Dip tube interchangeability?

[Max Speed]

I have some Thermo valves which have dip tubes with hex fittings for easy removal. Spare tubes are available in two different thread forms.

I also have a Dive Rite valve. On the Dive Rite I scratched the dip tube with vice grips. I am doing a valve shuffle between tanks to accommodate my sidemount rigging and I thought that if the Thermo tubes fit the Dive Rite ,I will replace the tube with a new Thermo tube with hex fitting. (Yes, I will sleep better at night )

Anyone know if they interchange?

 

[Scared Silly]

Probably but I would call DiveGearExpress as they sell both.

 

[beanojones]

I am curious: are you sure they are Thermo dip tubes and not XS scuba dip tubes?

XS Scuba valaves have a lot of nice little touches like allen wrench dip tubes, but unfortunately they are a pain in the butt in service, and I would love it if Thermo would steal some of their ideas.

 

[Max Speed]

Probably but I would call DiveGearExpress as they sell both.

Good thought. Will do.

---------- Post added June 27th, 2013 at 04:19 PM ----------

I am curious: are you sure they are Thermo dip tubes and not XS scuba dip tubes?

Definitely Thermo.

 

[Superlyte27]

I own 33 tanks. There's not a dip tube in a single tank. Here's why...

What's the purpose of a dip tube? To keep you from inhaling water? So, you get some water in your tank, and rather than have that water shoot through your reg and possibly choke you, the water is trapped in your tank, provided there's not more than 2" of water in your tank.

Here's my thoughts on this...
In the event that I'm inverted, and water is at the valve of my tank, I'd PREFER to have that water escape the tank through the reg and in my mouth, than to sit in the tank for a year. No dip tube means that the first time I invert, I know if there's water in the tank. Dip tube installed means there could be water in the tank, and I wouldn't know until next VIP.

I can show you steel tanks where water has sat in the tank for 6 months, and it looks like a volcano erupted inside with rivers of 2" high rust forming. Just me, but I'd prefer to be notified via a mouthful of water. It doesn't hurt the reg. It might possibly hurt the SPG if the water chose that path (it doesn't usually).

 

[beanojones]

Definitely Thermo.

And they came stock in the valve? That's great news.

---------- Post added June 27th, 2013 at 07:48 PM ----------

I own 33 tanks. There's not a dip tube in a single tank. Here's why...


What's the purpose of a dip tube? To keep you from inhaling water? So, you get some water in your tank, and rather than have that water shoot through your reg and possibly choke you, the water is trapped in your tank, provided there's not more than 2" of water in your tank.

Here's my thoughts on this...
In the event that I'm inverted, and water is at the valve of my tank, I'd PREFER to have that water escape the tank through the reg and in my mouth, than to sit in the tank for a year. No dip tube means that the first time I invert, I know if there's water in the tank. Dip tube installed means there could be water in the tank, and I wouldn't know until next VIP.

I can show you steel tanks where water has sat in the tank for 6 months, and it looks like a volcano erupted inside with rivers of 2" high rust forming. Just me, but I'd prefer to be notified via a mouthful of water. It doesn't hurt the reg. It might possibly hurt the SPG if the water chose that path (it doesn't usually).

It's not there to keep water out, it's there to keep corrosion dust from blocking off the first stage filter. Not having a dip tube and having the corrosion dust close off the filter has actually been the cause of OOA incidents. With a dip tube, there has to be several inches of corrosion before the air is cut off. Without a sip tube just about any corrosion can block off the first stage filter.

 

[Graeme Tolton]

I own 33 tanks. There's not a dip tube in a single tank. Here's why...

What's the purpose of a dip tube? To keep you from inhaling water? So, you get some water in your tank, and rather than have that water shoot through your reg and possibly choke you, the water is trapped in your tank, provided there's not more than 2" of water in your tank.

Here's my thoughts on this...
In the event that I'm inverted, and water is at the valve of my tank, I'd PREFER to have that water escape the tank through the reg and in my mouth, than to sit in the tank for a year. No dip tube means that the first time I invert, I know if there's water in the tank. Dip tube installed means there could be water in the tank, and I wouldn't know until next VIP.

I can show you steel tanks where water has sat in the tank for 6 months, and it looks like a volcano erupted inside with rivers of 2" high rust forming. Just me, but I'd prefer to be notified via a mouthful of water. It doesn't hurt the reg. It might possibly hurt the SPG if the water chose that path (it doesn't usually).

It would have to be a pretty sketchy air source to end up with that much water!!! Hopefully no pp blending would be taking place!

 

[Luis H]

It's not there to keep water out, it's there to keep corrosion dust from blocking off the first stage filter. Not having a dip tube and having the corrosion dust close off the filter has actually been the cause of OOA incidents. With a dip tube, there has to be several inches of corrosion before the air is cut off. Without a sip tube just about any corrosion can block off the first stage filter.

That is correct and it doesn’t take very much dust to clog the regulator filter. The dust can come from a very small amount of rust (in steel tanks) or aluminum oxide (in aluminum tanks).

During the years when some dip tubes were made out of plastic, they often broke and there were several incidents of regulator filters clogged.
There was a safety recall of all the plastic dip tubes to be replaced with metal ones that wouldn’t break off.

Removing the dip tube is an extremely bad idea.