Flooded 1st Stage

[WB2GLP]

Copy/Paste from an old Sherwood Service Bulletin:

Certainly one of the strongest of SHERWOOD's patented features is the Positive Air Purge (Dry Air Bleed) System, which keeps the interior of the first stage completely clean, and dry. The system is very rugged but does need a bit of forethought on the repair technician's part to insure that it keeps working. When we travel to various Dive Stores world wide, we try to audit a few regulators in each store to see how they are standing up. We are still finding from time to time, entire groups of SHERWOOD regulators with no air coming from the One Way Bleed Valve when the air is turned on. Inevitably, when we open these regulators, we find the Piston coated with a layer of grease which clogs the small stainless steel flow element located in the large piston face. This grease usually gets there due to improper servicing techniques, such as the following:

1. The entire piston is sprayed with silicone grease before installation to "prevent corrosion".
2. The Piston 0-Rings and Cap are heavily over lubricated with silicone grease which then squashes down and covers the end of the piston when the piston is inserted into the cap.
3. The Piston is "cleaned" in a dirty, over used cleaning bath, which coats the piston with grease as it is removed from the bath.
4. The Piston is handled with very greasy finger tips during servicing, which covers the Flow Element in the Piston.

An attempt can be made to clean the grease from the flow element. Use a very warm, and fresh batch of cleaning solution in an ultra sonic cleaner. Keep the piston in the bath for a fair length of time. Remove the piston from the fluid, and blow it dry thoroughly with clean dry compressed air. Pay particular attention to drying both sides of the flow control element. Install the piston into the regulator using techniques described in the appropriate SHERWOOD Service Manual, and check the flow rate as per instructions in the manual. If the flow rate is not quite up to minimum level, then a repeated attempt at cleaning should be made. If the flow through the piston element has been obstructed due to improper servicing techniques, the replacement of the piston is not covered by warranty. Corrosion in the spring chamber, or the back side of the piston face are seldom if ever, the cause of diminished flow through the One Way Bleed Valve. Rather, corrosion is usually a symptom that the flow element has been clogged, and the system has been made inoperative.

Troubleshooting tips from a Sherwood repair manual regarding wet breathing have no mention of the One Way Bleed Valves. Also, note their repeated use of One Way Bleed Valve above.

 

[NAM001]

post #11 ....... Great info

 

[Peter_C]

On Sherwoods it IS normal for them to vent a continuous stream of bubbles.

Well I stand corrected! My apologies.

The Sherwood 1st stage I have didn't blow any bubbles, and then on a dive decided to start leaking continuously. Fortunately it was just my argon reg and was promptly replaced.

 

[raftingtigger]

Well I stand corrected! My apologies.

The Sherwood 1st stage I have didn't blow any bubbles, and then on a dive decided to start leaking continuously. Fortunately it was just my argon reg and was promptly replaced.

The older ones don't - guess that is what you owned. You just got a good dose of the 'famous' SB commentary on real/perceived mis-information. Apology cheerfully accepted. I'll probably need the same understanding at some point(s).

 

[Seaduced]

I am confused. flooded 1st stage or flooded primary second stage. Should not a flooded first stage effect both second stages/ lp outputs? Not to mention how do you flood a 1st stage. Must be a sherwood thing.

Not being a regulator tech, I'm not sure why the primary second was breathing wetter, maybe I was drawing water past the exhaust valve because I was having to pull harder for breath. I don't remember it being salty though. For someone who knows, could the water be coming through the LP ports to the second stage? Maybe the octo would have started breathing harder and getting some water after a bit more time.

The Sherwood Oasis is advertized as breathing 'wetter' due to condensation and is great to head-off dry mouth.

Yeah, I was probably a little over dramatic on the total failure scenario, but enough things were "acting up" I decided to call it and talk about it on the beach.

 

[chrpai]

It doesn't taste salty because the salt water evaporates in the first stage and then condenses in the second stage.

 

[Seaduced]

Punctured diaphragm or mouthpiece i would believe. Knowing the Sherwoods, i would also suspect a loose purge cover that somehow unscrewed. When you get a chance, check and see if you have a new mouthpiece and/or a new zip tie on your reg.

I agree with wb2glp that the OP should check elsewhere for the breathing issue. Your reg can stop bubbling and not have any immediate noticeable effect (at least I never noticed anything amiss). The only thing I noticed was my reg did not bubble and my buddies reg still did.

I put that second on another 1st stage for the remainder of the trip and did not have any problems. I'm not sure where the extra wetness was coming from, unless pulling harder was drawing water past a valve or my lip seal.

---------- Post added April 1st, 2013 at 12:54 PM ----------

It doesn't taste salty because the salt water evaporates in the first stage and then condenses in the second stage.

I'll check my hoses for salt build up.

 

[WB2GLP]

I'm going to guess that at some point after you noticed a lack of bubbles, as you spun on your back to check, you put yourself in a position which your reg just didn't like (for lack of a better term). Ambient water probably entered the 2nd stage on exhalation through the exhaust port while you were in an inverted position.

 

[Seaduced]

I'm going to guess that at some point after you noticed a lack of bubbles, as you spun on your back to check, you put yourself in a position which your reg just didn't like (for lack of a better term). Ambient water probably entered the 2nd stage on exhalation through the exhaust port while you were in an inverted position.

Could be. We were doing a lot of beach dives, it occurred to me that I may have picked up some sand that was holding the exhaust valve open a bit. I have more than 400 dives on this reg, it's been a pretty solid performer.

 

[chillyinCanada]

My Maximus started to breathe more "wet" than normal. I was concerned, of course. Switched to my octo and took a look at my primary. The mouthpiece cover was slightly askew and as I looked, one of the tiny cover screws came off in my hand. How I ever kept hold of that thing, I'll never know . . .but I digress. Once back at the dive op, I took my reg to the tech. He couldn't find anything wrong at all, other than the cover, which he re-affixed. He offered that potentially, there'd been a grain of sand in the diaphragm.

That happened years ago and has never happened again. All that said, it is amazing to me that the OP recognized that his first stage was not bleeding air during the dive. I would never know one way or the other, without being able to look at my first stage directly, whereas with any other leak or unusual sensation, I'm immediately aware and signalling someone to advise me.