ATX50 purge gets stuck quite often in silty environment.

[Randy43068]

It might need to be adjusted. All of my regs are APEKS and if they are "tuned" where there are a bit sensitive they will free flow if the venturi is + and you hit the purge. Enough air will flow to cause the diaphragm to pull in giving the indication that it's sticking. It may not have anything at all to do with sand or grit.

 

[elan]

It might need to be adjusted. All of my regs are APEKS and if they are "tuned" where there are a bit sensitive they will free flow if the venturi is + and you hit the purge. Enough air will flow to cause the diaphragm to pull in giving the indication that it's sticking. It may not have anything at all to do with sand or grit.

Randy, sorry I think you might not following nobody is talking about freeflows Im talking about purge button stuck. Valve off, the button stuck. Physically. Cover off it is still stuck. Push from the inside then move back and forth its OK, screw back on and the div resumed.

I donno where this whole freeflowing idea coming from

I

 

[elan]

.new purge cover

I have another ATX50 I will swap the covers and see of the other one does the same

 

[Randy43068]

Admittedly I didn't read every post, however, I did read the OP carefully.
"the purge quite often gets stuck" is ambiguous to me. I assumed it was stuck in as in free flow because that's what they often do.

Carry on...

Randy, sorry I think you might not following nobody is talking about freeflows Im talking about purge button stuck. Valve off, the button stuck. Physically. Cover off it is still stuck. Push from the inside then move back and forth its OK, screw back on and the div resumed.

I donno where this whole freeflowing idea coming from

I

 

[Kern]

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.

Sorry elan, from your OP I thought this was happening at the surface, & of course I should have refferd to the diaphragm, not the purge button.

As there is a spring that pushes the purge button out, I'm wondering how it gets depressed, thus allowing the silt/sand to enter between the button & cover, causing it to stick. Do you depress the purge button for some reason?

 

[Jim Lapenta]

This was noted by some HOG reg users when the first HOG seconds came out. I never had the problem but others who were diving in sandy or silty environments made mention of it. There were several possible solutions including the soft covers that are now available, some suggested lightly sanding the hole in the face plate that the purge buttons protrudes through - not much mind you but just a few thousandths to allow a bit more clearance, and also sanding the button itself. Working in a machine shop with access to lots of stuff I would suggest a little work with emory cloth on the faceplate opening. I know the reason for wanting as little clearance as possible to reduce wiggle and for cosmetic reasons as well but, there is a point where a clearance fit needs to actually allow for things like grit and sand to not interfere with it. Again just a few thousandths will allow that grain of sand to not pass or to get stuck. You need to judge which way you want to go.

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk

 

[elan]

Sorry elan, from your OP I thought this was happening at the surface, & of course I should have refferd to the diaphragm, not the purge button.

As there is a spring that pushes the purge button out, I'm wondering how it gets depressed, thus allowing the silt/sand to enter between the button & cover, causing it to stick. Do you depress the purge button for some reason?

Kern
The first time I had the issue it happened after we dropped the stages in the water attaching them a branch of the tree that was leaninhg over the water. It was wavey and there were a lot of sand and silt. Once in the water we swam out and descended to 20 ft into clean water we were to switch. Doing the switch I purged it and it stuck keeping bubbling. I turned the valve off and tried to push and wobble it hoping it would relase. No luck. I disassembled it and pushed the buttom out and in. It took me few times to push it back and forth to make it working. Then I put it back on and it was ok. So the button was not pressed in the water before we descended.

I think what Jim says makes sense. I checked my SP G250 and it has more space between the cover and the button. I think XtX 50 has more space too but I need to find one to double check

 

[Kern]

Kern
The first time I had the issue it happened after we dropped the stages in the water attaching them a branch of the tree that was leaninhg over the water. It was wavey and there were a lot of sand and silt. Once in the water we swam out and descended to 20 ft into clean water we were to switch. Doing the switch I purged it and it stuck keeping bubbling. I turned the valve off and tried to push and wobble it hoping it would relase. No luck. I disassembled it and pushed the buttom out and in. It took me few times to push it back and forth to make it working. Then I put it back on and it was ok. So the button was not pressed in the water before we descended.

I think what Jim says makes sense. I checked my SP G250 and it has more space between the cover and the button. I think XtX 50 has more space too but I need to find one to double check

The reason I have never experienced a purge button sticking while underwater in silty conditions, may be that I never depress the purge. Instead, I exhale through the mouthpiece to achieve the same result. I don't actually do this for the reason of preventing silt from getting between the button & the cover, but simply because I have a lung full of gas, & so, may as well use it to purge the reg. This methodology does however seem to stop any silt ingress.

 

[elan]

The reason I have never experienced a purge button sticking while underwater in silty conditions, may be that I never depress the purge. Instead, I exhale through the mouthpiece to achieve the same result. I don't actually do this for the reason of preventing silt from getting between the button & the cover, but simply because I have a lung full of gas, & so, may as well use it to purge the reg. This methodology does however seem to stop any silt ingress.

Yes, Kern that looks like logical explanation.

 

[Ouvea]

Elan:

You need a redesigned face plate for your second stage. I dove with someone that has a HOG regulator with the same designed face plate. Sand jams the button. The only way to fix this is to remove the face plate and clean the interior of the debris. See if Apeks has a face plate similar to those on these links. They will never jam on you.

HOG 2nd stage Soft Cover / Faceplate [HOGcover] - $8.50 : Cave Adventurers!, We will NOT be undersold!!!

HOG Soft Cover Replacement - YouTube