Best way to fix a inflator hose button?

[HenrikBP]

You can actually buy the tool *with* o-rings for $8.50:

SCUBA Repair Tools - Dive Gear Express

whereas the inflator itself goes for $33.50

EXP Wings by Dive Rite - Dive Gear Express

Henrik

 

[TSandM]

Did I miss it, or has divor not identified the brand of BC he has? Not all inflators are put together the same way, and I don't believe Tobin's tool (which is a brilliant little gadget) works on all inflators.

 

[HenrikBP]

Did I miss it, or has divor not identified the brand of BC he has?

You are correct. Divor did not ID his BC/inflator. So disassembly may be different.

My WAG would be though, that the leak can be fixed with a new o-ring or 2. If it's one of those "safe second" inflators all bets are off though

H

 

[emoreira]

Hi, thanks for your replies. I can actually see a little hole in the button from where the bubbles are leaking. Something must have punctured it, I think.

Try to post a pic of the hole you mention. It seems that the problem is not the o-ring.
I'm with you. I try to repair everything. My wallet is thin so as to throw away everything is little broken. besides, throwing away is no eco-friendly.
However I will not risk my life if I do not know how to repair it.

 

[herman]

For leaky seals, I used to put a bit of vaseline on mine when it stuck or leaked. Sometimes the metal sealing surface is pitted and the O ring cant seal. Then its throw away, but even then a bit of vaso can sometimes seal it up for a while.

If changing o rings remove the old ones with a toothpick so you dont damage anything.

NO NO NO !!!! Please forgive me for being overly excited but you should never use petroleum based lubes on O-rings. It may cause them to swell or otherwise deteriate. Instead use silicone grease or other lubes (Christolube for example) that are for use with o-ring material. Vasoline is a bad idea.

 

[Ghanguss]

NO NO NO !!!! Please forgive me for being overly excited but you should never use petroleum based lubes on O-rings. It may cause them to swell or otherwise deteriate. Instead use silicone grease or other lubes (Christolube for example) that are for use with o-ring material. Vasoline is a bad idea.

Yes you are correct, vaseline is a bad idea, my bad

 

[driftwood]

Glue is not the answer, it needs an o-ring or 2. I for one don't agree with the throw it away idea. Why dispose of a prefectly good item if it can be repaired with a $0.10 oring and a few minutes work. If there is internal damage, then replace it but at least you know it's bad. From a repair shops point of view, yea, charge the customer and make some profit rather than actually fix something. Not sure where you get $15 inflators, most of the ones I have seen are in the $35 and above range. A third option, replace it and then rebuild the original one. You now have a spare and the knowledge to rebuild it yourself.

Herman,

I completely agree with you. It got my attention when the Oceanic rep stated their policy. There is just something not right about scuba gear not being reparable. God forbid that I am on a live aboard and the unit goes south on me. My only option would be to cannibalize a replacement from spare gear sitting around

 

[lucca brassi]

and take a look at Tobin's inflator service video - it too includes o-ring sizes:
https://www.deepseasupply.com/index.php?page=video

I have to order my O rings (Europe); translate american standard AS568A to local dealer catalogue part which is normally defined by density/material and ID(mm) and OD(mm) if someone need that numbers can contact me. For some € or two I have O rings for 10 years if I switch it every year all together.

New parts works very fine special with a little more grease .

I have just one problem that time - when I made complete inflator I did not know If it is reasonableness to put through a little hole in inflation button a little loctite glue for coil tightening to glue together button and screw. I did not do that and for now still work fine.

I have possibility to put new DIR ZONE/DTD inflator when I have puchase their wing, but as I have said a love old one.

As final thought I think that inflator should need regular maintence as scuba regulator or any other scuba gear.

On some picture I have see repairing H inflator with too small screwdriver - damaging power inflator button inside screw groove and causes surface rust because of iron screwdriver ( my is from duralumin to avoid that problem)

 

[Divor]

Wow, this thread really took off...

The BP/W setup is brandless. Used to be handmade by a person in Western Australia who has now moved to Queensland. I had a talk with a person who knew him and also identified the part that was broken as an import from Korea. It was the button (the button was a soft rubber button that pushed down on a hard plastic one). The air pressure on the rubber was only that from the wing. We had a look at it and it was cracked where it bent. So the rubber thingy needs replacement. I'm doing some deep dives soon and did not want to risk the button completely tearing, so I got a Zeagle replacement inflator with a hard plastic button (and a general better 'feel'). Will keep looking for the rubber button, though, so that I have a functioning backup.

Pity that I spent 80 bucks instead of 5 on a new button, but that's what it is. I bought the whole BP/W second-hand in pristine condition for 100 bucks, so I'm still ahead.

Thank you very much for all your advice. If needed I can post pics, but don't have the camera here now.

Cheers