Why is my regulator leaking?

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I just picked up a great deal on a 125cf tank over half filled with 75/25. $125. My regulator leaks though at the nut where it screws into the tank receiver. I have 5 turns of teflon tape on it and wrenched it down tight. Still leaks. Same regulator that was on my other tank but no leaks. Is there supposed to be some kind of O ring in the tank receiver to seal it?

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Reply:The pressure tight seal isn't made where you put the teflon tape. Its made between the mating surfaces between the nipple on the end of the regulator, and the seat inside the valve. The valve surface appears to be a little dirty, maybe you can clean/polish with some scotchbrite ?good luckAirco 250 ac/dc Heliwelder Square waveMiller Synchrowave 180 sdMiller Econo Twin HFLincoln 210 MPDayton 225 ac/dcVictor torchesSnap-On YA-212Lotos Cut60DPrimeweld 225 ac/dcPrimeweld mig180Miller AEAD-200
Reply:

Originally Posted by albrightree

The pressure tight seal isn't made where you put the teflon tape. Its made between the mating surfaces between the nipple on the end of the regulator, and the seat inside the valve. The valve surface appears to be a little dirty, maybe you can clean/polish with some scotchbrite ?good luck
Reply:Clean off the teflon tape, screw the nut in finger tight and rotate the regulator nipple, rock it back and forth a quarter turn and check the contact surfaces. A spot that doesn't rub will be your leak, or it may just seat in after that.
Reply:

Originally Posted by 12V71

Clean off the teflon tape, screw the nut in finger tight and rotate the regulator nipple, rock it back and forth a quarter turn and check the contact surfaces. A spot that doesn't rub will be your leak, or it may just seat in after that.
Reply:First visually inspect your regulator and the valve as you do not want to be screwing them together and rotating if there is a bur or something sticking out from either as it would transfer the damage to the other part. There is something on one of the seats. They have to be smooth all the way around where contact is made. If nothing visible cover the end on regulator in black sharpie ink and tighten it in very loosely just to center and and rotate but hand while while pushing straight in then disassemble and have a look at black ink. Depending on what is wrong would determine the best way to fix it.Do you have a proper wrench and are tightening it pretty good ?  If it cleans up good and you can got contact all the way around then tighten it extra tight.
Reply:it appears that there's a little bugger about the 7 o'clock position on the valve seat.  reach in with your digit and see if you can feel anything.  then try some scotch brite pad and rub it away,, if you can.  Might also be a small crack on the valve seat since your tank has no problem.  use a bright flash light to look in there on the new tank.
Reply:Ok, I'll try the Sharpie and rotating it. Previous owner sold it because he wasn't a true welder. He had some welding equipment but figured out it would be easier to call his mobile ironworker son over to fix whatever. So he sold all his welding stuff.I went and checked and there's no burs or problem with the valve seat or with the mating piece on the regulator. My CO2 adaptor does have an O ring in it. It's that white/gray circle in center of the photo. The flash glared off it but it's a black O ring. That's why it didn't leak.So isn't a standard tank valve seat supposed to have an O ring also? Straight metal to metal contact would have to be utterly flawless to keep the high pressure from escaping.

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Last edited by JD1; 6 Hours Ago at 08:58 PM.
Reply:

Originally Posted by JD1

Ok, I'll try the Sharpie and rotating it. Previous owner sold it because he wasn't a true welder. He had some welding equipment but figured out it would be easier to call his mobile ironworker son over to fix whatever. So he sold all his welding stuff.I went and checked and there's no burs or problem with the valve seat or with the mating piece on the regulator. My CO2 adaptor does have an O ring in it. It's that white/gray circle in center of the photo. The flash glared off it but it's a black O ring. That's why it didn't leak.So isn't a standard tank valve seat supposed to have an O ring also? Straight metal to metal contact would have to be utterly flawless to keep the high pressure from escaping.