New to Kegging - How much PSI Drop is considered Normal

[cspencer]

Hi I've been spending a lot of time reading up on how to find and fix CO2 leaks in my keg setup but I've finally got it to a reasonable state where the pressure on the gauge is slowly dropping. I mean from 40PSI down to 30PSI over 36 hrs.

I had found the leak was in the output of the Regulator (Keg King).
When the gas line is disconnected from the keg, I would raise the pressure to 40PSI then turn of the CO2 tank. At first it would drop to zero in a matter of a few hours (I've tried this same test several times with the regulator knob open and closed with same result so I don't think it's the regulator), pulled it apart and put it back together and now it's dropping 10PSI in 36hrs

Is this considered normal? The regulator has been inside at room temp for these tests.

Or should I be pulling it all apart and trying again? the connection in question is metal on metal flared flange connection on the output of the regulator which I ended up using a bit of the pink plumbers tape on the thread only to try to seal it a bit better, I did up the thread as hard as I dare (any harder I it would be difficult to undo).

Thanks for any advice you can give.
Clayton

 

[Pogierob]

If you are losing pressure due to a leak then you are setting yourself up for two things..

regular replacement or refill of your c02 bottle.

flat beer...... for example if you find your bottle empty on a Saturday night you then have two days where your beer isn't under pressure, therefore losing carbonation.


Find that leak sir and eliminate the bugger.

use plenty of bubbles (soapy water, starsan foam ) to locate and confirm where the leak is coming from.

 

[manticle]

If everything is working properly - none.

 

[spog]

So you found a leak,pulled the connection apart then reconnected it and the leak slowed = dodgy connection.
Any loss of gas isn't normal,and having the reg inside and at room temp makes no difference.
Check the threads on the connections to see if they are damaged or cross threaded ,check the female connect to see if it is cracked or split
Thread tape is a good idea but only use it sparingly as too much will not allow a correct fit and stress the connection.
Cheers....spog...

 

[cspencer]

thanks everyone, i'll pull the connection apart and check everything looks ok and reconnect and test, failing that I'll take it back to Keg King and see if the connection needs to be replaced, it's only a few weeks old.

 

[manticle]

Get a refund and put the extra dollars in to get a decent reg. Not worth the stress and irritation of playing around with cheapies, refilling lost gas, etc.