ATX50 purge gets stuck quite often in silty environment.

[elan]

I have them on my stage bottles,

When we enter from a silty shore on a day with even moderate waves the silt is floating all over and the purge quite often gets stuck because the silt gets in between the purge button and the cover.

Has anyone experienced this on those seconds ? Or is there any work around/mode. It's just getting annoying that I need to unscrew the faceplate and fix it every second time.

 

[Shcubasteve]

could it be the venturi switch was in the + position and the 2nd stage was bumped on while getting in the water? an atx50 is very sensitive

 

[elan]

Shcubasteve, I'm not sure how you relate them, The ventury lever is not connected to the purge button anyhow.

The button just gets stuck.

I was thinning about shaving off some plastic to create some more space between the purge button and the faceplate.

 

[Kern]

Shcubasteve, I'm not sure how you relate them, The ventury lever is not connected to the purge button anyhow.

The button just gets stuck.

I was thinning about shaving off some plastic to create some more space between the purge button and the faceplate.

If the venturi is set to +, & air flow initiated, the low pressure system on the inside of the purge button will pull it in, causing a free flow. Just like a stuck purge button.

I'v dived in a lot of silty/sandy conditions & I'v never had a stuck purge button on an Apeks, TX/ATX/XTX 2nd stage. Not to say such a thing can't happen.

I have had a few free flow at the surface because the the venturi was set to the + position.

 

[turnerjd]

I have to agree with Shcubasteve and Kern. I dive old TX regs, and many years ago as a neophyte I had this problem. The reg free flowed, and the purge button appeared to be stuck in, and no amount of playing would get the button out. All it is, is that the second stage valve is open during the freeflow, allowing the button to move freely inwards. There is not an additional spring that pushed the purge button outward (separate from the main valve counterbalance spring) unlink some other regs.

Put the venturi in the - position, and it should eliminate the free flow starting (or at least make it harder).
If you do get a free flow, put a finger or two over the orofice and the button magically pops back out and the freeflow stops.

These regs are really easy to take apart. If oyu are worried, you can always take the front cover of the reg and have a look at everything to make sure all is OK. all the manuals are available on line at places like http://www.frogkick.dk/manuals/apeks/ and this should help.

Jon

 

[Fishpie]

I'm confused about some of the answers....(nice way of saying it)

The purge button is not attached to the diaphragm.
It also has a spring to push against that keeps it in the "out" position unless pushed (or grit causes it to jam)

The purge cannot get held in by a ff'ing reg.
The venturi effect will hold down the diaphragm but it will never have any action on the purge button.

Elan.....you could try and get more clearance by "shaving" down the button, it won't do any harm and no I haven't had any similar problems with my Apeks 2nd's.

 

[turnerjd]

Hi Fishpie,

I've just looked at the service manual from the link in my previous post. You are right that there is a spring to push the purge button back. I didn't think that there was. I thought that is was just the diaphragm that pushed the purge button out.

It looks like the OP was right. My apologies. This is the first time I have heard of the purge button getting stuck. It looks quite easy to take the front cover off, and then remove the purge button and spring to investigate.

Good luck to the OP finding out what is wrong, this is a new problem for me. I would be tempted however to not "shave" anything off, as this will make it easier I suspect for sand etc to get in and get stuck.

Best

Jon

 

[ianr33]

I've had the same thing happen to my Apeks regs. Not the best design.

Never tried it but I bet you could stretch womans panty hose over the cover to protect it from the larger bits of grit. (Have heard of divers doing that over the plastic part of the mouthpiece when diving very silty caves)

Best fix is probably different regs.

 

[elan]

Hi Fishpie,

I've just looked at the service manual from the link in my previous post. You are right that there is a spring to push the purge button back. I didn't think that there was. I thought that is was just the diaphragm that pushed the purge button out.

It looks like the OP was right. My apologies. This is the first time I have heard of the purge button getting stuck. It looks quite easy to take the front cover off, and then remove the purge button and spring to investigate.

Good luck to the OP finding out what is wrong, this is a new problem for me. I would be tempted however to not "shave" anything off, as this will make it easier I suspect for sand etc to get in and get stuck.

Best

Jon

Jon

No need to apologize, my OP was probably confusing.

Yes the button does have the spring. The button does not return back because the silt and sand flying in the water gets in between the button and the cover. And as we sometimes have to drop the stages near the bottom they are more exposed to the sand/silt. I have to take the faceplate off underwater.

The stocking option is interesting

I might be forced to switch to using Zeagle ZXes on the stages but I like ATX50s more

 

[Shcubasteve]

.new purge cover