The most common issue we encounter is from customers who are having trouble getting their keg to seal and hold pressure properly. Many times, customers think that their corny keg, or the keg lid, is defective, however, the vast majority of the time, there is a quick and easy solution to fix a corny keg lid that won’t seal.
If you would like to find out how to check a keg for leaks and how to fix a corny keg lid that is leaking, we have a simple process for you.
Materials needed to Check a Corny Keg For a Lid Leak
You will need:
- A spray bottle filled with soapy water. You can use any type of soap, but it is important that the soapy water can produce suds.
- Food grade lubricant (or a little water)
- Your keg
- A CO2 cylinder
- A screwdriver
How to Fix a Leaking Corny Keg Lid
- When your keg is sealed and pressurized, spray the soapy water all around the lid and connections. If there is a leak, the soapy water will begin to bubble, helping you to identify the source and location of the leak.
- If you find that the lid itself is leaking, the next step is to depressurize the corny keg by pushing down on the gas poppet valve with a screwdriver or pull the pressure release ring in the lid if you have one. Once the cornelius keg is depressurized, take the lid off the keg and take off the o-ring to inspect it for any blemish or defect that may be causing the leak. All of our used and new cornelius kegs are sold with new o-rings, so please reach out to us if you notice an issue with the one on your keg.
- Once the o-ring is determined to be free from blemish, or the blemished o-ring is replaced, put the o-ring back on the lid and lubricate it with a food grade lubricant. While a food grade lubricant is most effective, if you do not have any, oftentimes wetting the o-ring with a little water will help.
- Next, put the lid back onto the keg and pressurize the keg.
- Once it is pressurized, spray soapy water on the lid again and test for any bubbles. If no bubbles appear, your keg and lid are free from leaks and you are ready to use your keg.
- If bubbles do appear, twist the keg lid back and forth a bit to find a “sweet spot” where the pressure will hold.
- If you are still having trouble, you can also try to pressurize your keg to 30-40 PSI. Many times, this will allow the o-ring to set and seal, and then you can gradually bleed the air off and adjust to your desired pressure.