Question Best way to clean a DIN 1 stage without getting water inside

[TretaG]

Hey guys, I bought my own regulator and BCD few weeks ago, and I ******* love it.

(1. Stage MK25 Evo 2. G260, a R095 octo and a scuba pro hydros pro wing)


I’m cleaning my gear after every dive ( doing 2-4 a day at the moment 6 days a week)

I soak the 2. Stages in fresh water and give it a little shake. the 1. Stage I clean with rinsing water while putting my thumb on the DIN valve.

Than I read I should soak the 1 stage aswell. And that I should trat if my dust cap seals the I stage or not, so
I put the dust cap on, sucked as hard as possible on the 2. Stage to test if there is any leak in the cap and it seemed 100% sealed.

After soaking the first stage around 10 mins I checked if everything is fine and noticed that there is a little bit water in the dust cap.

When I’m back at the Diveshop tomorrow morning I will purge some air threw the system and everything should be fine than I think, but here I come to my question:

What’s the best way to properly clean a DIN 1 stage without getting water inside? Is it enough to put my thumb on the valve and hold it in my sink for a few mins or do I have to find a waterproof cap or idk. I’m currently on koh tao doing my Divemaster. And all the people have yoke valves so they can’t explain me the best way to seal my DIN valve while cleaning but I’m sure the scuba board community can help me with that.

 

[inquis]

Pressurize with a pony bottle and soak as long as you like.

BTW, I don't recommend sucking hard on a second stage without being pressurized. That is a good way to rip the diaphragm.

 

[Belzelbub]

After soaking the first stage around 10 mins I checked if everything is fine and noticed that there is a little bit water in the dust cap.

This does not mean that any water got into the first stage. If the cap is the type that seals well, that seal will occur where the DIN o-ring meets the cap. So essentially, only the area inside the circle formed by the o-ring is sealed. Water can, and will, travel along the DIN threads up to that o-ring. So you could have a good seal despite seeing some water in the cap.

That said...

Pressurize with a pony bottle and soak as long as you like.

This is really the best way to soak a first stage, and really the only way to ensure that you aren't getting water inside where it shouldn't be.

 

[lexvil]

Scubapro dust caps are just dust caps, if you want to soak it unpressurized get a screw on cap that properly engages the DIN o ring.

 

[halocline]

If you have a screw-on DIN dust cap, it seals exactly the same way that the tank valve seals. Perfectly safe for soaking. If you have one of the soft plastic ‘slip on’ type, throw it away and get a good one. While you’re at it, send a letter to SP asking why they don’t include a decent dust cap with such an expensive regulator, lol!

Belzelbub is right about the threads on DIN regulators being exposed. The o-ring seals ‘in bound’ of them. It’s a good thing those threads get wet when soaking your reg because they are notorious for salt water corrosion. I will occasionally clean them on my DIN regs with a toothbrush and some vinegar, then rinse.

 

[Pearlman]

If you find a discarded sinter filter at the local dive shop you can try a small experiment. Fill it with water and it will hold it like a cup of tea without dripping any down through the other side. That sinter filter installed at the entry point or inlet in a 1st stage (whether Yoke or Din) is designed to let only pressurised air pass through.
So even if some water does leak into the inlet through the dust cap while it is soaking in a tub, it’s not going to pass through into the regulator innards.

 

[lowwall]

I’m currently on koh tao doing my Divemaster. And all the people have yoke valves so they can’t explain me the best way to seal my DIN valve while cleaning but I’m sure the scuba board community can help me with that.

Now you have a quest. Hit every dive shop on the island and ask for a "threaded DIN dust cap" preferably made out of Delrin. How long could it take?

Seriously. It looks like there's a couple of shops that offer technical diving. I'd start there.

 

[agilis]

If your lds doesn't have them they are available on line for $10 to $12.

 

[iointerrupt]

Does anyone know of a report of a regulator failing due to...rinsing with the factory dust cap?

How many hours would you have to soak a regulator, before it hydro-locked from water creeping past the cap? Weeks? Months?

I really struggle with the idea that this is an actual problem. Yes there are better rinsing methods and equipment. But no you don't need to run around like crazy if you don't have access to them.

 

[jborg]

I don't know what hydro-locked is, but corrosion inside the regulator due to water ingress is a real thing.