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I'm pretty sure you were also taught to seal them first
There isn't any salt water IN the 1st stage unless you've done something bizzare
So seal it (cap) or keep it sealed (ie pressurised) and by all means soak it then
Water IN the 1st stage - salt or fresh - means a rebuild is required or you'll risk damage to the internals, as you've experienced
For 2nds it's best to flush them under tank pressure, I pour fresh water into the mouthpiece while gently purging, with the tank still hooked up so they're pressurised
A soak is better than a rinse. However, your soak still won't get all salt water out of areas like the gap between the internal thread and the external thread of threaded components. What this means is, when two threaded components are assembled there is an air gap between the thread helix. If the fit was what we call metal to metal on both side of the thread flanks (the angled faces) it would be an interference fit. An interference fit is unusual, especially in things meant to come apart. So consequently you have this spiral pathway all the way along the length of that threaded component where water goes down it. In shallow water like a rinse tank the water doesn't get very far. In a dive the water (and saltin ocean water) is forced deeply into the assembly. Upon surfacing the water stays in. Rinsing and soaking doesn't get it out because there is no flow or dynamics involved to displace the water with freshwater. Just a fact of life.
Generally it is not detrimental to the reg if you do your annual maintenance. On most regs this means an every other year tear down . Each individual metallic component goes in the ultrasonic cleaner and the residue is removed.
because of the excellent properties of chrome the corrosion is prevented. If there were scratches in the chrome that revealed the brass there will be corrosion. it might be minor it might be major. Regs weren't meant to last forever. Your technicians techniques will play a part in this but then so does the application of the chrome when the reg was built. The reg tech and the chrome guy will point fingers at each other on this one and ultimately the reg owner loses as solid proof is impossible.
Many reg caps become distorted over time and do not provide a truly waterproof seal. When I had yoke type regs I made stainless steel waterproof covers for soaking that mimic the tank valve with an O ring in them so that I was guaranteed that no water got in.
Remember , often times rinse tanks at resorts are very salinated from multiple daily rinsing. At the end of your trip take it to your room and soak it if you have a good sealing cap or at least do a very thorough rinse in the shower. Even with the spray of the shower head you will not completely displace the salt in the nooks and crannies of thread helix's but you have done what you can. Try to alter your service cycle so it get's serviced after your trip to get the salt out.
I have seen hundreds of regs apart after salt water trips with no damage to them .YMMV.
It is also very possible that the seal did not fail while soaking but rather the water was introduced during the dives. First off, a little fresh water does little damage to the internals of a reg so odds are if there was much damage the water was salt and not fresh. Tanks on boats often do not have valve covers and it is possible (common) for a drop of salt water to accumilate in the valve port. That drop of saltwater will get forced into the reg if it is not cleared out of the valve before installing the reg and that single drop is plenty to do damage inside a reg.
I'm pretty sure you were also taught to seal them first
There isn't any salt water IN the 1st stage unless you've done something bizzare
So seal it (cap) or keep it sealed (ie pressurised) and by all means soak it then
Water IN the 1st stage - salt or fresh - means a rebuild is required or you'll risk damage to the internals, as you've experienced
For 2nds it's best to flush them under tank pressure, I pour fresh water into the mouthpiece while gently purging, with the tank still hooked up so they're pressurised
of course we were taught to seal the dustcap first.
the acd though gave me false security that the reg was watertight. there is no explicit warning in the website or manual against soaking in water.
It is also very possible that the seal did not fail while soaking but rather the water was introduced during the dives. First off, a little fresh water does little damage to the internals of a reg so odds are if there was much damage the water was salt and not fresh. Tanks on boats often do not have valve covers and it is possible (common) for a drop of salt water to accumilate in the valve port. That drop of saltwater will get forced into the reg if it is not cleared out of the valve before installing the reg and that single drop is plenty to do damage inside a reg.
this is a very good point since the tanks here do not have dust covers but do have scotch tape to distinguished unused tanks and protect the o-ring.
i could easilly imagine a drop or two of salt water accumulating in the tape interface it wasnt taped well enough.
i know that sometimes when soaking my reg i sometimes do not put the dustcap in place, secure in the knowledge that the ACD would keep the regulator safe.
That is one of the reasons why I think that these closing devices are a very bad idea. They start by giving you a false sense of security.
Even if they didn’t allow water to get into the regulator at first, any water or salt left in the closure device (or tank interface area) will be driven into the regulator the next time it is mounted on a tank.
The soaking water in some resorts may not be as clean as you hope.
As Herman says, there are several sources of contaminants and ways to get water into your regulator, but IMO this type of devises just contribute to some divers letting their guard down when taking care of their gear. I can’t think of anything good resulting from having one in a regulator.
A dust cap probably gets very little respect because of its name. It is not to stop dust… A good dust cap uses the same O-ring that seals against the tank valve and it should be just as water tight. The dust cap should be clean and dry before it is used to close the regulator.
Note: some dust caps are completely made out of rubber and they need to be regularly inspected to make sure they are not deformed and they are still providing an adequate water tight seal.
i bought a second hand AL Legend last year from a friend and it had somethng like three dives in them. it had the ACD and performed quite well.
AFAIK AL has always advertised the ACD as a wterproof seal to the 1st stage.
recently i noticed that the quality of breathing had deteriorated and brought the regulator in for service.
When was the last time that the previous owner had the reg serviced?
Did you get the first stage overhauled after purchasing it secondhand?
The reason I ask is that it's possible that there was water intrusion prior to the reg being in your hands. It kind of depends on how quickly reg performance deteriorated and how long you had the reg.
FYI, parts such as o-rings, the HP seat and diaphragm are replaced during a routine overhaul. I suspect that any corrosion/verdigris on stainless steel or chrome-plated brass parts cleaned up quite nicely in an ultrasonic bath with the special liquid that repair shops use. I don't know how much the technician charged for his services, but it probably should have been about the same price as a full-blown overhaul (overhaul kit + labor)...unless some part that usually isn't replaced was so corroded that it needed to be junked.
In case you were curious, here's a Youtube movie of how the Aqualung ACD works:
A metal spring pushes outward and keeps the system closed when not attached to a tank valve. When the first stage is attached to a tank valve, this physically pushes down on parts which compress the spring and open up the system.
As others have suggested, it's probably a good idea to use a sealing dust cap if you plan to soak the reg unpressurized. Interestingly, depending on the design of the dust cap, it's possible that simply by sealing the cap, you could be "opening" the ACD system. For instance, with the yoke Legend ACD, if you really crank down on the yoke screw, you will be sealing the dust cap to the inlet but opening up the ACD system. If the dust cap is deformed in any way, then this could facilitate water intrusion.
When was the last time that the previous owner had the reg serviced?
Did you get the first stage overhauled after purchasing it secondhand?
The reason I ask is that it's possible that there was water intrusion prior to the reg being in your hands. It kind of depends on how quickly reg performance deteriorated and how long you had the reg.
the previous owner bought it last april 09 for his checkout dive, did 3 dives with it , and learned that he was to be stationed in a region with no diving a month later.
i bought it from him soon after. i doubt that it had water damage when i bought since i only noticed the deterioration around dec 0f last year and around 60 dives after purchase.
the previous owner bought it last april 09 for his checkout dive, did 3 dives with it , and learned that he was to be stationed in a region with no diving a month later.
i bought it from him soon after. i doubt that it had water damage when i bought since i only noticed the deterioration around dec 0f last year and around 60 dives after purchase.
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