How to recognise a EU Sankey spear (S-type)
By the fact that there is no housing above the neck. The EU Sankey spear (S-type) sits with its external thread inside the neck and builds inwards like a EU Sankey (S-type). The coupler is screwed on, not pushed on.
Two seal variants
Most EU Sankey spears (S-type) work with a square-section seal. There is a variant with an O-ring – a difference that counts when buying spare parts. If in doubt tell us the manufacturer or send a photo of the removed spear.
If you supply both markets
Operations selling into the DACH region and the Benelux often hold both systems. That is manageable as long as it is documented. And because both fit the same neck, the change is a swap of parts – not a modification to the keg.
What we do not yet know about the S system
For the flat (A-type) and triangular spear (G-type) we publish the opening travels – 14 mm ± 1 at the coupler, 13.5 mm at the filling and cleaning head. For the EU Sankey spear (S-type) we have no reliable value. It appears neither in freely available standard abstracts nor in patent specifications nor in dealer data; the industry specifications refer explicitly to the respective supplier for spear details.
We write that down rather than guess a number. As soon as our own series of measurements is running it will be here – marked as our own measurement, with sample size and scatter.
What is documented for the EU Sankey spear (S-type), by contrast: floor clearance of the spear 14 mm, tightening torque 80 ± 5 Nm, closing force of the beer valve around 176.5 N and of the CO₂ valve around 54 N. The relevant standard parts are DIN 3542-K-1 and DIN 32677-K – the K stands for Korb, i.e. EU Sankey (S-type).
Spare parts for type S
We supply seals, springs, retaining rings and valves from our EU warehouse. Retaining rings for the threadless systems always come new – they are single-use parts, not wear parts. To the spare parts overview
Length not right?
We cut spears to length. Tell us the height dimension H3 of the keg or, failing that, the design, capacity and manufacturer. Dispatch then goes out in two to three working days instead of the next day.