post, lubed everything, tightened it back up. Fixed it.
It was only a tiny tiny leak, but I could hear it.

Did you also tighten the centre of the post-to-pipe adapter ?

 

[HBHB]

External O ring on the post. It'll have a couple of flat spots.....small, but enough. Time for new one's and a bit of lube.

 

[Truman42]

These are brand new posts from KK and I used lube on all of the o rings.

@ Mr Wibble...when you say inside tube are you referring to the gas dip tube? The o ring on this tube is worn a bit but I don't have any gas leaking out from the bottom of the post so I'm assuming this o ring is sealing ok. What do you mean by post to pipe adaptor?

It appears to be leaking out past the external O ring on the post but they are brand new and in good condition.

I've pulled the post off and back on again 3 times now but it still leaks.

 

[Truman42]

Has anyone else had problem with the KK ball lock posts?
I sort of fixed my problem by replacing the O ring supplied with another I already had. It stopped gas leaking whilst the QD was sitting straight. But if I tilt it slightly gas leaks out past the post seal.
I haven't had problems with these QDs on any other posts before so Im guessing the posts are possibly slightly smaller than standard size due to Chinese tolerances. (cant compare because my other corny is at the brew club ATM.)

Ive phoned Kk and spoke to Yuri about it but he said they havent had anyone else bring them back as yet.

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

I have KK brand new kegs so they came with the same posts you refer to? If so, I've noticed you really need to push on the QD's straight ie. make sure you are standing over the keg and push only straight down through the centre of the QD and poppet. This applies for removing them as well, if you take them off on an angle the poppet can get stuck open and beer or gas goes everywhere until you put the QD back on!

 

[Byran]

Ive had heaps of trouble with mine having slow leaks every now and then from the gas in post or grey connector, changed the o rings a few times but haven't changed the connectors. I reckon ive slightly damaged the inside of them from trying to force them onto the post (whilst pissed most probably). Its really annoying me. I wrapped the post with some gas tape and put the oring over the top of it to make it sit more proudly from the post and that did help .

 

[Truman42]

I have a 9 litre KK keg and all my QDs seal fine on it without a problem.

Im convinced these KK ball lock posts are slightly smaller than standard size and will use my verniers to compare them with my corny when I get it back.

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

Are you lubing up the post o-rings? I was not using any from the beginning and found it hard to put the QD's onto even my KK 19L kegs, but since lubing up they glide on very easily to both the KK and corneilius types!

 

[Truman42]

Im using lube on the post o rings. But getting them on inst the problem as they slide on too easily. They just wont seal properly.

 

[Truman42]

Tried a new post today and although was slightly better still leaked when I wiggled the QD from side to side. I also tried a brand new QD from KK and that leaked like a sieve even without twisting it.

I'm trying to borrow a CMB QD from someone to see if it makes a difference.

 

[of mice and gods]

Gas bottle emptied on me last night

I've just finished my kegerator which now has a 4 way gas manifold, 4 taps and something in the order of 7 JG push in fittings. Plus all the possible leak spots on the 4 kegs that I had just rebuilt with new seals, poppets and posts as required. So I got out the soapy spray bottle and dosed everything.. no leak to be found. However, when putting the kegs back in the fridge (which is a bit of a squeeze) I realised sometimes there was pressure on the gas line, moving the QD and leaking gas.

I noticed this first on a keg that I hadn't replaced the post on, so I pulled the old post o-ring, smeared some lube in the o-ring channel and put a new o-ring on. Hooked back up the gas, wiggled the QD - no more leak!

So, with this in mind I tested all my gas QD's and posts, and found to some extent they all leaked when the QD was moved or had some kind of lateral pressure on it, even the brand new posts with o-rings on them. So I gave the remaining kegs the same treatment, new and old o-rings came off.. lube the channel, new post o-rings and test. No more leaks.

I've turned off the gas bottle just in case and will keep an eye on it and hopefully this is the last little gremlin!

So I guess what I'm trying to say it +1 for new post o-rings and lube.

Al

 

[of mice and gods]

I'm a slow learner. 4 empty gas bottles later.. all KK quick disconnects in the bin, now to remove all the KK posts from my kegs and bin them too.

Super happy that I saved 10 bucks per qd/post and then forked out an extra 120 bucks on gas!

 

[thedragon]

I feel your pain.

When I started kegging I thought that you'd have to be mad to pay $25 for the ball lock disconnect and john guest fitting from G&G when you could get something similar from KK for $8.

Two empty gas bottles later and the cheap KK QDs are now sitting in my bottom drawer.