[bassetman]

Disassembled and cleaned multiple times. I smoothed the mating surface on one and it helped , it only leaks at 12-15 drops a minute. As of now I have to connect pour disconnect so as not to fill the keeper with wasted beer.

[Joe Sr.]

In the 5+ years I've been kegging (I've lost track of who long, truth be told) I've never used anything but picnic taps.  I've never had one leak like you describe.

I've bought them in-line, at the LHBS, wherever.  No problems.

I recommend replacing them pretty regularly, as the plunger can get kind of nasty.  Stuff will grow in there.

[Stevie]

I have had leaky picnic taps in the past. My shop was good about replacing them. I do replace mine every year or so as a precaution. Why hasn't anybody made a metal body picnic tap with proper orings?

[bassetman]

Just what I was wondering. Even at ten or fifteen bucks it would be great if leak free.

[HoosierBrew]

I've never had a leaky picnic tap, but I use one only to take a keg to someone's house. And that happens rarely nowadays. I would like to see a metal body one too, though.

[euge]

You could just use a regular fawcet in place of the cobra tap. Take a little getting used to.

[toby]

Slightly tangential , does any one make a picnic tap that actually works? The ones that came with my air keg set will not seal even at four psi. At about half a glass you start fiddling with them to stop the flow. Ten days to ordering Perlicks.

They disassemble, so maybe yours is loose?  Check the ring and inspect for cracks.  Had someone with a loose ring at the pre-party for a beer fest this weekend.  Just popped it off the keg and hand-tightened and it was fixed.

[bassetman]

After reshaping and cleaning up the mating surface in the taps. I used a shaped dowel and some grinding compound. The taps work without leaking. Extra casting material and having too sharp an angle on the mate surface for the rubber stopper were the issues. Going to make a prototype from stainless today if it works out well I will put up the CAD design for folks to copy.

[a10t2]

Slightly tangential , does any one make a picnic tap that actually works? The ones that came with my air keg set will not seal even at four psi.

My first thought would be that 4 psi isn't enough pressure to seal it. I've never had an issue at 10-15 psi serving pressure.

[coolman26]

Slightly tangential , does any one make a picnic tap that actually works? The ones that came with my air keg set will not seal even at four psi.

My first thought would be that 4 psi isn't enough pressure to seal it. I've never had an issue at 10-15 psi serving pressure.

This was my thought.  Mine are really short, so I have to drop pressure to about 4 pounds.  They will leak at that pressure.  When I crank it up to 10psi for storage they never leak. 

[Stevie]

I'm confused. The way the picnic taps operate, higher pressure would cause leaks not fix them.

[a10t2]

I'm confused. The way the picnic taps operate, higher pressure would cause leaks not fix them.

Could there be some minimum pressure needed to center and properly seat the "gasket"?

[euge]

I'm confused. The way the picnic taps operate, higher pressure would cause leaks not fix them.

Could there be some minimum pressure needed to center and properly seat the "gasket"?

My plastic picnic taps have never leaked even at low pressure, less than 4psi. Perhaps now they aren't made as well or need to be cleaned or reassembled with a little lube or something.

[bassetman]

Plastic picnic taps now in the wood stove. New perlicks installed and I have entered pouring nirvana. These things are soooo nice. Flow control works great. Non flow control works great as well.

[HoosierBrew]

Plastic picnic taps now in the wood stove. New perlicks installed and I have entered pouring nirvana. These things are soooo nice. Flow control works great. Non flow control works great as well.

I had that same 'moment' when I got rid of my cheap chrome taps. Great faucets !