*Apeks - blue EPDM 'O' Rings*

[Frog]

I had to post this because if i didnt i would never forgive myself.

Apeks have admitted (although not publicly) that there may be a problem with there new EPDM 'o' rings which are fitted to there regulators/manifolds etc. Apparently it is a good idea to change them to normal o rings as the product line is being "improved upon". This warning came not from Apeks themselves but from the UK DIR boards. I am going to mail Apeks now to see what they say and i will let you all know whats going on. Cheers

 

[King_Neptune]

Did anyone ever hear anymore about this ?
=-)

 

[O-ring]

I have 3 DS4s and my newest one came with a light blue o-ring. I figured it was some funky new viton or something and left it on. Needless to say, after about 10-20 dives on it, it crapped out and there was bubbling from my manifold. I replaced it with a standard black one and everything was kosher.

Are these the same blue pieces of crap you are talking about?

 

[Uncle Pug]

...they are much softer the viton 0-ings... so that is why they will need to be replaced more often.

I have few regs with them and haven't had a problem... maybe I don't dive enough

 

[oxyhacker]

The problem is apparently not with EPDM O-rings, but just with the blue ones. These were a temporary measure when Apeks went over to EPDM they started using blue ones to differentiate from the older nitrile ones, with the intention of switching to black EPDM after all the old black nitrile ones had worked their way out of the system, and haven't been using the blue for a year or so now.

Anyhow, the blue ones were a little too soft for the more stressful locations like the cylinder valve face.

Now here's the interesting thing: Apeks, when they complained to the manufacturer that the blue O-rings weren't holding up, were told of course not, colored O-rings aren't as tough as black ones, because they lack the carbon filler.

So Apeks is still using EPDM, but black now, and the cure if you got a bad blue one to replace the blue O-rings with the current black EPDM.

BTW, Apeks originally gave the reason for switching to EPDM as being so the regs would be suitable for 100% out of the box, apparently AL/Seaquest did not want to be selling a reg suitable for 100% so Apeks stopped saying so.

 

[O-ring]

BTW, Apeks originally gave the reason for switching to EPDM as being so the regs would be suitable for 100% out of the box, apparently AL/Seaquest did not want to be selling a reg suitable for 100% so Apeks stopped saying so.

I should have known it was something asinine like this...