Question on co2

[felix00]

I had a bad experience with co2, those disposable ones. The rubber of the regulator was loose and i screw in the canister then the canister "pop" and gas keep leaking and i was so stupid to keep holding the canister till it was too cold for me to hold then i drop it on my sofa. Hand was slightly burn, whole canister is like ice.

So right now i upgrade to a 2lt manual regulator.Regulator picture as provided. Now i don't up the tank pic will upload later in the evening.

Situation:
I just top up the 2lt co2 tank on the 23 Nov but now no more gas. Setup was done by uncle, i pass him the regulator and he help me fix.
He told me just turn the valve loose and slow turn the regulator.
So i went home connect the tube and follow his instruation.
I dare not do anything with the tank right now.

Just to be confirm;
1) The soap test is just applying some soap water to those connector parts right?
2) Will it cause any reaction if soap water goes in?
3) Will cotton with soap water wipe on connector is enough to do the test?
4) Those tubing is hard airtube not those soft kind right?
5) Check the bubble counter have cracks?
7) Still have anything to check?

Side Question;
8 ) Sometime the water backflow when i tighten at nite but i have 2 check valve to prevent it. Every two weeks I need to change the bubble counter water. So i tighten the regulator and pull out the airtube from the bubble counter, everytime it will pop and water will just spray out. What is the right way of doing it?
9 ) Is there dual guage manual regulator? dual guage is better than one right? I dun wan a electric solenoid.
10 ) Is there any other place to top up the tank near west? Will the shop accept other ppl's tank to exchange?

[Shadow]

1-3, 5, 7) Apply soap water, actually you want the foam not the water, to every single join you can think of.
4) Yes if possible use the hard tubing which is specially for CO2
8 ) Since you tighten the valve, it should not be a problem
9) Those dual gauge normally come with solenoid, although you can take it out if you don't want to. There is no manual dual gauge regulator. Manual or automatic is referring to the ability of the device to regulate the pressure at certain pressure. Nothing to do with solenoid. You can install solenoid to your current regulator and it still be manual regulator.
10) You can top at at C328, take few days.

[milk_vanilla]

I use the flexible, slim 'white tape' that used for plumber to reduce water top up on buble counter. It works. I could mostly stand for 1- 1.5 month before another top up.