Improper Regulator Rinsing?

[WaterWayne]

My usual procedure is to dunk my Zeagle Flathead VI in warm tap water. This time, I had not screwed down the dust cover after removing the tank at the dive site (tired, I guess.) The reg was immersed for several minutes in the bathtub before I realized the dust cover was not on. I attached it and finished rinsing.

Do I have anything to worry about?

--Wayne

 

[CPDiver]

My usual procedure is to dunk my Zeagle Flathead VI in warm tap water. This time, I had not screwed down the dust cover after removing the tank at the dive site (tired, I guess.) The reg was immersed for several minutes in the bathtub before I realized the dust cover was not on. I attached it and finished rinsing.

Do I have anything to worry about?

--Wayne

Wayne,

Check out this link "How much damage ...."

www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=137569


Bottom line is: You don't know if water went into 1st stage without looking in the 1st stage (tearing it down). When I recently committeed the same error I took the high pressure hose (spg) off my reg, and then hooked it up to a tank and purged the reg for a good while.

Apparently this did the trick because I then brought it into the shop and the Tech opened up the reg he found on ly a "tiny" bit of water inside and he said the water would have evaporated without his intervention if I would have left the dust cap off and air dried the reg for another day.

But that being said I did gain a bit of piece of mind by having the reg looked at by a trained professional.

 

[mack50md]

During a beach dive a bit over a month ago I noticed that my octo (Aqualung ABS) was doing a bit of freeflow as soon as I turned on the air. Pressing the purge button made the octo REALLY freeflow so the solution was to leave the air off until we made it to the beach, when my buddy would turn the air on; if it continued to freeflow in the water I would have then aborted the dive. The octo wasn't freeflowing at all once in the water, so I didn't think anything more of it.

I had the same problem with an ABS. Stuck in a freeflow position while testing it a week before a trip. Luckily, I had a backup octo.

Also had problems with it freeflowing in a scumball type closed octo holder. I'm ditching the closed octo holder. It does not allow the octo to equalize properly on the inside causing a nuisance freeflow you sometimes don't even notice right away.

As soon as I got back home to LA I dropped off my reg set with my LDS (Sport Chalet). The set was only two months old so any problems should be covered under warranty. Both the Monterey boat captain and the LDS clerk thought it simply needed an adjustment. So when I got the reg set back from Sport Chalet, I was rather surprised to see this written under the "Tech Notes":

Salt build up inside octo causing freeflow. Salt deposit found inside second stage. Reg system not properly rinsed after dive.

My LDS said AL's ABS octos can get out of adjustment. Showed me the adjustment screw and how to de-tune it in the field with a small screwdriver.

I did rinse the reg on my last trip out but, I did not have the advantage of a tank to rinse or soak under pressure. I used a hotel shower head. May have been a salt build up in there. Could have been crud in the rental tanks I had. Either way, I should have rinsed and soaked under pressure when I got back a few days later. My mistake. Lesson learned.

So how does everybody else clean their regs? Is a simple rinsing enough or should I soak the reg (something a few have NOT recommended without it being connected to a bottle, which I currently rent for each dive)? Should I add something to the water like vinegar (which in another thread was also NOT recommended due to its interaction with chrome and plastic parts) or Simple Green?

I'll follow AL's procedure...nothing more and nothing less. I'm going to be sure I get it on a tank ASAP and soak it in warm water as recommended.

 

[BigBoB]

Your supposed to rinse your gear after diving? I would suggest diving more often (everyday).

 

[Flipper Tim]

I'm really impressed with the stuff on this thread, this is what I joined for.

Thanks for the tips.