Beer Forum

I'm a kegging newby: just got the gear and started this past weekend. I now have fresh beer on tap - woohoo!

However, I get a pretty annoying whistle when the CO2 flows at a high rate. This is especially bad when I'm pushing liquid from one keg to another. Is this normal?

Some background: I've hooked up the gas through a dual check-valve assembly from B3. Could the check valve be the source of the whistle? I haven't bought any quick disconnects so I can't experiment very easily.

Thanks in advance,
Ray

Every regulator I have makes some sort of noise when it is moving a lot of gas. Some whistle, some buzz or vibrate. I never thought of it possibly being from the backflow preventers - I always figured it was the diaphragm in the regulator flapping back and forth.

I wouldn't say it's uncommon. As long as you don't have a leak!

Most regulators are not designed for high volume flow rates. When you are flowing real fast or force carbonating you may get a low frequency hum out of the regulator and that is perfectly normal.

DannyW wrote:Every regulator I have makes some sort of noise when it is moving a lot of gas. Some whistle, some buzz or vibrate. I never thought of it possibly being from the backflow preventers - I always figured it was the diaphragm in the regulator flapping back and forth.

You said diaphragm!

DannyW wrote:Every regulator I have makes some sort of noise when it is moving a lot of gas. Some whistle, some buzz or vibrate. I never thought of it possibly being from the backflow preventers - I always figured it was the diaphragm in the regulator flapping back and forth.

I'm pretty sure it isn't the regulator; the noise only appeared when I had tubing and the manifold attached to it. The regulator on its own didn't make much noise. However I don't know what the pressure level was when I tried it without the manifold, so I could be mistaken. I'll try some experiments this weekend.

Ray

BadRockBeer wrote:I wouldn't say it's uncommon. As long as you don't have a leak!

Most regulators are not designed for high volume flow rates. When you are flowing real fast or force carbonating you may get a low frequency hum out of the regulator and that is perfectly normal.

It's more of a high-pitch whistle, which is why it's annoying. Maybe I should listen to some more heavy metal and go deafer. That'll fix the problem.

~Ray

It is most likely the check valves on your manifold. At work the plumbers have been screwing around with our propane pressures and we started getting the same type of extremely loud whistling from the check valves in one of our comb-ovens. Annoying as hell.

Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company

I had the same issue and I just tightened all connections and now I am whistle free!