First Pee Valve Installation

[smorneau]

I am doing a deco class and decided it was time to put a pee valve in my Typhoon fabric suit. I purchased a Light Monkey Tinkle and it arrived today from DRIS. I was a little surprised there were no instructions in it. I have done some searches here on SB and with Google and have found very little installation information.

I am unsure how low and where on the thigh to punch the hole and what to use for glue or sealant. I have Aquaseal, PB 300 and some rubber cement kicking around.

Is there a good thread here on the board that talks about installation of valves? Does anyone know where to get a punch big enough for the hole. The threaded shaft of the valve appears to be about a 1in diameter.

Thanks

 

[Aqua-Andy]

I used a 5/8" punch for my Halcyon valve, but people have had good luck using a soldering iron to melt the hole. I used RTV silicone to install the valve on my Nex-Gen and on my Fusion I used two washers made out of an old neck seal. I like the washer idea, lots cleaner and easy to remove if you need to, I have not had any leaks in about a year and a half. I was told not to use Aqua Seal as it would make it almost impossible to remove the valve without destroying it. What I did was don the suit and mark with a Sharpie about half way between my crotch and knee and slightly inside. Now the hard part, place the suit on a hard surface and put a piece of wood in the leg under where the hole is to be made(if the wood is not smooth you may want to wrap it in an old towel to protect the suit fabric. Now all you have to do is punch a hole in your drysuit. Assuming you punched the hole correctly and not through both sides of the leg all you have to do now is place a rubber gasket on each side of the valve and screw it on to the suit. It may help to spray the valve side of the washers with soap and water so the valve can turn while tightening and not cause the gasket to bunch up. Hope this helps, are you diving Nubble anytime soon? If so we could meet up and punch the hole and install it before of after a dive, I have a punch kit with eight or so different sizes.

 

[antattack]

I have a nice USIA shell suit and recently installed a pee valve. I just used an exacto knife, tracing around an appropriate sized object to make the hole- no problems there.

If you are working on a shell suit is layers. The part the suit I put the valve on has three layers of shell material. If I'd put the valve three inches lower, it would have been only one layer of shell material. No problem if you cut through more than one layer, just make sure you make a good glue seal all the way aroudn each layer using a cotton swab. Then glue up the inside and outside surfaces and lock the valve down.

My valve has about five dives on it and it works great. Highly recommended.

 

[Aqua-Andy]

I would stay away from glue. I believe it was Mike from DRIS that I first saw suggest using an old latex seal to make a gasket, this is what they do on customers suits. I have over fifty dives with no glue and dry as a bone(except when the duck bill valve leaked, and unfortunately that leak was not from the outside of the suit)

 

[elan]

You want the valve not to interfere with you leg movements and not catching on anything.

 

[HenrikBP]

I would stay away from glue. I believe it was Mike from DRIS that I first saw suggest using an old latex seal to make a gasket, this is what they do on customers suits. I have over fifty dives with no glue and dry as a bone(except when the duck bill valve leaked, and unfortunately that leak was not from the outside of the suit)

I'm with Andy; I installed a Pee valve in a Fusion suit using exactly that method. I used a punch to make the hole and gave the fabric around the hole a very thin coat of silicone. Then used neoprene fender washers for sealing. Worked like a charm and stayed leak-free as long as I owned the suit ~ 75 - 100 dives.

 

[smorneau]

I have over fifty dives with no glue and dry as a bone(except when the duck bill valve leaked, and unfortunately that leak was not from the outside of the suit)

It probably would have been better if it had leaked from the outside.

Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk 2

 

[smorneau]

I used a 5/8" punch for my Halcyon valve, but people have had good luck using a soldering iron to melt the hole. I used RTV silicone to install the valve on my Nex-Gen and on my Fusion I used two washers made out of an old neck seal. I like the washer idea, lots cleaner and easy to remove if you need to, I have not had any leaks in about a year and a half. I was told not to use Aqua Seal as it would make it almost impossible to remove the valve without destroying it. What I did was don the suit and mark with a Sharpie about half way between my crotch and knee and slightly inside. Now the hard part, place the suit on a hard surface and put a piece of wood in the leg under where the hole is to be made(if the wood is not smooth you may want to wrap it in an old towel to protect the suit fabric. Now all you have to do is punch a hole in your drysuit. Assuming you punched the hole correctly and not through both sides of the leg all you have to do now is place a rubber gasket on each side of the valve and screw it on to the suit. It may help to spray the valve side of the washers with soap and water so the valve can turn while tightening and not cause the gasket to bunch up. Hope this helps, are you diving Nubble anytime soon? If so we could meet up and punch the hole and install it before of after a dive, I have a punch kit with eight or so different sizes.

I think I am going to give the washer idea a try. What is RTV silicone and where do you find it? Is it the same as auto and marine silicone?

I made a punch with a 3/4in copper fitting that I think will work great. I hope to get this installed this weekend so I can test it a few times before deco class.

Now I just need to find a place that will sell me some catheters. What's the best way to clean this neat new gadget without catching a UTI.

I would like to get in a dive a Nubble sometimes soon, where else do you dive locally in NH.

Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk 2

 

[superspeed]

The inside edge of a 1" copper fitting is what i used. Sharpened the fitting so that the inner edge was sharp, worked out to be right around 15/16 which is close to the size of the pee valve minus the threads. I used the smallest amount of RTV possible and then just put it on the suit (Whites fusion) No leaks yet.

Your idea seems solid, good luck! I use vinegar and just flush the whole thing out after each time i use it/day of use.

 

[spectrum]

LHB Industries is a popular source.

Rochester wide bands are the commonly used product.

If you contact Rochester medical they can send a sample pack with a sizing gauge.

if you need to get sized PDQ measure the flacid diameter and round down to the next size. The silicone is very thin and will stretch for a no wrinkle fit.

Don after showering, before body oils emerge, good for the day.

With that much information a local pharmacy can probably get you started.

I flush with rubbing alcohol followed by vinegar.

What you do for quick disconnect, should you choose can be a whole other thread!

You're gonna love it!

Pete