How Can You Tell if You Have a CO2 Leak?

5 de febrero de 2026

CO2 leak detector for restaurants, breweries, and beverage systems. Quickly pinpoint carbon dioxide leaks, reduce gas waste, and improve workplace safety.

Carbon dioxide is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas. You cannot tell if you have a CO2 leak without a CO2 gas detector.

A CO2 gas detector is a portable or fixed gas detection device designed to identify and pinpoint carbon dioxide leaks in commercial systems that store, pipe, or use compressed CO2. These systems are commonly found in restaurants, breweries, beverage dispensing systems, indoor agriculture facilities, food processing plants, and commercial refrigeration environments.

Industries at highest risk for CO2 leaks include:

Restaurants with soda fountain systems
Breweries and draft beer systems
Beverage distributors
Indoor grow rooms and agriculture
Commercial refrigeration facilities
Food and beverage manufacturing plants

Even when oxygen levels appear normal, elevated CO2 can displace breathable air and create dangerous conditions.

What is a CO2 leak gas detector?

In today's world, industries such as restaurants, beverage industries, indoor agriculture, and breweries are all too familiar with carbon dioxide (CO2) hazards and the potential incidents that can occur without proper CO2 monitors in place or the tools necessary to find potentially deadly leaks.

Carbon dioxide leaks can be deadly even when normal oxygen levels are present. The majority of commercial refrigeration systems, restaurant soda dispensers, indoor grow facilities, brewery fermentation tanks, and draft beer coolers contain high concentrations of CO2 where potential leaks can occur.

There are two main issues that can cause leaks in CO2 systems:

Failure to service and maintain systems
Damage caused through improper or repetitive use

Injuries occur to those working in and around these hazard points such as:

Improperly installed beverage systems
CO2 cylinders or bulk tanks that are not properly vented
Leaking fittings, connections, piping/tubing
Leaking carbonators, syrup pumps
Leaking beer keg couplers and equipment

While incidents involving some of the above equipment have resulted in severe injury to those exposed, regulations have been put in place to ensure industries that use CO2 are compliant and have proper CO2 leak detectors and monitors in place to mitigate the chance of injury.

Where should you use a CO2 Leak Detector?

CO2 leaks can occur anywhere carbon dioxide is produced, stored, or piped.

Common leak points include:

CO2 cylinders and bulk tanks
Regulators and pressure relief valves
Carbonators and syrup pumps
Draft beer couplers and keg connectors
Tri-clamp fittings above liquid levels
Walk-in coolers and fermentation rooms
Beverage BIB racks and manifold systems

Because CO2 is heavier than air, it may pool in coolers or basements before being detected. Routine leak inspections using a CO2 leak detection device should be part of every commercial facility’s preventive maintenance program.

7 Signs You May Have a CO2 Leak in Your Facility

If you notice any of the following, your facility may have a CO2 leak:

1. Persistent icing on bulk CO2 tanks

2. Unexplained increase in CO2 refill frequency

3. Higher-than-normal CO2 readings in walk-in coolers

4. Hissing sounds near regulators or fittings

5. Staff complaints of dizziness or headaches

6. Pressure drop in beverage lines

7. Increased operating costs without production increases

Even a 5% CO2 loss can cost hundreds or thousands annually in wasted gas.

For example, in brewery environments, a small leak can quietly increase annual CO2 expenses while also creating a safety hazard.

CO2 Leak Detection vs. CO2 Safety Monitoring

Many facilities confuse these two systems, but they serve very different purposes.

A CO2 safety monitor:

Continuously monitors room CO2 levels
Activates audible/visual alarms
Supports OSHA, NFPA, and IFC compliance
Protects employees from hazardous exposure

A CO2 leak detector:

Is portable or handheld
Pinpoints the exact source of a leak
Used during installation, service, and maintenance
Prevents gas waste and reduces repair time

For full protection, commercial facilities should use both systems, fixed CO2 monitoring for life safety compliance and portable CO2 leak detection for maintenance and leak repair.

This dual-layer approach significantly reduces liability and operational costs.

Reaching hazardous levels of carbon dioxide can occur quickly and without warning, which could result in serious health effects or injury.

Why Beverage Installers and Draft Technicians Rely on Portable CO2 Detectors

Installers and draft technicians are often responsible for ensuring beverage systems are properly sealed and compliant.

A portable CO2 gas detector allows technicians to:

Validate new installations before customer handoff
Quickly diagnose leaks during service calls
Reduce return visits
Protect themselves in confined spaces
Demonstrate professionalism to clients

Incorporating a CO2 gas detector into standard operating procedures ensures every vessel, manifold, and fitting is tested during pressurization.

Ensure your workers and employees are consistently safe and keep false alarms to an extreme minimum with our CO2 gas detection solutions.

For more information for your application or industry contact us at Sales@CO2Meter.com or call (877) 678–4259.