How long should I soak the regs?

[Stu S.]

Oceanic says soak it, pressurized is best. Mares says just rinse it off, pressurized is best. Mares states that pressure into the second stage can keep rinse water from moving into the first stage. Both brands have specific instructions.

Did you keep your owner's guide?

 

[*Floater*]

Oceanic says soak it, pressurized is best. Mares says just rinse it off, pressurized is best. Mares states that pressure into the second stage can keep rinse water from moving into the first stage. Both brands have specific instructions.

Did you keep your owner's guide?

The Dive-Rite manual just says to replace the dust cover after use and to rinse thoroughly, then allow to dry completely before storing away in a closed box or by hanging from first stage.

But seems to me that you do need to soak them in warm water to dissolve all salt crystals that tend to form. Unscrewing the locking ring and removing the cover and diaphragm for the soak also seems to help because sometimes salt water gets trapped in there and can later make it hard to unscrew the ring and also because it dries better when open. Sometimes I've opened a reg that I soaked a few days ago without removing the covered first and found water trapped in there.

But I'm really just wondering if anyone knows how long it actually takes for warm water to dissolve salt residue off typical regulators?

Thanks for all the suggestions so far.

 

[liberato]

Maybe you could take a cup of warm water (and a cup of cold while you're at it), add a teaspoon of salt, stir briefly, and then time how long before the crystals go into solution.

 

[jvisser]

from: http://www.aqualung.com/technical_library/RgltrOM.pdf

"As soon as possible after diving, the regulator should be rinsed thoroughly
with fresh water while it is attached to a cylinder and pressurized
with air."

"Rinsing alone, however, will not sufficiently clean the regulator. To
clean the regulator as thoroughly as possible, it is necessary to soak it in warm (not over 120°F) tap water for at least one hour."

"The preferred method is to attach the regulator to a charged SCUBA cylinder, open the cylinder valve to pressurize the regulator, and thoroughly soak both the first and second-stages. Pressurizing the regulator will effectively prevent the entrance of moisture and/or contaminants into the regulator while it soaks."

"If it is not feasible to soak the regulator while it is attached to a
cylinder, it may be soaked unpressurized - provided that the dust cap is securely sealed over the inlet with its O-ring intact, and the second stage purges buttons are not depressed while the regulator is submerged or wet."

And so on. There are more warnings and procedures on this topic.

The single best thing you can do is soak immediately after exiting the salt water, before it can dry, and swish it around to move the salt water out of the regulator passages, including the first stage ambient port (mainspring housing, for example). That's "soak and swish," not just rinse.

 

[Charlie99]

Maybe you could take a cup of warm water (and a cup of cold while you're at it), add a teaspoon of salt, stir briefly, and then time how long before the crystals go into solution.

The real test would be to dip some old gear in salt water and then let it dry completely. This will often leave a whitish film that is a lot hard to dissolve than regular old table salt.

Then you could soak the gear for a predetermined time and see if that takes off that salt film.

Just seeing how long it takes to dissolve loose salt crystals will give you an overly optimistic estimate.

 

[fweber]

Always soaked while under positive pressure. I can't imagine soaking regs that had no internal pressure and not expecting water to get inside. If you can keep your regs on a tank(s) and get them soaked in a reasonable time frame, that's the way to go. If you can't, then just rinse them while ensure the seconds are low and the purge botton doesn't get bumped.

 

[jvisser]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned products like Salt-Away or SaltX. I wonder if they work, and are safe for all regulator materials.

I find that a drop of household dishwashing detergent helps to know the salt out of everything. I try to rinse in warm water, at least a gallon for a regulator, with a drop of Dawn.

For cleaning salt build up and corrosion when rebuilding or cleaning up a stripped down regulator or similar piece of equipment I use household white vinegar, diluted. Don't overdo it! Aqualung recommends Oakite #31, which is phosphoric acid based. I always neutralize in a baking soda solution afterwards.

 

[Charlie99]

Always soaked while under positive pressure. I can't imagine soaking regs that had no internal pressure and not expecting water to get inside.

I've soaked my 1st stage for a few hours to remove salt buildup from the yoke threads. My aftermarket dustcap has a standard yoke o-ring that makes a good seal against the reg. I have no fears at all about water getting through the "dust cap". OTOH, I didn't trust the all rubber thingy that Atomics supplied as a dust cap.

With a normal 2nd stage, I see no reason to believe that the 2nd stage demand valve would let water get by, unless you pushed the purge valve. I don't trust my Atomics 2nds with the seat relief feature, but if I needed to soak them for an extended time, I'd just assume that a small amount of water got into the LP hose and would keep the 1st stage elevated above that. Any clean water that got in would eventually either dry up or get blown out the next time I use the reg.

I figure the risk of me clumsily whacking and breaking something with the tank makes trying to rinse with a tank attached the more risky alternative.

 

[jvisser]

I'd just assume that a small amount of water got into the LP hose and would keep the 1st stage elevated above that. Any clean water that got in would eventually either dry up or get blown out the next time I use the reg.

That's fine, except the issue is that the salt water would be flushed into the internals and hose, and then sit there to dry. Even non-ocean water that is hard is a problem.

My house water is so hard, after repair/rebuild I final rinse in distilled water.