s30 valve freezing in open position

[Llanbrewer]

I've been using an s30 valve to inject CO2 into pressure barrels from a Sodastream gas bottle. The trouble is that this is very tricky and you have to trickle the gas in, as otherwise (and it's just happened for the second time! ) the cooling caused by the expansion of the CO2 into the pressure vessel causes the valve to freeze in the open position. The result - the remains of the Sodastream gas being uselessly discharged, and an extensive leak of beer from the bunghole.

While I appreciate that with infinite finesse, such problems can be avoided, the capacity for going wrong is very great, with somewhat expensive and annoying results.

Are there any practical ways of reducing the risk? I've tried keeping the valve warm and dry, but this is no magic cure.

 

[Godsdog]

I've been using an s30 valve to inject CO2 into pressure barrels from a Sodastream gas bottle. The trouble is that this is very tricky and you have to trickle the gas in, as otherwise (and it's just happened for the second time! ) the cooling caused by the expansion of the CO2 into the pressure vessel causes the valve to freeze in the open position. The result - the remains of the Sodastream gas being uselessly discharged, and an extensive leak of beer from the bunghole.

While I appreciate that with infinite finesse, such problems can be avoided, the capacity for going wrong is very great, with somewhat expensive and annoying results.

Are there any practical ways of reducing the risk? I've tried keeping the valve warm and dry, but this is no magic cure.

Welcome to the S30 gas default problem,had it for years and no matter how careful you are with gassing up just for a second the nipple freezes in the discharge position,I lost count of how many bottles of CO2 I wasted always having a warm cup of water at hand to try and unfreeze it.its a far too common problem with S30 gas valves on the bottles and in the finish I went pub gas because it has an isolation tap on it and know I can turn the damn thing off,you will probably get to this point yourself at sometime,initially expensive but after that quite cheap for CO2

 

[Llanbrewer]

Thanks for that. I had had a horrible feeling that the response would be as per your post. I shall take your advice and look at the pub gas upgrade.

 

[hoptoit]

Does this happen if you just blip the gas? That's all I do and never had a problem upto yet. A few very short blasts.

 

[Sandimas]

It's worth checking after every use, I too have had several cylinders empty themselves after use. I put it by my ear and listen for any gas, running the end under a hot tap and/or giving it a whack with the rounded end of a screwdriver usually fixes it.

 

[Llanbrewer]

Does this happen if you just blip the gas? That's all I do and never had a problem upto yet. A few very short blasts.

I've managed to do it like this when the barrel is fairly full and the amount of gas required to maintain pressure is small, but the incident yesterday was with a nearly empty barrel, and although I was using short blasts, I need more gas to pressurise the void, and the cumulative effect no doubt produced the excessive cooling and jamming.

If I were to get a pub gas bottle (there's a distributor just a few miles from me) is it a practical proposition to connect it to plastic pressure barrels? I accept that I'd need a regulator etc, but can the valves be connected together?

 

[Godsdog]

I've managed to do it like this when the barrel is fairly full and the amount of gas required to maintain pressure is small, but the incident yesterday was with a nearly empty barrel, and although I was using short blasts, I need more gas to pressurise the void, and the cumulative effect no doubt produced the excessive cooling and jamming.

If I were to get a pub gas bottle (there's a distributor just a few miles from me) is it a practical proposition to connect it to plastic pressure barrels? I accept that I'd need a regulator etc, but can the valves be connected together?

http://brewingathome.co.uk/product/midget-widget-world-universal-barrel-hose/
this is the only option and you would need to step the tubing up from the one it comes with to fit a regulator femail nut,i have one myself but I modified mine to fit a gas management port out board which is 3/8.im afraid nothings very cheap in homebrewing