Leaky Keg Relief Valve

[Snow]

Guys n Gals,

I bought a 5 gal keg the other day which I think had the firestone type lid. Anyway, when I filled and gased it up, I found the pressure relief valve leaks around the edges where it connects to the lid. It's attached with a plastic nut that seems as tight as I can get it without splitting it. Is there a quick fix for this, i.e just putting in a thin rubber washer and re-tightening? Or do I need a special bit of kit sent over from the States?

Cheers - Snow

 

[JasonY]

I have one like this, there is a thin o-ring under the top part of the plastic assembly. If you take it off and make sure that is ok, perhaps add some lube to help with the seal it may fix it.

In my case the plastic nut had cracked so I had to buy a new one from the HBS which was about $25 or so Crappy style of relief valve I reckon.

 

[GMK]

Contact Craig Deacon at Kegsystems in sydney - he has all that stuff and his prices are quite good.

He will help you out.

No affiliation yada yada

 

[Doc]

I had the same problem with one on a 3 gal keg.
I found that if I actually unscrewed it half a turn it sealed. I used it like this until the keg was empty and then I replaced the whole relief valve.

Beers,
Doc

 

[Justin]

I have just had the exact same thing happen with one of my kegs with this type of relief valve yesterday. I had a bitter that wasn't holding pressure so racked to another keg and then played with the dodgey keg and wouldn't you know it's the bloody relief valve. I had some replacement ones sent over from the states when I made an order a while back, these ones are not cheap and the ones I was sent were not brand new. Unfortunately I don't have any spares so unless I can fix this one and get it to seal again I'll have to order another one OR find another lid with the other style relief valve (which is actually cheaper to buy the whole lid from Brewers discount that to buy a new plastic pressure relief valve from morebeer). I might try silicone or a liquid gasket sealer maybe?

If I have to order it from Morebeer or Northern brewer then so be it, I'll just have to fill the package up with other goodies to make it worth while. Or as GMK said Craig Deacon might be able to help, but I'm not sure if he has this type of valve.

I have to say I do prefer the other style of valve but I think 3 or 4 of my 7 kegs have this valve type.

Cheers, Justin

 

[roach]

I have a 5 gallon keg with a leaking relief valve as well. Unfortunately the nut on the bottom was mangled and so unable to remove the valve. So I have ended up ordering another lid from Brewers Discount, and might end up sealing the broken one with aquarium silicone and use it for kegs of soda water or RTDs

 

[Justin]

Or make a hole in a 50L keg and use the lid to do this.

You could use the hole from the relief valve to attach brass fittings to make a dip tube-make another fitting to apply pressure with CO2 and push you beer into corny kegs when fermentation is complete, or use the hole for an air lock bung etc. Lot's of options.

Cheers, JD

 

[pint of lager]

With the style of relief valve that has a flip top and the plastic nut on the underside of the lid, is it actually the valve leaking, or the valve to lid interface.

Unscrew the big nut, pull out the sealing oring, replace with silastic, seal it back up, wait till the silastic seals, then have another go.

 

[Snow]

Thanks folks. Yes POL, it is the valve/lid interface that's leaking. i think silastic might be my only option without buying a new valve.

Cheers - Snow