Apeks Barrel Discoloration

[parzdiver]

Happy Monday all.

After my last dive trip, I was cleaning my gear and one of my regs was free flowing. I had no problems during the past couple dive trips, so I thought some sand or something had got lodged somewhere. I removed the purge cover and diaphragm to get a better look and noticed the barrel was discolored. While I usually service my own regs, I had let the shop do the last overhaul.

Based on the discoloration, do I assume correctly that the one barrel was left too long in an acidic solution and it stripped the chrome? Both barrels pictured are from Apeks ATX50 regs. It was definitely not discolored the last time I serviced it myself.

With it stripped of the chrome, is it more likely to oxidize and potentially cause problems?

Thanks in advance to the collective.

 

[Mobulai]

I can’t really tell, I’d assume it to be more orange hued if the chrome was stripped
Here’s an example:

It might be simple verdigris (over chrome)
What makes you suspect an acidic bath?

If it’s the case, then it’s now more likely to oxidize, so a good rinse after dives is more crucial
After a dive trip/week I’d also follow up with a good hang, and them a couple minute of purging to try and keep things as dry as possible to avoid intense corrosion

 

[runsongas]

its likely as you suspect, either too much time or too high a concentration of acid stripped the chrome

without the chrome coating, it is vulnerable to dezincification at this point in saltwater. outside of maybe using cerakote, you will just have to monitor it and accept replacing it later on as needed.

 

[parzdiver]

its likely as you suspect, either too much time or too high a concentration of acid stripped the chrome

without the chrome coating, it is vulnerable to dezincification at this point in saltwater. outside of maybe using cerakote, you will just have to monitor it and accept replacing it later on as needed.

Thanks for the tip on Cerakote, I'll look into it. For now, I have moved that barrel to my cold water rig and a "clean" one to the travel / warm water rig. I'll have to see what a replacement barrel costs; probably more than a used second stage....

 

[Endler's]

Shouldn't the dive shop that "serviced" the regulator provide replacement?

 

[runsongas]

@parzdiver depends what the dive shop wants to try and charge you. you should be arguing they should replace it for free since they screwed up. or at the very least get you one at cost which should be like 17 or 18 bucks iirc.

 

[jmark18]

@parzdiver depends what the dive shop wants to try and charge you. you should be arguing they should replace it for free since they screwed up. or at the very least get you one at cost which should be like 17 or 18 bucks iirc.

Are you kidding? The price will be much higher than that and then there is the prolonged wait time for the parts. The distributor for Apeks gear is not likely to sell you the part anyway.

 

[runsongas]

OP would not be buying the part, the shop that serviced the reg would and we both know the markup on parts is 100% or better. the shop should be eating a loss here because that is not normal condition after a service unless if the reg looked like a rusty barnacle going in before the service.

 

[axxel57]

Problem is also that in mass production the chrome layers are not always as same as thick on all parts of the part as they should be, so sometimes the same acidic liquid concentration and same exposure time will have quite different results concerning the integrity of the chrome layer.
In this case ist the stripped barrel too evenly I think, so a too long exposure to an acidic liquid would also be my guess.
Mono, what you showed is quite sure no discolouration or chrome stripped, but the brass tip on top of a SS Piston Stem.
I don't remember having seen ever a chromed piston stem, only the SP experiment with their brass piston tips on their MK10 Plus- MK20 pistons middle of the 90ties.........

 

[Mobulai]

Problem is also that in mass production the chrome layers are not always as same as thick on all parts of the part as they should be, so sometimes the same acidic liquid concentration and same exposure time will have quite different results concerning the integrity of the chrome layer.
In this case ist the stripped barrel too evenly I think, so a too long exposure to an acidic liquid would also my guess.
Mono, what you showed is quite sure no discolouration or chrome stripped, but the brass tip on top of a SS Piston Stem.
I don't remember having seen ever a chromed piston stem, only the SP experiment with their brass piston tips on their MK10 Plus- MK20 pistons middle of the 90ties.........

Indeed it was no chrome loss, I was just referring to the brass turning orange from „gold“ as a result of the acid attack (dezinckification) similarly to a chromed body
Edit: my memory pf chemistry might be off — forgive me if O got things wrong