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There are a few key checkpoints we recommend checking to determine why your conical may not be holding pressure. Please follow the sequence below to troubleshoot the issue with your particular equipment set-up so our Customer Service, Quality, and Engineering Teams can support you efficiently and effectively! 

Step 1, SPRAY THE LID

• Can you hear any audible leaks? Spray down the lid, clamp and accessories with StarSan or Windex which will bubble up at the sign of a leak. On rare instances, a weld on the lid could have a pinhole leak which can’t be seen by the naked eye. An accessory could also have a defect which causes a leak. Pressure relief valves and gas posts have been known to form leaky o-rings overtime.

• For reference, here is what a leak on a lid looks like:

• Here’s what a leak looks like on a gas manifold accessory:

• Make sure to use Teflon tape on any threaded connections such as gas posts, pressure gauges, and pressure relief valves.

• Here is what a leak looks like on your conical band clamp:

• IF there IS a pinhole leak, take a picture, submit ticket, tell us the port, and show picture of it. We will get you a replacement right away! 
• If there IS NOT a pinhole leak and the leaking is coming through the lid clamp, continue following the steps in this guide.

Step 2, DEPRESSURIZE THE VESSEL, UNTIGHTEN THE LID CLAMP, AND CHECK THE GASKET

• Make sure the gasket’s pointed end is facing the conical body and the flat end is facing the gasket groove in the lid

Pro Tip: We recommend installing the gasket when wet as it will slide into the lid’s gasket groove easier and will thus be fully seated

• Ensure the gasket is fully seated in the groove of the lid. See below for good vs. bad examples! 

The above photo is a BAD example

The above photo is a GOOD example

Pro Tip: We recommend installing the gasket and making sure it has even flatness all the way around by using a rubber mallet to get it to seat fully!

• Ensure the lid groove does not have any pressure points on it due to a dented lid groove. 

• If there IS a pressure point in the lid groove due to a dent, submit a ticket to our customer service team, include a picture of the defect. They will help you fix it!
• If there is not a pressure point in the lid groove due to a dent, and the gasket is installed correctly and continues to leak, continue following the steps in this guide. 

Step 3, DEPRESSURIZE THE VESSEL, UNTIGHTEN THE LID CLAMP, AND CHECK THE LID IS CENTERED ON THE LIP OF THE BODY,

• Make sure the lid is centered on top of the conical body before installing the lid clamp
   

Pro Tip: We recommend taking your time to tighten the front of the lid clamp while simultaneously keeping the lid centered on the lip of the conical body. If you go to fast during this setup, it is easy to have the lid become uncentered on the lip!

Step 4, DEPRESSURIZE THE VESSEL, UNTIGHTEN THE LID CLAMP, AND RETIGHTEN THE LID CLAMP

• Tighten the lid clamp until there is about 1/8” gap (or less for CF10/15 and CF30s, it might only get to ¼” for CF5/Flex+) between the two joining ends of the clamp. This will require the clamp to be tightened down very tight.
  

Pro Tip: If you have trouble tightening down to ¼” gap or less and the clamp makes a grinding noise when tighten we recommend adding anti-seize on the threads. We install anti-seize on every clamp when it leaves the factory however it can wear out or dry up over time. This can be picked up at any local hardware store.

• If you have tightened the lid all the way down, pressurized it and the tank still doesn’t hold up to 15psi we recommend relieving all the pressure (very important to ensure that the tank is at 0psi), loosen the clamp and then retighten it. Many times, this will reseat the gasket and form a solid seal.

• To also ensure the gasket reseats and forms a solid seal, you can lightly tap the band clamp WHILE tightening the clamp. Tap at 8-10 different areas equally space around the circumference. 

While doing this, ensure the inside edge of the lid clamp (green) aligns with the inside edge of the lid groove (red line)

• If there is still a leak, rotate the clamp 90 degrees, and then re-do step 4! 

• Does the leak come from the same spot on the body? Then go do body issue root cause in step 5.
• Does the leak follow the clamp? It is very likely that the clamp is bad. Please submit a ticket to our customer service team, include a picture of the defect, and tell them you went through this phase of the troubleshooting guide.  They will help you confirm the lid clamp is bad and get it fixed!

Step 5, CHECK THE BODY LIP FOR FLAWS

If your conical is empty: 

• Flip the fermenter body upside down and onto something that is flat like a countertop or workbench. Spin the conical around and check that the lip is flat. The gasket is soft and will seal against any slight waviness however a large dent can prevent a proper seal.

If your conical is full: 

• Visually inspect the body lip at eye level and try to find any areas they are noticeably higher or lower than the rest of the lip, like shown below. 

• If you find an issue with the body of the conical using the above methods, submit a ticket to our customer service team, include a picture, and they will help you get it fixed! 

• If you continue to experience leaking issues please contact our customer support team HERE.