How to change an O-ring?

[lanshark]

I've done a search and come up empty. It seems straight forward, but as with anything, you never know until you ask.

Problem:
A tank with a Sherwood 5000 valve has a bad O-ring (leaks like a seive when you attach your regulator to it).

Question:
What is the standard procedure to replace the o-ring? assuming you have an o-ring for a Sherwood 5000 valve in your save-a-dive kit.

Question2:
How many different size o-rings are there?


Reason I'm asking:

I've not had to change an o-ring yet (the dive ops I have dealt with just tell me to set up my gear on another another tank rather than replace the o-ring on the spot). (warm water divig in Cozumel). I'm pretty certain that "changing an O-ring" wasn't covered in my OW back in 2000. So I don't feel stupid for asking.

Cheers,
Lanshark

 

[MechDiver]

You remove the old oring and put in a new one. There are commonly two sizes for yoke valves, thick and thin. Don't know the size offhand. You don't use grease on K-valve rings.

There are thousands of oring sizes.

The valve could have had a burr (common) instead of a bad oring.

 

[yknot]

Dental picks work well for my personal tanks but you have to be very careful to spear them and not dig around and maybe scratch the tank valve. I keep picks and o-rings in my dive tool kit. When you put the new o-ring on, get it started and use the yoke on your first stage to completely push it into place. Again, you have to be careful so as not to cut the new o-ring in any way.

 

[alemaozinho]

I've done a search and come up empty. It seems straight forward, but as with anything, you never know until you ask.

Problem:
A tank with a Sherwood 5000 valve has a bad O-ring (leaks like a seive when you attach your regulator to it).

Question:
What is the standard procedure to replace the o-ring? assuming you have an o-ring for a Sherwood 5000 valve in your save-a-dive kit.

Question2:
How many different size o-rings are there?


Reason I'm asking:

I've not had to change an o-ring yet (the dive ops I have dealt with just tell me to set up my gear on another another tank rather than replace the o-ring on the spot). (warm water divig in Cozumel). I'm pretty certain that "changing an O-ring" wasn't covered in my OW back in 2000. So I don't feel stupid for asking.

Cheers,
Lanshark

remove the old one/replace with a new o- ring

 

[roakey]

My battlefield method for removing a regulator O ring is to pressurize the system, let most of the pressure out (but not all) and then remove the reg (assuming a yoke valve). The pressure will blow out the O ring and allow you to pull it out the rest of the way with your fingernails or something...

Roak

 

[TwoTanks]

It really is as simple as remove the old o-ring and put in the new one.

To get the old one out I will often use a fishing hook. Just stick it into the o-ring and pull it out.

I will try to clean out any oxidation around the groove and then put in the new o-ring

On some valves I will need to use the reg. to push the o-ring into the groove. If I cant just push the o-ring in then I will lay it in place and put the reg over it. then I tighten the yoke and that pushes the o-ring into the groove.

Here is a nice webpage about o-rings, sizes and uses.

http://www.diveriteexpress.com/hardware/orings.shtml

TT