Beer and soda regulators are simple to use and adjust, but they can have issues at times and there are some questions concerning how to set them for different types of beer or other beverages. First, let's discuss the different types of regulators and what they are used for. Keep in mind any text in blue is a link so you can see what we are discussing.

Primary Regulators - A primary regulator is exactly like it sounds, It is either your only regulator or the first regulator in a chain of regulators that would also include secondary regulators. A primary regular is either connected directly to a CO2 tank or connected via a high pressure hose to a bulk tank. Its job is to take the extremely high pressure gas from the tank and take it down to a manageable level for beer or soda. In most cases this would be 60 PSI or less. The most common setups would be a primary regulator that connects directly to a keg or a primary regulator that connects to an air distributor that then connects to multiple kegs.

Secondary Regulators - Secondary regulators are also like they sound, they come second after a primary regulator. The job of a secondary regulator is to take the higher pressure of a primary and put it at different lower pressures depending on what is being dispensed. There are two main types of secondary regulators.

• Traditional diaphragm secondary regulators - These regulators are the same as the primary except they are joined together so the gas pressure for the primary is supplied to all of them in a chain. These are like the regulators you see in the top row of the photographs above. These regulators work great and have been used for many years to supply gas to a variety of beverages. For example, let's say you have three beers, a sparkling water and a mixed drink. One beer is served at 8PSI, the second beer at 12PSI and the third beer at 15PSI. You also want to serve your water at 35 PSI and the mixed drink at 4PSI. No problem, you just run a primary regulator on your gas supply, connect this to the inlet on your 5 body secondary regulator bank and set each pressure as we described above. The pressure is set using the adjustment screw on the front. These regulators work great for both Sanke styles kegs (like you would purchase in a liquor store) or Ball Lock and Pin Lock disconnects for homebrewing.

• GovReg® Secondary Regulators - These regulators much more compact are adjusted using a GovReg® Adjusting Tool. This eliminates the need for gauges and makes these secondaries extremely compact, which really cleans up the area where you keep your kegs (Kegerator, Keezer, fridge or walk in). These regulators are less expensive, but the adjuster is an additional expense. This can be eliminated by purchasing a special 4 pack of GovReg® regulators that includes a free adjuster. What is nice about these is they connect directly to the keg connection being used, whether it is a Sanke commercial keg (comes with beer nut for Sanke) or a pin lock or ball lock disconnect keg that are often used for homebrew, water or mixed drinks. What more information on GovReg® secondary regulators? Watch the following videos:

Adjusting the GovReg® Inline Secondary Regulator | How To Video (Click Here)

The GovReg® Secondary Regulator | Product Showcase (Click Here)

Trouble Shooting Regulator Issues - We have sold thousands of regulators over the years and we have seen just about every issue with a regulator that is possible. Let’s go through some of the most common issues and how to fix them.

• Regulator Creep - This is when you set a standard regulator (diaphragm style) to a certain pressure and then it creeps up to a higher pressure over time. This is a common issue in traditional regulators (not GovRegs) and is due to one of two issues. The first is that the internal cartridge (valve) is bad and needs to be replaced or it has a faulty diaphragm. The good news is that when you order a regulator rebuild kit, it comes with both of these items. The bad news is that a lot of foreign (primarily Chinese) regulators that are flooding the US market are not serviceable because those that sell them do not offer a rebuild kit. The other issue is that many of these regulators have this very issue. The CMBecker Regulators come with a 5 year warranty and Taprite regulators that come from Kegconnection have a special 2 year warranty. No matter where you purchase a regulator, check the warranty and make sure replacement parts are available.
• Leaks - A regulator can sometimes develop a leak or may even come with one from the factory. There are four main types of leaks.
  • Tank Leak - This is because the regulator is not attached to the CO2 tank properly or is missing a sealing washer. With a Taprite the washer is built in, a CMB and most other regulators use a regulator washer. This type of leak can often be heard and it can drain a CO2 cylinder quickly. When attaching a tank you want to tighten the nut firmly, but not too much. The Taprite seal is especially susceptible to over tightening. If you are not sure if you got a good seal you can always run some soapy water over the seal and see if it bubbles.
  • Leak at connections - Sometimes a regulator can develop a leak if a connection loosens up and sometimes they can come from the factory like this. This could be where the nipple, gauge or valve attaches to the regulator body. You can also find this leak using a soap test where you mix a little dish soap with water and run over connections to see if they bubble. This type of leak can usually be fixed by removing the part, cleaning up the threads and then using some teflon tape and/or a pipe sealant like True Blue. We often use a combination of the two.
  • Leak from Pressure Relief Valve - All regulators have (or should have) a pressure relief valve. Leaks can develop with the valves either because they are doing their job and releasing at their blow off point (below 60 PSI on beer regulators) or because they have developed a leak due to a dry o'ring or a piece of foreign matter stuck in the mechanism. Keep in mind that the job of a pressure relief valve is to blow before reaching the maximum range, but sometimes they blow a lot before. You can usually disassemble a pressure relief valve, lubricate any seals with o’ring lube and clear any foreign matter.
  • Bonnet or Weep Valve Leak - Diaphragm regulators have what is called a bonnet in the front. This is the part that the adjustment screw comes out of (or the turnable handle on a Taprite regulator). On this bonnet you will find a small hole. Normally no gas comes out of this hole, but if there is an internal issue with the diaphragm or possibly the cartridge this hole will vent gas and it is an indication that the regulator needs to be rebuilt or a piece of foreign matter stuck in the diaphragm needs to be removed.
• Issues with GovReg - GovReg® regulators tend to have no leaking issues or really any issues at all because of their simple design. The one exception to this is if they become flooded with a sticky material like beer and soda. The good news is that they are very simple to clean up and this will fix any issues you might experience. Click here to see GovReg Troubleshooting Guide

This covers the vast majority of issues experienced with beer regulators. If you have an issue with your regulator and need additional assistance you can always email us at help@kegconnection.com and our experienced staff can assist you with the issue.