House insulation all over Regs

[Bigeclipse]

ok here is a weird situation. I went and unpacked my scuba gear and found a mouse decided to make a nest inside my regulator bag and got insulation all over my regs. Theoretically this should only be on the outside of the regs but I’m not sure what to do? I do believe insulation is bad for you to breath and if anyone has gotten it on their skin they know it can itch. Thoughts?!?

 

[rongoodman]

Wash them off? Perhaps unscrew the face plates and have a look inside the second stages if you're concerned.

(I was only thinking about the insulation. Good points made in the later comments about possible biological contamination.)

 

[herman]

I would be more concerned about mouse urine and poop. The first stage and hoses I would just wash off with hot soapy water. The second stages are a different matter. Since you put them in your mouth and breath from them, I would dissemble them, soak them in a mild bleach solution followed by a good scrubbing in a dish detergent bath.....and new mouth pieces.

 

[Graeme Fraser]

Thoroughly!

Assuming they've been stored over winter, maybe an early service if it's worrying you, but it's unlikely to have penetrated the internals. A mouthful of mouse turd would p!ss me off more!

 

[chillyinCanada]

One word

Hantavirus

Clean your reg like never before

 

[jgttrey]

Service if needed and for sure check to see what might have been nibbled, but no need to panic. Clean them up and soak in Steramine solution. Function check. Done.

Bleach is not so good for your gear. Rebreather divers use Steramine all the time. It's also good for dive boot funk.

 

[Rooster59]

I would make absolute certain there is nothing around or in the inlet to the 1st (HP) stage. You don't want anything driven into the 1st stage internals.

 

[Pedro Burrito]

You mentioned insulation, is it from the bag or the house? If house, is it fiberglass or asbestos or something else? How old is the house?

Are you certain it’s not asbestos?

 

[Scared Silly]

One word - Hantavirus - Clean your reg like never before

FWIW The OP is in NY which is a very very low probably area for Hantavirus. Now he was west of the Mississippi River and in particular the West/Southwest then it could be on concern.

I would first give then a quick washing under running water, especially the first stage, which I would then hook up to a cylinder so to blow out the second stages. After that I would remove the second stage purge cover and diaphragm and wash in hot soapy water with disinfectant.

 

[KentB]

I’d get them serviced myself but that’s just me. Also let the tech know what happened.
Ultrasonic cleaner maybe??