free flowing pony reg...

[colsonn]

I have a 19 cf. pony attached to my main, valve down, and the second stage on my reg. keeps free flowing on me. I just had it serviced so I know it's good. I have heard of people priming the lines and then shutting the valve off, but I am still skeptical of this. Mainly because of one thing, wouldn't the second stage keep free flowing until the air in the lines are depleated, and then wouldn't water be able to get into the first stage, causing damage? I dive cold water and my pony regulator is built for the temperature. I know you guys wouldn't do it if it did caused damage, so could someone give me some evidence that I am wrong.

thanks, nick.

 

[JeffG]

"If stupidity got us into this mess, then why can't it get us out?"

I like your sig line.

 

[markfm]

The 2nd stage shouldn't be free flowing. Doesn't matter if it's just been serviced -- it's not working right. (They can be a pain -- I have an Aeris pony reg, took the shop like 25 minutes to get it set right -- stuff happens).

I did the pre-charge bit when I was on vacation and the Aeris developed the freeflow. Beats me, but it seems to be OK, no worse for the experience.

 

[colsonn]

I like your sig line.

Not quite the answer I was looking for, but it's good to know people still have a sense of humor about life.

 

[redacted]

The phrase "just had it serviced" really should not be used in the same sentence with "so I know it's good". It is best to seperate those phrases by at least a couple divers. I suggest you take it back and let the shop check it out and correct the problem. The difference between a great breathing reg and a tendency to free flow is less than a 30 degree adjustment.

 

[veggiedog]

I dive with three regulators, two on my doubles and one on my bailout. I keep my bailout and backup regulators slightly detuned and I don't have any problems with them free flowing. Before I started detuning them, they would free flow often, but they weren't broken, just too sensitive. I keep my main regulator tuned more sensitively, and it often free flows while I am testing out my other regulators at depth if I am not careful, so I hold it correctly when it is out of my mouth (mouth piece down).

 

[colsonn]

I think I will take it back to the shop and have it tuned down so it isn't as sensitive, thanks for the info, but does anyone have any thoughts about the first stage getting water damage?

 

[redacted]

I've had it happen a few times now. If you don't keep pressure in that pony system water will tend to find its way inside as you descend. If it gets inside the SPG, it's pretty hard to clean out and may eventially damage the burbon tube resulting in bad readings. I was using a Mk2 so the water also has a tendency to get into the LP chamber which pretty much has to be disassembled to clean. I soaked it good in FW on the boat and cleaned it good when I got home. Then I repeated it a year later. As long as you don't drive the SW into the SPG, it's not hard to fix but may require a trip to the shop. I now don't turn the pony off until I reach depth. With it slung, it is pretty easy to monitor what is going on and occasionally turning it on and back off again becomes a subconcious action. With a somewhat detuned 2nd, it should not be a big problem.

 

[Charlie99]

I think I will take it back to the shop and have it tuned down so it isn't as sensitive,

If your "freeflow" is just a slow bubbling it may be first stage IP creep instead. Increasing the cracking pressure on the 2nd won't fix that problem. A quick check of your intermediate pressure will tell you if that's the problem.

If it's a full freeflow that only gets started when your mouthpiece is pointed up, then detuning should solve the problem. When sending your pony reg 1st and 2nd in for service you need to tell them that it's for a pony, or at least tell them to detune it like an octo.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

One other option, aside from de-tuning (which I would suggest with this regulator if everything's working correctly), is to use a Dacor Pacer second stage. The Pacer second stage has an anti-free flow feature, and will consistently stop free flowing in 4 seconds from the time it is activated (by pushing the button, for intance). This was one of the selling points on the Dacor Pacer (metal) second stage.

SeaRat