Leaky tank

[brewmaster 2011]

Anyone know a way to pinpoint a leak from inside a tank. I have a tank that is leaking from the inside. It is double walled brite.

[AT-JeffT]

Anyone know a way to pinpoint a leak from inside a tank. I have a tank that is leaking from the inside. It is double walled brite.

Is beer leaking out of the tank or is glycol leaking into the tank?

[brewmaster 2011]

Beer is coming out well right now it’s just water.

[mmm_beer]

Leaking from a port? Do you need to reseat gaskets? Leaking from the PRV? Leaking from the manway?


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[brewmaster 2011]

Leaking from a port? Do you need to reseat gaskets? Leaking from the PRV? Leaking from the manway?


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no, look like there is some hole or crack on the ineer wall.

[NHBrewer23]

Leaks

With double-walled fermenters, leaks to the outside can occur at a few spots. Anytime you have a port, this ferrule is penetrating both the inner tank and the outer skin. On the inside, check along the perimeter of the port where the ferrule meets the inner wall. Check for any cracks or pin holes in the weld. These are typically ground flush so look for any hairline marks.

The main area I have seen most leaks originate from is where the legs are welded to the inner tank. These welds are typically long stitches, not a full weld. If there is a small crack or pin holes if the welder wasn't careful, this will allow beer to fill the space between the inner tank and the outer skin. You may see beer leaking from the bottom threads on the leg.

If you have a leak around where the leg meets the inner tank, pressurize the tank and check for CO2 leaks out of the leg by the foot pad.

Cheers,

James

[brewmaster 2011]

With double-walled fermenters, leaks to the outside can occur at a few spots. Anytime you have a port, this ferrule is penetrating both the inner tank and the outer skin. On the inside, check along the perimeter of the port where the ferrule meets the inner wall. Check for any cracks or pin holes in the weld. These are typically ground flush so look for any hairline marks.

The main area I have seen most leaks originate from is where the legs are welded to the inner tank. These welds are typically long stitches, not a full weld. If there is a small crack or pin holes if the welder wasn't careful, this will allow beer to fill the space between the inner tank and the outer skin. You may see beer leaking from the bottom threads on the leg.

If you have a leak around where the leg meets the inner tank, pressurize the tank and check for CO2 leaks out of the leg by the foot pad.

Cheers,

James

my guess is the leg as well. that is where all the water seems to be pooling.

[NHBrewer23]

If the weld on the inner tank by the leg is leaking, this is an easy repair. Someone will need to get in and inspect along the ground area of the weld. Look for any pinholes or hairline cracks. A welder should just be able to re-weld the joint and grind flush. Not a huge deal.

[BrewinLou]

Been there about 4 years ago. I drilled a very small weep hole very close to the lowest point on the dish outside of the tank bottom to let the liquid in the insulation drain and dry out for a few days. In the mean time I sealed between the manway and tank with a stiff epoxy as the joint was not welded. I also sealed any weep holes in the legs, then the one I drilled. I had a welder drill a hole and weld a 1.5" butt weld triclover fitting to the outside of the tank just into the insulation area. I attached a pressure gauge and an air fitting and pressurized the insulation area of the tank, just enough (under 5 psi) to be able to crawl inside the tank and spray every single weld joint with a soapy water solution. It took spraying every joint twice to find the leak, the bubbles were very small. The crack was not visible to the naked eye. Just a spot that had been ground at a weld joint. Welder had it fixed in 10 min. Cheers