Depth gauge in air

[ScubaJorgen]

Some time ago I visited a recompression chamber (just as visitor, not as patient, thank God). We were compressed to 15 m water depth. We took with us some depth gauges

The folks told us to put the depth gauges in a bucket of water and NOT keep them just in the air. This would damage the depth gauge.

Does anybody know WHY operating a depth gauge in air at high pressure would damage the gauge? :06:

I cannot figure out why. Most diving depth gauges use a solid state pressure sensor.
The only thing could be temperature: it gets fairly hot in a compression chamber during compression. Maybe this messes up with electronics, but again, permanent damage is most unlikely...

 

[Diver0001]

Some time ago I visited a recompression chamber (just as visitor, not as patient, thank God). We were compressed to 15 m water depth. We took with us some depth gauges

The folks told us to put the depth gauges in a bucket of water and NOT keep them just in the air. This would damage the depth gauge.

Does anybody know WHY operating a depth gauge in air at high pressure would damage the gauge? :06:

I cannot figure out why. Most diving depth gauges use a solid state pressure sensor.
The only thing could be temperature: it gets fairly hot in a compression chamber during compression. Maybe this messes up with electronics, but again, permanent damage is most unlikely...

Vraagje, Ik zie dat je in Nederland zit. Waar ben je eigenlijk geweest en hoeveel heeft het gekost? Ik ben benieuwd omdat ik later dit jaar een decokamer orientatie wil organiseren voor onze club.

R..

 

[miketsp]

Some time ago I visited a recompression chamber (just as visitor, not as patient, thank God). We were compressed to 15 m water depth. We took with us some depth gauges

The folks told us to put the depth gauges in a bucket of water and NOT keep them just in the air. This would damage the depth gauge.

Does anybody know WHY operating a depth gauge in air at high pressure would damage the gauge? :06:

I cannot figure out why. Most diving depth gauges use a solid state pressure sensor.
The only thing could be temperature: it gets fairly hot in a compression chamber during compression. Maybe this messes up with electronics, but again, permanent damage is most unlikely...

Are you talking about mechanical or electronic depth gauges?
Since you mention electronics in the last paragraph I assume the latter.
Remember that dive computers have o-rings & seals which are designed to keep out a relatively viscous fluid ie. water. High pressure air requires a better seal than the same pressure of water. So HP air could get inside the casing. I can think of at least one internal component which is sensitive and could be damaged by pressure - the LCD (Liquid Crystal Display).

 

[rcohn]

Most electonic guages only go into dive mode when in water.

Ralph

 

[Scubakevdm]

Vraagje, Ik zie dat je in Nederland zit. Waar ben je eigenlijk geweest en hoeveel heeft het gekost? Ik ben benieuwd omdat ik later dit jaar een decokamer orientatie wil organiseren voor onze club.

R..

Moi shnovel.

 

[pipedope]

It is usually to prevent damage to the pressure sensor.
This is dependent on the sensor used. Not all computer makers warn against pressurizing in air.

I am not expert on pressure transducers but some are fairly easy to damage. The damage may show up as an outright failure or it may just be a change in claibration.

 

[ntt]

It could just be personal preference of the Camber Operator perhaps. We take depth gauges with us down in our chamber, and we do not place them in water at all. They seem to still be fine (after an easy 100+ dives).
But I am not an expert either, just speculating.