Regulator Failed at depth

[Chavodel8en]

Wow at those pictures. I realize that this is likely not a very common occurence and more associated with miflex hoses and sounds like its maybe been fixed, but this really makes me want to replace all my hoses every 5 years or so.

I replaced my primary hose recently bc I went with a miflex hose for the primary donate, but the other hoses (octo, inflator, HP SPG) are the same standard hoses (not miflex) Ive used for 18 years. Maybe I should replace those w standard hoses.

 

[wnissen]

That's one hell of a bunch of crystals. Amazing you were able to get anything at depth!

 

[scuba2you]

Yeah, keep in mind those crystals were coming from the inflator hose, not the main reg hoses. I only use rubber hoses now....

GJC explained the technical issue very well, switching to my secondary gave me the air I needed but the free flow of the main reg dumped half my tank in no time. Big lesson learned as far as how equally important it is to keep that inflator hose in good shape.

 

[abnfrog]

great info........an eye opener

 

[Colliam7]

it doesn't matter how long or how many dives you have, there's always experience waiting to be accumulated.

YES! I regularly learn things from discussions here on SB that help me, as a diver AND as an instructior.

 

[outofofficebrb]

I have Aqua Lung Legend LX/Legend octo reg set...Braided hoses come standard on them. My LP is rubber. This is a good reminder that it's time for me to inspect and/or replace. I am at the 5 year mark soon. I should also be inspecting them before a trip or dive, regardless of the time that has passed as part of good habits. Thank you for this post. I'm glad you're OK!

 

[GJC]

More detail on braided hose crystallization:

Alert Diver | Invisible Crystals

Alert Diver | Air Hoses: A Closer Look

I don't think you can buy polyester-TPU hoses anymore (the ones that crystallize), but you may still come across some of them on used gear for sale or rental gear that was purchased a while ago. All the new braided hoses for sale are polyether-TPU.

Rubber hoses do last a long time. I have seen 40 year old hoses that look good, are flexible and don't have any leaks. BUT, on swabbing the interior of those old hoses, I almost always find the Q-tip covered in black. Could be mold or could be old rubber deteriorating, but definitely not something I want in my lungs. So, whatever your hoses are made of, inspect your hoses frequently and thoroughly and stick to a replacement schedule.

 

[gopbroek]

[QUOTE="scuba2you, post: 9093567, member: 3724"
Btw, I never fully had it explained to me how debris from an inflator hose could pass up through the first stage and into my regulator, any techs or manufactures that can help me understand this?[/QUOTE]

Off the top of my head here is a theory. The 1st stage low pressure ports are a common manifold which has multiple hoses attached. The manifold and all attached LP hoses are a common area and are pressurized to the same intermediate pressure (IP, typically 130-155 PSI). Typically after a dive the tank supply is turned off but there is still the IP present in the low pressure lines and the diver reaches down and purges the pressure via the 2nd stage primary so the regulator can be removed from the bottle. Since the octo and/or inflator hoses are also pressurized, when that pressure is purged any debris in those line will migrate towards purging point since the pressurized gas is now flowing backwards towards the purge point.

 

[wnissen]

Btw, I never fully had it explained to me how debris from an inflator hose could pass up through the first stage and into my regulator, any techs or manufactures that can help me understand this?

Off the top of my head here is a theory. The 1st stage low pressure ports are a common manifold which has multiple hoses attached. The manifold and all attached LP hoses are a common area and are pressurized to the same intermediate pressure (IP, typically 130-155 PSI). Typically after a dive the tank supply is turned off but there is still the IP present in the low pressure lines and the diver reaches down and purges the pressure via the 2nd stage primary so the regulator can be removed from the bottle. Since the octo and/or inflator hoses are also pressurized, when that pressure is purged any debris in those line will migrate towards purging point since the pressurized gas is now flowing backwards towards the purge point.

I always figured they had check valves, is this true in general?

 

[gopbroek]

I always figured they had check valves, is this true in general?

Never seen one, another failure point.