I had a little "accident" while standing ten inches deep (no fins) in the bottom sediment of the local river and repairing the rudder of large boat.
As a result, I now have some unidentified orange goo in one of my cylinders and it gives a burnt rubber taste to the breathing air.
Ample rinsing with hot water did not completely remove it. And no, it is not rust. It's one week old and it smells.
After one hour of hot water treatment I decided to apply vinegar. Lots of it. The 7L steel cylinder is now filled with 3 - 5% vinegar solution (made from ethanol, not from white wine) and it does foam a little bit.
QUESTION: does vinegar / 5% acetic acid hurt a cylinder valve? Should I replace the valve o-rings and the white plastic sealing surface?
- acetic acid is a weak acid but how much does a 5% solution of it affect o-rings etc. The ordinary o-rings and the oxygen compatible ones?
_______
ps. this is a dedicated AIR cylinder. No nitrox. No oxygen. I believe that vinegar might leave a residue that is not oxygen clean.
As a result, I now have some unidentified orange goo in one of my cylinders and it gives a burnt rubber taste to the breathing air.
Ample rinsing with hot water did not completely remove it. And no, it is not rust. It's one week old and it smells.
After one hour of hot water treatment I decided to apply vinegar. Lots of it. The 7L steel cylinder is now filled with 3 - 5% vinegar solution (made from ethanol, not from white wine) and it does foam a little bit.
QUESTION: does vinegar / 5% acetic acid hurt a cylinder valve? Should I replace the valve o-rings and the white plastic sealing surface?
- acetic acid is a weak acid but how much does a 5% solution of it affect o-rings etc. The ordinary o-rings and the oxygen compatible ones?
_______
ps. this is a dedicated AIR cylinder. No nitrox. No oxygen. I believe that vinegar might leave a residue that is not oxygen clean.
