MonoBloc Pneumatic Valve Troubleshooting

[GlacierBrewing]

I have a Bohemian Breweries MonoBloc (II, III?). It has pneumatic valves. Yesterday, my whirlpool valve began to hiss air from a threaded hole on the heavy pneumatic cylilnder quite a bit when activated. The butterfly did not open and I had to remove the heavy pneumatic cylinder from the valve body so I could operate it manually.
Does anyone have advice on troubleshooting this cylinder? The make is Candigra, model "94", 8 bars max. I know they have a website but it's not been very much help.

Dave

[GOOSE]

Hi Dave,
I've brewed on a couple of those systems, my condolences.
Have you been oiling the air lines?
Are you sure it wasn't a leak in the air line?
You could try cranking up the psi a little at a time and try to help it open with a pair of pliers.
You could replace the air valve with a manual one...

Good luck,

GOOSE

[GlacierBrewing]

Hi Goose,
Where do you suggest I introduce oil?
I'm 100% there is not an air leak, I felt the air rushing out of the hole on the cylinder.
Thanks,
Dave

[Beersmith]

Hey Dave!

Now that all of your tourists are gone you really should get out of the brewery sometime and come visit the rest of us. You've been enjoying the ease of pneumatic butterflies for years, now welcome to the down side. It sounds like the actuator (cylinder) is kaput. If the cylinder is bad, there is not much you can do to repair the Candigras - if like ours, the cylinder is welded shut. Over the years we have had to replace several of the original Candigras on our Monobloc. We sourced some Tassolini valves that had the same dimension of tri-clover flanges that dropped right into the piping where the previous valve was. Pneumatic valves from almost any manufacturer can work if the flange dimensions are the same. If you feel up to some fabrication, you can attach an actuator cylinder from another manufacturer onto the current valve body - but you will probably have fabricate a bracket to do so. Also, you can just acquire another complete pneumatic valve, and have a welder cut & re-weld the piping to match the flange distance. Make sure you are sitting down when someone quotes you on a new actuator and valve. Good Luck!

[GlacierBrewing]

Hiya Beersmith,
How's tricks in Helena? How goes the expansion?
Thank for the advice on this paperweight! This monobloc is a nice system but too many bells and whistles for my taste. I've yet to have a manual butterfly valve "go bad". Oh well. If it was easy, everyone would do it, right?
I may be in your neck of the woods later this month. I'll stop by if I am.

Prost!
Dave

[Beersmith]

Dave,

The expansion is going well - we're at least above the ground level now. We'll hopefully be moved over and operating in the new building by mid-February.

As far as maintaining your pneumatic system. You want to keep water out and oil in. We have an lubricating oil drip dispenser installed right before the pneumatic control manifold on the brewhouse. Alternatively, you can use an oil-based compressor for your pneumatics rather than an oiless model that you might have for a bottling/keg washer system. Also, it helps to put in an air dryer/water removal filter right after the compressor, and drain the water off your compressor frequently.

[GOOSE]

Hi Dave,

Under your sink, there should be a regulator where the air comes into the system, first drain the air out of the system, then remove the bell with the tube into it (push up and turn). Marvel Mystery oil works great. If you keep turning the valve in question on and off, the oil may free it up and save you over 1,000 bucks.

Good luck,

GOOSE

[GlacierBrewing]

thanks goose