Rainer
Contributor
When soaking regs, we just attach them to small (Al6-14) cylinders and toss them in the bathtub.
DIN Female Plug(s) on a Whip? - Soaking Regs
- Thread starter Peter Guy
- Start date
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No, really, we have a spare bathtub; what we don't have are a bunch of spare small tanks!
R
redacted
Guest
I don't think I would be so fast in accepting your tech's diagnosis. Sure, a pressurized reg just about insures no water incursion during soaking but a good seal on an inlet protector works also. I use the Scubapro inlet protectors and the solid rubber inlet protectors on my yoke regs and rarely bother to put my regs on a tank for an 8 to 12 hour soaking, starting in warm water. On my din regs, I do not trust the Scubapro inlet protector but use metal caps with o-ring seal and they work with no problems. You might try carefully placing your unpressurized regs in a soak and then dry the outside, remove the protector, and inspect for water.
limeyx
Guest
R
redacted
Guest
With a piston 1st, maximum surface exposure occurs when the reg is unpressurized. Cycling the reg during soaking may help the flow of clean water through the ambient chamber but I doubt if that matters if you are doing an 8+ hour soak. I usually dunk my older Scubapro 1sts with small ambient chamber holes a couple times to run clean FW through the ambient chamber and then just let them soak. In the case of SW diving, I also squirt FW through the ambient chamber with a squirt bottle a couple times after each tank to reduce the opportunity for any salt buildup in the ambient chamber.
I know Lynne and Peter have a lot of experience with gear; and the technician may be correct in his assessment. But I would like to point out a few alternatives just for GP.
Assuming the o-rings are in good shape (you would have telltale bubbles while diving if they were not) therefore, there
are only a couple of ways for water to get into the first stage during soaking. A loose plug, hose fitting or inlet sealing device on the first stage itself is one way-careful inspection and installation should eliminate that. The other way would be into the second stage and all the way through the hose and into the first stage. Pressurizing the first stage can stop that, but the easiest way is simply to soak your regulators in a bucket or trash can (or if you are lucky-horse trough) with the hoses draped over a broom handle positioned over the top of the container. There would be no way for water to make it’s way up the hose and into the first stage.
Like Awap, I’m curious to know more about how the water got into the first stage. Did the technician indicate if the water came in from a faulty seal or from the second stage?
Perhaps the tech is correct, but one other thing to consider would be if water was getting in from the tank. When is the last time you had a peek into your cylinders? Does the place you have them filled use a water bath? When changing your regulator from one valve to the next between dives are you inspecting/drying the second valve outlet?
Assuming the o-rings are in good shape (you would have telltale bubbles while diving if they were not) therefore, there
are only a couple of ways for water to get into the first stage during soaking. A loose plug, hose fitting or inlet sealing device on the first stage itself is one way-careful inspection and installation should eliminate that. The other way would be into the second stage and all the way through the hose and into the first stage. Pressurizing the first stage can stop that, but the easiest way is simply to soak your regulators in a bucket or trash can (or if you are lucky-horse trough) with the hoses draped over a broom handle positioned over the top of the container. There would be no way for water to make it’s way up the hose and into the first stage.
Like Awap, I’m curious to know more about how the water got into the first stage. Did the technician indicate if the water came in from a faulty seal or from the second stage?
Perhaps the tech is correct, but one other thing to consider would be if water was getting in from the tank. When is the last time you had a peek into your cylinders? Does the place you have them filled use a water bath? When changing your regulator from one valve to the next between dives are you inspecting/drying the second valve outlet?
dumpsterDiver
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I just soak mine in freshwater, sometimes overnight, but I try to hook them up to a tank and blow out the water. I haven't had much problems with corrosion. Trying to rig a pressurized soak system seems overkill to me. I would check the caps on the DIN, i have yoke regs and a good rubbber dust cover.
Kevrumbo
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KISS Solution:
What about using two or three 6cf AL bottles --each with a DIN H-valve (i.e. pressure soak two DIN regs per bottle)?
What about using two or three 6cf AL bottles --each with a DIN H-valve (i.e. pressure soak two DIN regs per bottle)?
R
redacted
Guest
Pete
Well I recently had some first hand experience of water encroaching into the 1st stage while soaking. A Mk7 last serviced on 22 Aug to correct some IP creep and whistling. Actually just disassembled enough to lube the HP o-ring and oscillator and flip the HP seat (yes, it still has an old style HP seat and some red, blue, and purple o-rings). the inside was clean so no baths required. Dove it a couple times local FW and then took it to Bonair in early Sept for 21 dives. Got home and unpacked a bit and hit the sack. Woke up at 2am and realized I had not set the regs to soaking. They were rinsed well in Bonair but I like to go for an 8 hour soak after SW diving. Got up (sleepy eyed), filled the utility room sink with warm water and set them to soaking. Left them soak for over a day. Pulled them out and set them on the counter to dry and put them away. A week later we headed for the local dive site where I noticed the yoke screw was a bit loose and quite a few drops of water slipped out when I removed the inlet protector. (This protector is o-ring sealed and does a good job if installed correctly). I pulled the HP hose from the first and blew out the HP circuit (could see water come out there) and then purged each of the 2nds to clear any water there (hard to see). Did our 2 dives with no problem. Now, about another week later I saw this thread again and decided to open it up a take a look. The inside of the HP chamber looks fine. No water, no corrosion. I removed the HP hose and there was still a little water at the base of the port and around the threads (it has no place to go). I pulled the SPG and blew out the hose (saw nothing) and relubed the spool but saw no problems.
The point is, FW inside a 1st stage is really not a problem unless it is redissolving old salt deposits and reactivating the corrosive action. If your tech found damage (corrosion and deposits) inside your 1st stage, it is almost surely caused by other than clean FW incursions that may have occurred while soaking you regs.
Well I recently had some first hand experience of water encroaching into the 1st stage while soaking. A Mk7 last serviced on 22 Aug to correct some IP creep and whistling. Actually just disassembled enough to lube the HP o-ring and oscillator and flip the HP seat (yes, it still has an old style HP seat and some red, blue, and purple o-rings). the inside was clean so no baths required. Dove it a couple times local FW and then took it to Bonair in early Sept for 21 dives. Got home and unpacked a bit and hit the sack. Woke up at 2am and realized I had not set the regs to soaking. They were rinsed well in Bonair but I like to go for an 8 hour soak after SW diving. Got up (sleepy eyed), filled the utility room sink with warm water and set them to soaking. Left them soak for over a day. Pulled them out and set them on the counter to dry and put them away. A week later we headed for the local dive site where I noticed the yoke screw was a bit loose and quite a few drops of water slipped out when I removed the inlet protector. (This protector is o-ring sealed and does a good job if installed correctly). I pulled the HP hose from the first and blew out the HP circuit (could see water come out there) and then purged each of the 2nds to clear any water there (hard to see). Did our 2 dives with no problem. Now, about another week later I saw this thread again and decided to open it up a take a look. The inside of the HP chamber looks fine. No water, no corrosion. I removed the HP hose and there was still a little water at the base of the port and around the threads (it has no place to go). I pulled the SPG and blew out the hose (saw nothing) and relubed the spool but saw no problems.
The point is, FW inside a 1st stage is really not a problem unless it is redissolving old salt deposits and reactivating the corrosive action. If your tech found damage (corrosion and deposits) inside your 1st stage, it is almost surely caused by other than clean FW incursions that may have occurred while soaking you regs.
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