Cleaning your regulator

[usmcguy367]

I have just got my first regulator and was wanting to know how much cleaning I should do after a dive. I know that you should rinse them off but is that good enough?

 

[Garrobo]

I always clean around the exhaust valves when I get home and again before I use them again.

 

[muddiver]

The best thing to do after every dive is to soak the regulator in warm fresh water. I usually attach it to a tank (I like to use my little 13 or 30 cubic foot cylinder) and pressurize the regulator so I know that water will not got in the high pressure side where the tank attaches. Then let it air dry before you put it away. Make sure to check in the exhaust port to see if it is dry.

A little more advanced cleaning would be to open the second [-]first[/-] stage (usually the front cap unscrews) and flush the body out to remove any sand or other gunk that might have gotten in there.

 

[herman]

.....................................A little more advanced cleaning would be to open the first stage (usually the front cap unscrews) and flush the body out to remove any sand or other gunk that might have gotten in there.

I know this is a typeo Mudd, open the SECOND stage, not the first.

I soak mine in fresh water, pressurized if possible but always with the dust cap firmly in place, then rinse with a hose if possible. If the rinse tank is one for general use, I will soak/rinse the reg again once I get home. In lue of dissambling the second stage (darn near typed first myself ) I will wash the second stage out by placing a hose into the mouth piece and gently letting water flow thru the reg -in the mouth piece and out the exhaust, just be sure not to push the purge button while you are doing so. Carefully soaking and rinsing your reg is one of the best things you can do to keep it in good shape.

 

[DBailey]

I have just got my first regulator and was wanting to know how much cleaning I should do after a dive. I know that you should rinse them off but is that good enough?

On a dive trip...

After the morning dives and I plan to do some afternoon dives, a quick rinse in fresh water.

When I am done diving for the day, but plan to dive tomorrow, a decent rinse in fresh water.

After the last dive of the trip, a thorough rise/soak in fresh water. This is usually done back in my room instead of at the rinse tank. Then everything is hung out to dry before being packed.

After the trip, everything soaks and gets cleaned in the guest bath tub. For the regulators, they are attached to a tank and both the tank and regulators go in the tub. By the way, the tank is a nice way to keep the BCD and wetsuit submierged in the tub.

 

[Sas]

I soak my regs in warm water with a tiny bit of Morning Fresh for a few hours then rinse them off, making sure to run fresh water through the second stages and just in general over the rest of the regs. I rarely have them hooked up to a tank when I do this but this is another option you can do if you own tanks. I do this after every dive day without fail.

I got them serviced recently and was told they were in good nick for the amount of diving I do, so this cleaning is working for me!

 

[ivobj]

Same for me, soak in warm water (be careful, warm, not hot) to dissolve the salt and then rinse it

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I soak mine over night, but not attached to a tank. The next day, I hook them to a tank and blow out the water before putting them on the shelf. I am hopeful that if the soak introduces a few drops of fresh water, the moring purge will completely dry the reg. I worry about mold if the regs are just hung up wet in a humid environment.

Soaking is much, much better than a rinse.

 

[Scubadam]

Well, after I come up from a dive and I am on the boat or deck, I turn my air valve on the tank off, unattach the yoke valve from the tank, then I purge both the regulator and the octopus to get any water that may still be in the mouthpiece out. Then I rinse all my equipment, my BCD, Weight belt, regulator, octopus, inflator hose, mask, snorkel, and if I have these items, gloves, boots, and hood all get rinsed as well.

 

[vixtor]

Well, after I come up from a dive and I am on the boat or deck, I turn my air valve on the tank off, unattach the yoke valve from the tank, then I purge both the regulator and the octopus to get any water that may still be in the mouthpiece out. Then I rinse all my equipment, my BCD, Weight belt, regulator, octopus, inflator hose, mask, snorkel, and if I have these items, gloves, boots, and hood all get rinsed as well.

Purging when the regulator is detached from the tank can only eventually allow some water drops to enter it (if it is not completely dry). I would refrain from pressing the purge button when the system is not under pressure.