Gear Maintenance: Rinse your metal second stage in warm vs cold water ?

[El Diablo]

I just realized that I don't ALWAYS rinse my gear in hot fresh water..... We usually head over to Neah Bay, WA at least once a year for a week or so and on the way back we usually stop at Crescent Lake for a "High Pressure" rinse dive. Then when I get home I just flush out by BC wing and hang everything up to dry!

You still should rinse it nevertheless in order to avoid any bacteria and / or micro-organisms building a colony in your reg and subsequently in your intestine

 

[El Diablo]

That's probably because of the minerals present in the rinse/wash water. I use bottled water for more sensitive equipment such as regulators, dive computers, BC hoses/inflator, lights and whatever else that I consider "sensitive."

These are actually salt deposits that dissolved when the gear was rinsed or soaked and solidified again when drying out. You will also see this very often in Dive Computers around the pressure valve area or buttons, no matter if you left the gear soaking for hours

Sea salt has a tendency to adhere to metal at molecular level and very often fresh water cannot break the bond totally.

 

[BoltSnap]

Bottled water is not free of minerals.
Another moniker for bottled water is mineral water.

Drop a bit of your bottled water on a metal surface and let it dry. You'll literally see the unevaporated minerals on the metal surface.

I would use distilled water if you really want to eliminate any minerals.

How about "filtered" water? We have "heavy" ground water here with higher salt content (but less than sea water). When we wash our dive equipment with tab water, we often end up with residual deposits on equipment that look like salt deposits/crystals. These deposits from the wash water are not from the sea water after rinse. We buy huge bottles of filtered water (used primarily as drinking water) and use it as a second rinse/wash for sensitive equipment. The mineral deposit issues disappeared after using this filtered water.

Any salt like deposits found on dive equipment after rinsing/soaking it in tap water is most likely due to salt/minerals in this tap water not from sea water.

"Mineral Water" used to designate different type of fancy bottled water here.

 

[BoltSnap]

These are actually salt deposits that dissolved when the gear was rinsed or soaked and solidified again when drying out. You will also see this very often in Dive Computers around the pressure valve area or buttons, no matter if you left the gear soaking for hours

Sea salt has a tendency to adhere to metal at molecular level and very often fresh water cannot break the bond totally.

How do you get rid of it then?

 

[hedonist222]

How about "filtered" water? We have "heavy" ground water here with higher salt content (but less than sea water). When we wash our dive equipment with tab water, we often end up with residual deposits on equipment that look like salt deposits/crystals. These deposits from the wash water are not from the sea water after rinse. We buy huge bottles of filtered water (used primarily as drinking water) and use it as a second rinse/wash for sensitive equipment. The mineral deposit issues disappeared after using this filtered water.

Any salt like deposits found on dive equipment after rinsing/soaking it in tap water is most likely due to salt/minerals in this tap water not from sea water.

"Mineral Water" used to designate different type of fancy bottled water here.

The less TDS (total dissolved solids), the less residual deposits.

 

[El Diablo]

How do you get rid of it then?

Rinse twice

(after waiting a couple of days)

 

[BoltSnap]

Rinse twice

(after waiting a couple of days)

Two much work, I prefer diving every other day.

 

[El Diablo]

Two much work, I prefer diving every other day.

If you dive often, there's no problem at all. The issue only appears with long term storage

 

[mictrik]

I am a little surprised no one mentioned using a product like salt-x. This is supposed to eliminate or reduce the corrosion issue. I have used it with good results.

Salt-X = The best salt and salt corrosion fighter!

Salt-X removes salt from virtually any surface safely and effectively. Use on fishing gear, boats, vehicles, scuba gear, buildings, military equipment, jet skis, containers, etc. Any where salt is a problem, Salt-X is the solution!

www.saltx.com

 

[BoltSnap]

I am a little surprised no one mentioned using a product like salt-x. This is supposed to eliminate or reduce the corrosion issue. I have used it with good results.

Salt-X = The best salt and salt corrosion fighter!

Salt-X removes salt from virtually any surface safely and effectively. Use on fishing gear, boats, vehicles, scuba gear, buildings, military equipment, jet skis, containers, etc. Any where salt is a problem, Salt-X is the solution!

www.saltx.com

What mix percentage do you use?