Question IP Too High, so what? and why?

[AfterDark]

How high is too high?

 

[Subcooled]

How high is too high?

For Apeks or Poseidon regulators?
What I know for sure is that too low an IP sucks. Or you suck, to be more precise, if your IP is too low.

 

[halocline]

The seal is made by rubber.
It does not live forever.
It will wear out.
Leaks will form.
Hence, IP grows.

That's why regular servicing is required - to replace the rubber!

2nd stage seats are made of a soft material, some sort of synthetic rubber like EPDM (or nitrile, I guess). Those seats have nothing to do with IP.

1st stage seats, which are the subject of this thread and are responsible for preventing IP creep, are made of hard plastic, I guess some sort of teflon-polymer material.

 

[AfterDark]

For Apeks or Poseidon regulators?
What I know for sure is that too low an IP sucks. Or you suck, to be more precise, if your IP is too low.

That was asked of the OP. The OP never posted what the too IP was.
Is it too high by 5 psi or 100 psi? I tune most of my regs to be 5 - 10 PSI over the max, so it'll break in around max IP.

 

[p_kos]

After you service a 1 stage you should cycle it 50-300 times (depending on the reference manual) to see where the IP settles (more is better). If it’s too high before or after that you have a problem. If it’s a piston reg you have too many shims in place, if there is an adjustment screw it may be too far in, or the main spring is tired/weak and needs replacing. If it’s a diaphragm reg, the adjustment screw may be too far in.

 

[p_kos]

That was asked of the OP. The OP never posted what the too IP was.
Is it too high by 5 psi or 100 psi? I tune most of my regs to be 5 - 10 PSI over the max, so it'll break in around max IP.

IP goes up with break in, not down.

 

[admikar]

I wasn't replying to you, I'm not sure if that was clear. I'm sure you understand how regulators work. Regarding your break in procedure, I certainly agree that regulators should be cycled multiple times after service to help the seats settle in, but this is more for the 2nd stage seat than the 1st stage. It's the softer 2nd stage seat that usually needs to be broken in a bit so that the technician can then set the cracking effort accurately. Most 1st stages, at least ones that I've worked on, hold IP accurately right from the start. Maybe they don't lock up perfectly for the first few seconds, but then they're fine.

Another thing I routinely do when servicing 1st stages is to leave them pressurized for an hour or so, usually with the tank valve off. Then I check both tank pressure and IP and confirm that neither has moved. This tells me there are no slow leaks or slow IP creep.

How do you get IP creep with tank valve off?

 

[halocline]

How do you get IP creep with tank valve off?

There's plenty of HP air in the chamber between the tank valve seat and the 1st stage HP seat to reveal IP creep over time. Remember, this is a check for slow creep, like 10 PSI over several minutes type of creep. Any big leak or fast creep would be obvious in the initial pressure check.

 

[350xfire]

How high is too high?

One reason why you need a service manual before servicing a reg. As a general rule anything above 145 is high. There are exceptions like Poseidon where it can go to 170ish... you also need to know at what supply pressure you need to st the 1st stage...

 

[350xfire]

That was asked of the OP. The OP never posted what the too IP was.
Is it too high by 5 psi or 100 psi? I tune most of my regs to be 5 - 10 PSI over the max, so it'll break in around max IP.

You meant UNDER the max?