Question Do we need environment sealed first stages ?
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Geo7
Contributor
For many of us sealing makes sense.
But I still think that for someone doing two dozen dives a year in the tropics, an unsealed flow-through piston reg like the Mk25 is among the top choices and should last 40+ years.
But I still think that for someone doing two dozen dives a year in the tropics, an unsealed flow-through piston reg like the Mk25 is among the top choices and should last 40+ years.
Okay...most divers can't make an unsealed piston last 40 years. 
But I'm gonna misquote @Bigbella ...
Mk25? Ewwww!
That said, @happy-diver can make any reg keep working. Perpetually. In a muddy jungle. In the dark.
But I'm gonna misquote @Bigbella ...
Mk25? Ewwww!
That said, @happy-diver can make any reg keep working. Perpetually. In a muddy jungle. In the dark.
mr_v
Contributor
I prefer sealed.
My bailout reg cave fleet is all MK10. After about a year, some regs have enough fine dirt or sand to warrant a rebuild. Does it break my bank or take a lot of time? Not at all, but I would rather not do it, especially on regs that see little use. Therefore, I'll be going with Atomic M1 or something sealed like Deep6 or Apeks.
My bailout reg cave fleet is all MK10. After about a year, some regs have enough fine dirt or sand to warrant a rebuild. Does it break my bank or take a lot of time? Not at all, but I would rather not do it, especially on regs that see little use. Therefore, I'll be going with Atomic M1 or something sealed like Deep6 or Apeks.
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No not interested in that stuff, but when there are dudes being told their regs are crapped out
and may drop out or get into financial or marital difficulty buying an infrequently used new set
by well meaning dive shop reg people, whom I equate to lawyers real estate agents car dealers
Yeah, It's ok to be unnecessarily anal about your own stuff, but when it costs other folks money
The dive shop dude where everybody wants to be your friend for cheap stuff
where you lie naturally, and so live your life, thinking everyone is lying to you
Perpetuating myth obscuring facts under the guise of safety the outcome an uninformed diver
Now reconstituting my fifty year old Soviet oxygen booster, that is worthy of some of my time
Let's Go Diving!"
One of these days if God gives me the means, I want to go to Australia and dive with you. I want to visit your dive locker too.
The photo shows examples of different openings of the first stage to the water.
Top , left an cheap Aqualung unsealed piston flow by with four littel holes to the water .
This as an example of how not to do it. Because it is difficult to rinse the inside thoroughly, I have already had the pleasure twice to polish up the surface against which the little Oring is sealing. So the process that Happy Diver has already described. No big deal for me, but I'm not an average user.
Top , in the middle is my first Reg. a now 55-year-old Schick Elan with larger openings to the water.
I was always able to rinse it so well that I have never had to rework a surface, except once polish the HP orivice.
Top , third from left an old poseidon membrane stage with an opening for an 6mm allen key to the water .
Enough not to freeze easy , but not easy to rinse . I'm used to find corrosion inside the spring room .
Botton left is an appreciated 50 jear old Dräger for which the same applies as the Poseidon.
The newer versions were sealed , which was touted as a great step forward. After 20 schort years my sealed version was no longer completely leak-proof , some water came into the dry chamber and when ice diving I had a freeflow, and corrosion inside .
The Sherwood on the right side had two tiny scratces on the sealing surface of the CBS rubber , and some water and corrosion inside . With this scratces there is no chance of a save seal anymore , there is only the possibility of a good opening to the water .I closed the CBS filter in the piston and drilled 6 good holes .
I have another Sherwood 1st stage that has the CBS system and I won't change that as long as it's tight.
Lifetime diaphragm and piston orings
With the exception of the Sherwood, all membrane and piston orings have never been replaced, so they are at least 40 to 55 years old. I check the condition for surface area and elasticity under a stereo overhead microscope. I also do this with spare parts and their surfaces sometimes have to be reworked to avoid unnecessarily fast wear.
The reason for the long service life is that the membranes in the open water chamber are only stress loaded with IP, as well as the orings in the open uncompensated piston stages.
The Dräger first stages had an official service interval of 5 years . This is something you could expect with the construction and manufacturing quality and good rinsing after each dive .
Top , left an cheap Aqualung unsealed piston flow by with four littel holes to the water .
This as an example of how not to do it. Because it is difficult to rinse the inside thoroughly, I have already had the pleasure twice to polish up the surface against which the little Oring is sealing. So the process that Happy Diver has already described. No big deal for me, but I'm not an average user.
Top , in the middle is my first Reg. a now 55-year-old Schick Elan with larger openings to the water.
I was always able to rinse it so well that I have never had to rework a surface, except once polish the HP orivice.
Top , third from left an old poseidon membrane stage with an opening for an 6mm allen key to the water .
Enough not to freeze easy , but not easy to rinse . I'm used to find corrosion inside the spring room .
Botton left is an appreciated 50 jear old Dräger for which the same applies as the Poseidon.
The newer versions were sealed , which was touted as a great step forward. After 20 schort years my sealed version was no longer completely leak-proof , some water came into the dry chamber and when ice diving I had a freeflow, and corrosion inside .
The Sherwood on the right side had two tiny scratces on the sealing surface of the CBS rubber , and some water and corrosion inside . With this scratces there is no chance of a save seal anymore , there is only the possibility of a good opening to the water .I closed the CBS filter in the piston and drilled 6 good holes .
I have another Sherwood 1st stage that has the CBS system and I won't change that as long as it's tight.
Lifetime diaphragm and piston orings
With the exception of the Sherwood, all membrane and piston orings have never been replaced, so they are at least 40 to 55 years old. I check the condition for surface area and elasticity under a stereo overhead microscope. I also do this with spare parts and their surfaces sometimes have to be reworked to avoid unnecessarily fast wear.
The reason for the long service life is that the membranes in the open water chamber are only stress loaded with IP, as well as the orings in the open uncompensated piston stages.
The Dräger first stages had an official service interval of 5 years . This is something you could expect with the construction and manufacturing quality and good rinsing after each dive .
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