Pressure dials when cylinder turned off- do I have a leak?

[DocAnna]

I don’t believe you should be concerned by that leakage rate, as others said - calculate the pipe volume and do the maths. You’ll be putting more out yourself.
However, it’s still a potential hazard if something goes wrong. Weakest link and all. Gas cylinder valves aren’t really designed to be turned on and off frequently.
You might consider a CO2 alarm.

I've never heard of a CO2 alarm - though do have a CO alarm nearby as the cylinder is near the gas boiler. It is though in the garage which is well ventilated, and we don't exactly spend lots of time in it so I'm comfortable that it's a low risk. I'm going to leave things as they are, I've sprayed the leak detect all over the joints, valves, dials, tubing, manifolds and regulators and not a bubble to be seen, so I'm just going to leave be for now. I'll see how I get on next time I'm carbonating something.

 

[James]

CO2 alarms are more common in commercial environments - like cellars. I thought CO2 monitors were all the rage with covid ventilation concerns.

 

[Graz]

CO2 alarms are more common in commercial environments - like cellars. I thought CO2 monitors were all the rage with covid ventilation concerns.

Probably quite important in a commercial environment because if you walk into a cellar that has a rich CO2 atmosphere due to a leak you might not walk out of it again

There's been an number of tragedies in the oil and gas industry when someone has gone inside an "empty" vessel not realising it's actually full of something fairly inert (nitrogen, CO2 etc.). You go a bit light headed and pass out, if someone hasn't noticed this pretty much immediately and can rescue you with breathing apparatus then you suffocate. Game over.

 

[MashBag]

Probably quite important in a commercial environment because if you walk into a cellar that has a rich CO2 atmosphere due to a leak you might not walk out of it again

Yes indeed.
I have one of them every year, when I make wine.

Clears the space of spiders and flies!

 

[Jim Brewster]

You could get a canary

 

[Brewnaldo]

Is there enough CO2 in a 6kg bottle to create a dangerously oxygen deficient atmosphere in a garage or similar space?

 

[MashBag]

You could get a canary

I bought a fan, caneries can get expensive

 

[gudders]

Sorry to drag this thread up but I've been stressing for a week about a leak.

When you say gas cylinder valves, do you mean the one directly attached to the canister? I have taken to turning the canister off when not in use.

I have a slow leak on a JG 3 way splitter between the body and the single side red collar, which I use for gas in and possibly on the primary regulator outlet.

Also, if no one minds me asking rather than creating a new thread. When my last cylinder leaked and ran out my taps stopped working - im guessing this is a pressure issue, and its leaked back through until equal. How can i stop the pressure leaving the keg with out opening the keezer and popping of the ball locks?

 

[MashInMashOut]

Also, if no one minds me asking rather than creating a new thread. When my last cylinder leaked and ran out my taps stopped working - im guessing this is a pressure issue, and its leaked back through until equal. How can i stop the pressure leaving the keg with out opening the keezer and popping of the ball locks?

Late follow-up here - hope you've since sorted your leak problem!

In case you haven't, you could pop in a one-way (a.k.a. non-return) valve on the gas in line into each keg - this prevents the keg depressurising when the system pressure drops to zero. You'll still be able to pull a few pints with the residual pressure in the keg, too - but that'll drop off, and you'll lose carbonation if you rely on that for too long.

That said, snipping the gas in lines and adding the non-return valves will also introduce 2 new possible points of leakage into the gas line. Up to you if that's worth it.