Are Atomic Regulators More Difficult to Rinse?

[Guitarcrazy]

I am still debating which reg set to get, and I have read that it is easy to introduce water into the Atomic set if you don't rinse with a tank attached and pressurized. As I typically dive in the Caribbean, and the operators are 'valet' style, I don't typically rinse my own gear until I get it back to the hotel on the last day of the trip. Then I typically soak them in the tub or rinse thoroughly in the shower, let it dry, and then bring home where I do it all again. I don't have a tank in my hotel, or at my home, so rinsing with a pressurized tank attached isn't very practical.

I am not totally confident the operators do a through rinse each day, and doubt even more that they take the time to do it with them pressurized. Is it really that important with Atomic to rinse pressurized? If it is a necessity I probably need to stay with a nice diaphragm type so that I can rinse normally. Thanks.

 

[Wookie]

It isn't that they are difficult to rinse, but you have to know what you are doing, and typical boat monkeys do not.

An Atomic regulator has a seat saver, which means when the second stage is unpressurized, the seat is open. This allows for 3 year service intervals on Ti's, and 2 years on all of the other models. It also leaves a direct path for water to enter the first stage right up the hose if thrown in a rinse tank. To rinse an Atomic (page 26 of the owner's manual), hold the first stage high while rinsing the second stage, then allow the second stage to fully drain while still holding the first stage high. Then rinse the first stage. Do not throw the whole kit n' kaboodle in the rinse tank and retrieve it some time later, as it will get water in the first stage and ruin it.

 

[BoltSnap]

I own several Atomic regulators and I have used them all over the world without any issues due to the problem you describe in your post and I have NEVER attached them to a tank while rising or soaking them in water. I have recently had my ST1 serviced 7 years after I bought it and there was NO trace of water at all inside of the first stage at all.

 

[Wookie]

I own several Atomic regulators and I have used them all over the world without any issues due to the problem you describe in your post and I have NEVER attached them to a tank while rising or soaking them in water. I have recently had my ST1 serviced 7 years after I bought it and there was NO trace of water at all inside of the first stage at all.

Page 26 of the owner's manual. A shop in town uses Z's for rentals. My wife rebuilds them quarterly because they can't get their own boat crews to rinse them correctly.

And before I sold 20 sets, I had 40 sets. 20 or the 40 were titanium. One of the titaniums is so wasted inside it won't lock up, so it's my titanium tire inflater regulator, which it works excellently for. My $1400 tire inflater.

 

[BoltSnap]

Page 26 of the owner's manual. A shop in town uses Z's for rentals. My wife rebuilds them quarterly because they can't get their own boat crews to rinse them correctly.

They must be really, really terrible in doing that as if going out of their way to cause harm to the Z2's


BTW, My comment above was meant as a reply to the OP and not you, your comment was posted while I was typing my reply and I didn't see it until after I pressed the send button I didn't mean to discredit what you said at all. You and your wife probably have a much wider experience with Atomic regulators than I have.

 

[divad]

I have Atomic/Zeagle second stages and, as an experiment, I cut a slit length-wise in an 8" piece of pool noodle, put it on the middle of the reg hose and soaked it over night. No 1st stage water ingress, but I wouldn't do it in a public rinse bucket.

 

[M-Cameron]

wondering if it wouldnt make sense to grab a small 3 cu. ft. spare air and thread a yoke valve onto it, and use that to pressurize the regs......then you can just toss the whole kit and caboodle into a dunk tank

 

[divad]

As I typically dive in the Caribbean, and the operators are 'valet' style,.

I refuse any "service" attached to the word "valet"....especially when it involves my reguators or car.

 

[lexvil]

Atomics are just as easy to rinse as any regulator on the market, also easier to rinse wrong so don’t let others mess with it! I did test the water up the hose theory, it’s true it can happen, the dust cap being on and tight will help a lot. I also flooded a Z2 (same internally as the rest of the line except the swivel) and tested it, it worked fine and the water is quickly pushed out but I used fresh water, if it’s flooded with salt water it will leave enough salt behind to attack the un plated or thinly plated internals.

Adequate drying before storage is as important as rinsing.

 

[mi000ke]

I dive with the same few dive ops (most are "valet") and they all know to leave my atomic reg alone. I did have one or two crew dunk my whole reg when I first started diving with these ops. At my first service - after only a year due to some creep - there was corrosion in the first stage, so I assume it was the dunking. I'm pretty insistent now. I dunk my reg (and bcd) in the rinse tank with the gas tank attached so it's under pressure (and now some of the crew will do it that way for me). If I soak the reg at home, which I do every few dives or if I won't be diving for a week or two, I attach a pony and soak under pressure. I hang it up to dry before storing it. It's a small PITA but if it keeps the water out I'm ok with it. And I need to hook the reg up to air to test the IP before each dive anyway.