[enso]

I know the homebrew shops offer them.  I am just wondering what makes them specific to CO2 useage.  I know that you need special gauges for oxygen use as it clearly states on the gauges on my CO2 regulators.

I ask because a local tool supply place has regulators for about $5 that look EXACTLY like the ones you get at homebrew shops for your CO2 regulator.  It even had the same warning sticker on the top.  However they sell them with other air (compressor) type fittings.  I asked them if they would work with CO2 but they did not seem too knowledgeable.  I have gotten a replacement gauge once from the place I get my CO2 refilled and it was actually intended for argon.  They knew more but they do not regularly stock gauges as they have a pretty small space.

So, help me here.  What makes a regulator pressure gauge appropriate for CO2, or any specific type of gas for that matter.  That way I can know what to look for when I see gauges locally.

[zee]

i think it has to do with what they are made of on the inside, so as not to corrode with the various chemicals sitting in them all the time. also, a regulator will handle different pressures depending on what its intent.

the regulators that i have actually say on them what gasses they are intended for: both say: carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide

[enso]

Yes, the regulators I have all say CO2.  It is the gauge itself I am talking about here.

this part.



Is there some special feature of the gauge that is specific to CO2 use and how do you determine this?

[bonjour]

No.

a gage is a simple device and will word with any fluid.  As stated above special materials are used for corrosive implementations.  gaseous CO2 is not normally one of them

[enso]

Thank you.

I guess I will give those gauges I found locally a try.  Like I said, I asked the folks at the place selling them if they would work for CO2 and they were not sure.  One guy mentioned they might "freeze" up but he was not sure.  Not sure what he meant and he did not really explain it.

[bonjour]

they come in left and right hand threads,  make sure you get the right one for your application. and don't put a lp gage on a hp line or you will break the gage.

if you can take what you are going to mount it to in and try it. 

[zee]

it has been recommended to me that the high pressure side gauge for co2 go up to 2000psi [3000psi for nitrogen] the low side gauge should obviously encompass all the potential psis you are going to use as a homebrewer. for whatever reason my co2 one goes to 160psi, where my beer gas one goes only to 100psi.

i definitely second bonjour in that you should just bring it in.

[enso]

Gotchya.

In case anyone ever wonders what the guts of a gauge look like here ya go.

http://flic.kr/p/8zPLsN

Pretty simple really.  Now it all makes sense to me.  I opened this one up because it somehow got knocked out of whack when I was putting it back on a secondary regulator.  I was able to reset the needle by gently "fiddling" with it.

Now can anyone explain embedding picks to me? 

[tschmidlin]

Just put [ img ]www.yourpics.blahblah[ /img ] (without the spaces) around the url of the pic.

Or click the img icon and it will put the tags in for you, then paste the url in between them.  Or highlight the url and hit the img button.

[tschmidlin]

Hmmm . . . not working, apparently flickr doesn't like it.

I don't know why, but if you have a google account you can use picasweb, it works for me.

[enso]

yeah, I have looked at other folks photo links.  It would seem Flickr doesn't want to share.  Crap.  Now I have to transfer all my photos to a new service.