Noisy check valve

[clayts]

Hi there,

I've finally become sick enough of bottling to make the move to kegs. Old mate at the LHBS has set me up with a couple of 19L kegs, a regulator, line, pluto guns, disconnects etc.

I'm just kinda playing around with the setup to get to know the gas side and how the regulator works. I've come across a weird noise and can't really figure out what I'm doing wrong.

The setup is (in order): gas bottle, kegland mk4 regulator, little connector piece that came with the regulator (screws into regulator and is a push fit line connector on the other side), about 30cm of 4mm line through a check valve (arrow pointing away from the gas bottle), then some line.

When I turn the gas on at the bottle and turn in the regulator to release gas, there is a weird and loud noise that I think is being caused by the check valve. When I remove the check valve and turn on the gas, no noise aside from hissing gas.

The noise kinda sounds like if you blow up a balloon then only let it out really slowly by pinching the ends.

Any ideas before I head back to the shop?

 

[golfandbrew]

Sometimes the check valves need a bit help opening fully when new. Turn your reg up to about 40 psi and it may open fully. Don't forget to turn the reg back down and don't blast the 40 psi into your keg.

 

[clayts]

Sometimes the check valves need a bit help opening fully when new. Turn your reg up to about 40 psi and it may open fully. Don't forget to turn the reg back down and don't blast the 40 psi into your keg.

Ah OK. To this point I haven't connected it all the way to the keg, so I'll give that a crack.

Thanks for the reply

 

[Grok]

That's just the gas sneaking past the non return valve seat/seal and I wouldn't worry about it, as long as it stops any air flow going back the other way its doing its job.
Sorta like fart gas sneaking past your bum cheeks and your butt is clapping with joy......

 

[clayts]

So I tried cranking the gas up to 40 psi but no luck. Check valve still really noisy and loud. Im happy it's doing its, job but that's definitely too noisy for me to be OK with. My wife has questions about this strange noise I was making downstairs.

I might have to take it back I'm guessing

 

[Hangover68]

That's just the gas sneaking past the non return valve seat/seal and I wouldn't worry about it, as long as it stops any air flow going back the other way its doing its job.
Sorta like fart gas sneaking past your bum cheeks and your butt is clapping with joy......

Thanks, i cant unsee that visual you just provided

 

[clayts]

For the benefit of anyone who does what I did, that noise is completely normal. I took it back, and the lovely chap at the LHBS who sold it to me said, 'nah it needs back-pressure to work properly. That noise will be normal. If I change the check valve out, it'll do exactly the same thing.'

He was right. It made exactly the same noise.

It's what @Grok said above. Gas escaping back. I expect once the whole setup is connected to the kegs and pressurised, the noise will disappear..

 

[Grok]

For the benefit of anyone who does what I did, that noise is completely normal. I took it back, and the lovely chap at the LHBS who sold it to me said, 'nah it needs back-pressure to work properly. That noise will be normal. If I change the check valve out, it'll do exactly the same thing.'

He was right. It made exactly the same noise.

It's what @Grok said above. Gas escaping back. I expect once the whole setup is connected to the kegs and pressurised, the noise will disappear..

Well, to be precise, gas is not escaping back, its just pushing past a spring loaded valve (butt cheeks), and as it does, its chattering on the seat, effectively farting at you!
I guess explaining back pressure might be like sitting down on a chair in an upright position and you can't make a fart noise because of to much back pressure, butt you can still sneak it out (silent butt deadly), butt if you roll a bit to one side, then your clacker valve can operate with much more freedom and thus expel the toxic gas quicker whilst singing as it does, providing much needed relief !
And who doesn't like a good ol fart eh!
Gotta be your own though....

 

[clayts]

Haha that makes sense!

I guess then my last question is, how come no one else seems to have asked this question? Are everyone's check valves noisy when they first set up their kegs?

Anyway, looking forward to actually filling these kegs. Cold crashing the latest brew (sessionable blonde ale using gladfield ale malt (95%), carahell (5%) and single hop - cascade) tomorrow.

Thanks for the responses

 

[MontPel]

Is anything attached to the end of the line, like a keg disconnect? Or are you just venting the gas to atmosphere when you are opening the regulator?

 

[Naboo]

I guess then my last question is, how come no one else seems to have asked this question? Are everyone's check valves noisy when they first set up their kegs?

It won't make that noise the whole time. Only until the keg fills with pressure.

 

[clayts]

Update:

Thanks for all the responses.

Is anything attached to the end of the line, like a keg disconnect? Or are you just venting the gas to atmosphere when you are opening the regulator?

I did both venting to the atmosphere and connecting to a disconnect. I was pretty much just playing around with the reg and the gas bottle, push fittings etc as I built the 2 keg setup with pluto guns for the fridge to see how everything worked.

It won't make that noise the whole time. Only until the keg fills with pressure.

For anyone else who has the same question as me, this right here is the answer. The check valve makes that noise until everything is pressurised. Then, I presume, the back pressure on the valve kinda locks itself shut to prevent anything (in this case beer) from returning to the regulator through the gas line. No more noise.

Keg was filled and in the fridge under about 10psi of gas. Checked for leaks last night and this morning just because I'm paranoid but everything seems fine. Drank the last bottle of my last batch yesterday so it's timed fairly well for next weekend. IPA FWK fermenting in the fermenter fridge bubbling away. Good times..