Draught Equipment and System Configuarations > Essential Draught System Components > Regulator
A regulator adjusts and controls the flow of gas from any source. Each regulator typically has at least one and often two pressure gauges that help in setting pressures and monitoring gas levels. Valves and an adjustment screw control the actual flow of gas from source to destination.
All gas systems employ a primary regulator attached to the gas source, namely a portable bottle or bulk tank. This regulator typically contains two gauges: one high-pressure showing the tank or supply pressure, and a second low-, or regulated pressure gauge showing what is being delivered to the keg. Some simpler regulators may only contain one gauge displaying the delivered pressure, making it more difficult to predict when the bottle is getting low on CO2. Some suppliers provide jockey box regulators pre-set with no gauges, since these are easily damaged in transit.
Regulators are attached to the gas bottle with either an integrated “O” ring seal in the face of the regulator fitting, or a fiber or Teflon flat washer. These parts need to be replaced occasionally to prevent leaks and should be inspected every time the bottle is changed. Many regulators are also equipped with one or more shut-off valves located on the low-pressure outlet, allowing the CO2 to be shut off without changing the set-screw or shutting off the main tank valve.
A primary regulator must also contain a safety relief valve to prevent dangerous system pressures in case of a malfunction or frozen regulator. Bottled CO2 pressure can exceed 1000 psi, creating an extreme hazard if not handled properly.
Nitrogen regulators are designed for higher pressures and have a male thread with a conical fitting that (depending on the design) seats with or without an O ring.
Pressure gauges used on draught systems measure in pounds-per-square-inch gauge, or “psig.” (Gauge pressure is 14.7 psi less than absolute pressure.) When dispensing beer at elevation, the carbonation level of the beer doesn’t change but the pressure displayed on the gauge will read low, by approximately 1 psi per every 2000 ft. So a keg dispensed at 10,000 ft. would need to have the gauge pressure increased by approximately 5 psig above the calculated dispense pressure at sea level.
Primary CO2 Bottle Regulator (left) and Primary Nitrogen Bottle Regulator (right)
Secondary Regulators
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