1st Stage failure?

[Ivar001]

Hi All
Has anyone had a 1st stage failing and if so, how did it fail?
and how would you overcome it if your buddy has scootered out of reach?
Cheers
Ivar

 

[RJP]

Hi All
Has anyone had a 1st stage failing and if so, how did it fail?
and how would you overcome it if your buddy has scootered out of reach?
Cheers
Ivar

Diving doubles, not a problem.

 

[Garrobo]

Carry a pony bottle if you are really worried about it.

 

[spectrum]

In all likelihood it will fail in an over delivery mode. The result will be a free flow. Begin a safe but expeditious return to the surface while breathing from it.

I have not had the pleasure.

Pete

 

[redacted]

I have experienced a number of 1st stage "failures", usually involving used regs acquired thru ebay. In most cases, the failures were detected during initial inspections. All failures involved either a small leak from the ambient chamber of a piston 1st, or inadequate control of the intermediate pressure detected with an IP gujage. None of the few failures that were detected during a dive had any effect on that dive. For a first stage to fail in a catesprophic manner, it usually requires an accident, a material defect, or a service error.

 

[Rick Murchison]

Most first stage "failures" (not irritating leaks) are high pressure seat failures resulting in freeflow. I've seen plenty of these over the years. I've never seen a catastrophic leak directly from a first stage, nor have I ever seen a first stage fail in a way that it would not deliver air.

Diving doubles, not a problem.

Is that a yes? or a no?
Rick

 

[Doubles]

The free flow issue from a failed first stage has been well answered. Just remember the regs are designed to fail to allow a freeflow.

As for solving the problem I dive H-Valves when diving singles, so I can shut down the post on the failed first stage and hopefully not experience a failure on the second post (redundant first stage) and just breath off of the appropriate second stage.

My solution is overkill for most folks, but since I own a ton of regs it's a no brainer to also get H-valves for my single tanks. But while it might be overkill I also believe it to be the better gear configuration if you can afford it.

Just another reason why you and your buddy should be very close. The "same ocean" buddy won't be of much help here. Once buddied up - I would breath that free flowing gas until it was gone knowing my buddy was there ready to air-share when the OOA finally occurs.

Cheers

-s

edit - I have not yet experienced a first stage failure

 

[Meng_Tze]

Hi All
..how would you overcome it if your buddy has scootered out of reach?

Make sure buddy team stays together, signaling is clear and concise and maybe carry pony/buddy bottle. If this is not possible, either dive with different buddy, or no scooter, or not at all.

 

[redacted]

Most first stage "failures" (not irritating leaks) are high pressure seat failures resulting in freeflow.
Rick

That's the point. Most regulator "failures" start out as irratating leaks. Nip them in the bud and more serious failures can be prevented. Even your freeflow failure most likely started out as a slight leak thru the primary 2nd. As you breath from it, it might go unnoticed because the time for the IP to creap enough to cause FF is longer than your breathing cycle. So if you want to detect it before it becomes more than an irritating leak, get an IP guage or do more rigorous checks of your gear. The repair is usually the same whether it be a slow leak or a raging freeflow. So catch them early before the problem interrupts your diving.

 

[matt_unique]

Never a failure but I once had a free flow during a deco dive. My first stage iced up, I closed the valve (on that side of my double tanks), waited a few seconds, then turned it back on. I was fine for the rest of the dive.

--Matt