Dust cap left off while soaking Reg

[Lee Taylor]

after it drys, do a couple of shallow dives, best advice is always, have it serviced

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

I am one of the soakers. I just yesterday left my gear in the bathtub for ~18 hours (BC, reg set and wet suit) because of job timing. I have two Oceanic sets (see my profile) that have both soaked extensively after thousands of dives (well the new one might just be at a thousand), and have had good grades on every servicing.

 

[Hatul]

No need to be "conflicted" Do what your reg manufacturer recommends.

I've heard/read (but do not know for sure) that the Atomic 2nd's have a "seat saver" feature that makes unpressurized soaking a no-no (water can pass up the 2nd stage hose if it is not pressurized?).

Best wishes.

I asked the Atomic people at the dive show about this and he said it's not a big deal if water gets behind the seat saver, and you can dry it off by attaching to a tank and blowing air through it.

 

[fnfalman]

There's soaking the regs without it pressurized and then there's soaking the regs. If you soak it for five or ten minutes, then that's fine. If you soak it for three hours or overnight without pressure, then there's a good possibility of water working its way up via the 2nd stage. I can't imagine a reg so dirty/salty that a ten minutes soak can't cure and you have to leave it for hours on end submerged in water.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

There's soaking the regs without it pressurized and then there's soaking the regs. If you soak it for five or ten minutes, then that's fine. If you soak it for three hours or overnight without pressure, then there's a good possibility of water working its way up via the 2nd stage. I can't imagine a reg so dirty/salty that a ten minutes soak can't cure and you have to leave it for hours on end submerged in water.

Respectfully: How can that occur with most properly-functioning 2nd stages?

With downstream 2nd stages, there is an air-tight seal between soft seat and orifice in the demand valve, and sealing force is maintained by the poppet spring... that seal can of course be broken if the purge is pushed (which opens the demand valve) while the reg is unpressurized....

But my question is if the 2nd does not leak air when pressurized, how can water in a shallow wash bin (under far less pressure) find a way up the hose?

It should not be able to unless the 2nd has the purge depressed or some kind of "seat saver"....

Best wishes.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

I asked the Atomic people at the dive show about this and he said it's not a big deal if water gets behind the seat saver, and you can dry it off by attaching to a tank and blowing air through it.

Thanks, I was curious about that.

Best wishes.

 

[Scott L]

Nver mind...

 

[Scott L]

Never mind...

 

[Hatul]

There's soaking the regs without it pressurized and then there's soaking the regs. If you soak it for five or ten minutes, then that's fine. If you soak it for three hours or overnight without pressure, then there's a good possibility of water working its way up via the 2nd stage. I can't imagine a reg so dirty/salty that a ten minutes soak can't cure and you have to leave it for hours on end submerged in water.

I've seen dry salt deposits on metal scuba gear that was briefly dipped in fresh water. It tends to occur in crevices or areas between two angles surfaces. Presumably the same thing can occur inside the regulator.

Adam

 

[Hatul]

The second stage is not the point of entry he is referring. The function of the dust cap does not contemplate long-term submersion. I am tired as heck after a long day of diving. As discussed earlier, I simply connect reg onto a pony tank and toss into my water bin then retrieve when I awaken from my nap. No possibility of water intrusion...

That's fine if you have a pony tank dedicated to that. But my 13 cu ft pony drops pressure every time I pressurize the reg.