SI TECH Drysuit Inflation Connection Leak

[pauldw]

I'm getting a stream of bubbles from where my inflation hose connects to the SI TECH valve on my drysuit. It's a new problem, on a not very often used drysuit. I was diving with a couple of other people, and plugged their hoses into it, and there was still bubbling. So, I don't believe my hose is the issue. The bubbling is not coming out of the body of the valve itself, and it is not causing the drysuit to fill with unwanted air, and the valve itself works to put air into the drysuit when I want it to by pushing the button. But there's bubbling from where the hose connects to the stem. Has anyone experienced this, and if so, what was your fix?

 

[lexvil]

It happened to me recently, steady leak, would reseal if I removed the hose and put it back next time it wouldn’t stop like before, I has assumed it was sand stopping it from clicking in but after leaving it disconnected and putting it on to add air to my suit it started a full freeflow while disconnected, hooked up was a slower leak so left it on, changed the hose and it no longer leaks. I would still look at the hose first, try your b/c hose on it, if that doesn’t do it I would just change the valve.

 

[broncobowsher]

I've had that metal nipple get loose and leak. It is an O-ring seal, just like the hose to a regulator.
Start simple, is the nipple tight?

 

[sea_ledford]

There seems to be ongoing issues with those sitech inflators that have the little plastic tongue in the nipple. The failures also include the inability to add gas at depth, but no leaking. NOAA has had a couple incidences of it, and are working with sitech on a resolution.

Looks like @Maxwelll had the problem too?

 

[pauldw]

Oh, goodness, I must confess to being an idiot. Broncobowsher had it right, and now I believe it's fixed. Will dive it tomorrow.

 

[Mr. Dooley]

There seems to be ongoing issues with those sitech inflators that have the little plastic tongue in the nipple. The failures also include the inability to add gas at depth, but no leaking. NOAA has had a couple incidences of it, and are working with sitech on a resolution.

Looks like @Maxwelll had the problem too?

Was just seeing this.

I never actually got in the water with my Si Tech inflator valve issue. Long story short, my valve when tested on land wouldn't pump air into the suit. Tried other folks hoses, same issue. So the valve, not the hose, seemed to be the culprit. When I'd maintain extra pressure against the nipple assembly by shoving the hose into the valve, it could inflate as normal. Otherwise no inflation. I don't think I'd have been leaking any air given the nature of my problem but it's hard to say as I didn't take it in the water.

However one thing I notice from your picture is the little plastic piece (called the tongue) that sits inside the steel nipple assembly looks damaged (I think, again hard to tell from the picture). This is actually a critical component of the valve - it's responsible for depressing the pin inside the hose which allows it to deliver air. If you were to remove that tongue it'd be impossible to inflate. Not sure though if there's a tongue issue that would cause a steady, small leak. An O ring somewhere could be the culprit perhaps.

EDIT: I see now the problem was fixed by tightening the rig.

 

[pauldw]

However one thing I notice from your picture is the little plastic piece (called the tongue) that sits inside the steel nipple assembly looks damaged (I think, again hard to tell from the picture). This is actually a critical component of the valve - it's responsible for depressing the pin inside the hose which allows it to deliver air. If you were to remove that tongue it'd be impossible to inflate. Not sure though if there's a tongue issue that would cause a steady, small leak.

Yeah, it didn't look like a neatly machined part, I've noticed that. Not sure what to do about it. Thanks!