BC Manitenance

[pilot fish]

Funny you should ask…
[soapbox]

According to the DAN 2002 report BCDs are the number one cause of equipment related accidents and fatalities.

I just asked my LDS last night, and they reported that they perform the following service to BCDs.

Flush the air cell to remove salt
clean and lube the dump valves
clean and lube the LP inflator ( it is a regulator with o-rings and valve seats)
inspect hoses/buckles/webbing...

Yes, most of us can do this, but if you are not going to perform these tasks yourself, then take it in for service!

[/soapbox]

I wondered about that. What about those valve caps? Do they have O rings? Flushing out the bladder is something we do after each dive trip. Do they put a certian solution in the bladder to flush it?

 

[jonnythan]

So, how much does your LDS charge you to clean your gear for you?

Do you bring them your wetsuit too, so they can wash the salt outta that?

 

[pilot fish]

So, how much does your LDS charge you to clean your gear for you?

Do you bring them your wetsuit too, so they can wash the salt outta that?

I'm sure they will de pee your wetsuit for the proper fee

 

[Mandy3206]

After every dive, I rinse the inside of my BC (usually 2 times) until the water doesn't taste salty.

once a year I flush it with silicone in aqueous solution, the one that you spray on the gear from trident or similar. I just pour the whole bottle inside the BC and swish it around with the BC inflated, then I remove the dump valve and pour the solution back in the bottle for reuse. This leaves a coat inside the BC.

I don't know if this is necesary or may be an overkill, but I do it anyway.

My Tusa Duo Air gets serviced with my regs every yr, as any regulator should.

For storage, I inflate the BC and hang it in it's UK BC hanger.

 

[pilot fish]

After every dive, I rinse the inside of my BC (usually 2 times) until the water doesn't taste salty.

once a year I flush it with silicone in aqueous solution, the one that you spray on the gear from trident or similar. I just pour the whole bottle inside the BC and swish it around with the BC inflated, then I remove the dump valve and pour the solution back in the bottle for reuse. This leaves a coat inside the BC.

I don't know if this is necesary or may be an overkill, but I do it anyway.

My Tusa Duo Air gets serviced with my regs every yr, as any regulator should.

For storage, I inflate the BC and hang it in it's UK BC hanger.

I do not rinse the inside of my BC after every dive.That seems like overkill, to me I just submerge it in fresh water, unless you're in Saba where it just gets a light hose of water -.didn't care for that. I wait till the last day of diving to rinse the inside with fresh water. Never heard of this flush stuff, silicone, [food grade spray?] that you mentioned. Wouldn't that erode the bladder wall?

 

[Mandy3206]

I do not rinse the inside of my BC after every dive.That seems like overkill, to me I just submerge it in fresh water, unless you're in Saba where it just gets a light hose of water -.didn't care for that. I wait till the last day of diving to rinse the inside with fresh water. Never heard of this flush stuff, silicone, [food grade spray?] that you mentioned. Wouldn't that erode the bladder wall?

Sorry, I should have said Dive trip, there's no way I'm rinsing the rig during the SI, that time is for eating something light and drink some gatorade, I meant when cleaning the rig at the end of the day.
In case I'm in a multiple day dive trip, I just make sure the gear remains wet inside the gear bag until I get home and clean it properly.

The silicon aqueous solution is sold in every dive store here and I've seen it in some catalogs. It's like a water based silicone solution that you spray over the gear after cleaned so the gear won't dry in storage, when the solution dries, it leaves a shining coat of sylicone over the gear. That solution isn't advertised for flushing BCs, but I doubt it will hurt the bladder, I think it's food grade, I'll have to check.

 

[pilot fish]

Sorry, I should have said Dive trip, there's no way I'm rinsing the rig during the SI, that time is for eating something light and drink some gatorade, I meant when cleaning the rig at the end of the day.
In case I'm in a multiple day dive trip, I just make sure the gear remains wet inside the gear bag until I get home and clean it properly.

The silicon aqueous solution is sold in every dive store here and I've seen it in some catalogs. It's like a water based silicone solution that you spray over the gear after cleaned so the gear won't dry in storage, when the solution dries, it leaves a shining coat of sylicone over the gear. That solution isn't advertised for flushing BCs, but I doubt it will hurt the bladder, I think it's food grade, I'll have to check.

I never spray my gear - don't know anyone else that does either. Just never heard of it . I use silicone spray, food grade, to lubricate the inside of my fins, for easy on/off, but not the outside of my gear. I would really check on what you are doing to the bladdder walls of your BC with that stuff. Not sure if that's a good idea. maybe somone else can help us out on that?

 

[Mandy3206]

Well, what can I say, I have done this for the past 8 yrs and my old BC is new on the inside and outside, just some wear can be seen on the shoulder pads, where the webbing is sewn to the BC, but really good shape after more than 300 dives, the only sign of corrosion is in one of the round nuts holding the ABS and the jacket together, but no crust at all.

I don't spray all the gear after every dive, but certainly at least once every other dive trip, to me it has proven a good practice and keeps the gear lubbed and looking like new for a very looooong time.

 

[pilot fish]

Well, what can I say, I have done this for the past 8 yrs and my old BC is new on the inside and outside, just some wear can be seen on the shoulder pads, where the webbing is sewn to the BC, but really good shape after more than 300 dives, the only sign of corrosion is in one of the round nuts holding the ABS and the jacket together, but no crust at all.

I don't spray all the gear after every dive, but certainly at least once every other dive trip, to me it has proven a good practice and keeps the gear lubbed and looking like new for a very looooong time.

You spray your reg, suit, fins and bc etc with silicone spray? Since you have been doing the inside bc baldder with silicone and it is still ok after 8 years I guess Im wrong. Just seems like frresh water would be enough but Im always ready to learn something new

 

[Mandy3206]

It's not Sylicone spray, it's aqeous solution, the bottle is not presurized is like a windex pump in a round bottle, I'm tring to find a link or something to show it to you, I'm at the office so when I get home, I'll get a bottle and describe it better for you.
The neoperene is dunked in the washers gentle cycle and hanged to dry after every dive trip and sprayed when I see it a biit dry, the wet suit has faded some but maybe due to the washer, the booties and gloves are as good as new.

It has to be food grade, since it's advertised for regulators too.