Home-Pub Mini-Project . . . .

[Roadkill]

Yaayyy !

This project *should* now be all done.

First job, once all the barrels were empty and clean was to fit the remaining 2 pressure take-offs for the pressure lines (only one was connected before as a test).

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Next I got to fixing the leak I had . . . .  I disconnected the pressure gauge lines and removed the plate from the wall . . . . .

I didn't want to remove the individual tap and base from the plate as it'd wreck the crackle paint finish and cause more work . . . . Unfortunately, repairing the leak meant using a blow torch which could also damage the paint . . and the gauges . . . and the pressure lines . . .

So, I turned the plate taps down, soaked a tea-towel in water and wrapped it around the tap in question, then shielded the pressure lines with tin foil.

The theory was the heat would be kept to a small area and the wet towel would stop the heat spreading through the plate and damaging everything else.

The plan worked and I cleaned up the solder fitting on the tap-base  . . . . .

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To be sure (or as sure as I could be) that I'd fixed the leak, I part-filled my spare keg with water, connected the tap to a line on the tap on the plate, then emptied a CO2 bulb into the barrel to create some pressure.

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An hour later and no sign of any seepage so fingers crossed . . .

I then had to touch-up some crackle paint in a tiny area on the side of the plate but it was an easy and invisible fix . . .

Re-fitted the plate to the wall and stopped for the night.

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This morning I filled the 3 barrels with the next batches of the good stuff, loaded them onto the shelf and connected all three pressure lines and all three beer lines.

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I'll leave the pressure to build naturally while we're on holiday then "live" test everything when we get back . . .

[Roadkill]

I think I can call this project officially finished.

All three vacuum lines appear to be holding pressure just fine, as is all three beer lines.  No signs of leaks and I pulled the first tasters from the 3 kegs over the weekend . . .

(video)

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They need another week or two to clear fully but all three are nice.

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There was one tweek I had to do . . . after noticing an air bubble in two of the lines I used some aluminium pipe and longer screws to space the brackets that held the pipe to create a gradual up-hill run, instead of a level-ish run . . thus eliminating air pockets.

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Mission successful !

Think I'll have a beer . . . .

[ianjpage]

[art b]

nicely engineered ...

[Cunning Plan]

Such a great project, thanks for sharing, I enjoyed reading it all.

Quoting: art b

nicely engineered ...