How to deal with a power inflator that is stuck open at depth?

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In Belize, while on a live aboard, the wifes inflator stuck open. Luckily, we were on the boat and just about ready to jump in. Once home, had it serviced and it was salty inside. I clean our gear meticulously after ever trip.
Never learned the "removal" trick (run away inflator) in OW or anyplace else. Heard about here!!

I love the idea of the "hat". Thanks!!!
 
Thanks for posting this. I had never thought of that as a problem. Now I will know what to do. I think I will practice releasing my inflator hose in the water with my thick gloves on.

- Bill
 
I'm in the camp to change the hose and then the inflator if the new hose didn't fix things. I use a little silicone spray on mine after they are dry. I dive ID's so I have 2 LP hoses. I do make a switch on some dives just to be able to do it, a drill. It should be easier to remove the hose pressurized, mine pop right off. However getting the alt hose on while pressurized can be a challenge especially with my 5mm gloves. Those hats look like just the thing I could use.

Rhodesaz, buy a inflator attachment that fits on your garden hose. You can rinse the inflator and the bladder. The LDS here has them for about $30.00. LP has them also.
 
If your dumps are working properly, they should all be able to dump air faster than the inflator puts it in. They are designed that way for that purpose.

Yep. I recommend people actually try this themselves, in the shallowest part of the pool. When it works correctly, it helps to build confidence in the skill. When it doesn't work correctly, it lets you find out before you really have a problem.

In fact, during a tech class we did this exercise in about 10 feet of water (go head down, hold down the inflator while holding open the rear dump), and my buddy's wing actually did NOT dump fast enough - he rose slowly. Everybody agreed it's better to find that out in 10ft of water than in 70ft of water with 30 minutes of deco ahead of you. :)
 
Sometimes I find my QD gets salty or stiff, so I put a small drop of CRC on the spot where the locking ball bearings are (where the outer cover is that slides) and this fixes it. I don't put anything on the air fitting so it can contaminate the bladder.
 
I agree, two sticks and the defective hose is replaced. But I have briefly soaked gear in a weak vinegar solution to remove salt deposits. Any reason this should not be done?
 
Disconnect low pressure hose... OR BFK....:shocked2:

Jim...
 
I agree, two sticks and the defective hose is replaced. But I have briefly soaked gear in a weak vinegar solution to remove salt deposits. Any reason this should not be done?

Warm water will dissolve the salt w/o the acid in vinegar. Why expose your gear to anymore stress than you need too? Peter69_56 using petroleum based lubes with dive gear is not usually done at least not that I'm aware of. If CRC is not petroleum base pardon me. I use LDS bought silicone spray or grease only on dive gear.
 
Yep. I recommend people actually try this themselves, in the shallowest part of the pool. When it works correctly, it helps to build confidence in the skill. When it doesn't work correctly, it lets you find out before you really have a problem.

In fact, during a tech class we did this exercise in about 10 feet of water (go head down, hold down the inflator while holding open the rear dump), and my buddy's wing actually did NOT dump fast enough - he rose slowly. Everybody agreed it's better to find that out in 10ft of water than in 70ft of water with 30 minutes of deco ahead of you. :)

I know we had do demonstrate removal of inflator hose during our tech course as well. Then do oral fills and show control, as well as mask off, reg out and swim along a line for 20m (60'), at depth, remove mask and then remove reg and have buddy offer long hose reg and bring you up at controlled rate.

All good stuff to learn and practice regularly because if it happens in real life, you had better know how to do it and be ok with the change in comfort.

---------- Post added July 25th, 2013 at 11:12 PM ----------

Warm water will dissolve the salt w/o the acid in vinegar. Why expose your gear to anymore stress than you need too? Peter69_56 using petroleum based lubes with dive gear is not usually done at least not that I'm aware of. If CRC is not petroleum base pardon me. I use LDS bought silicone spray or grease only on dive gear.

I take your point and while I have used it (very much in moderation, a drop and no more just on the outside of metal fitting) I think silicone spray is a much better option and will get some. Once I had a inflator I could not get on no matter what, looking at it, the ball bearings were seized/dry/stuck so a drop of CRC and it was fixed but I was very much aware of the oil issue with my gear so then washed the oil off with a hose, but it resolved the problem.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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