Well?
Isolators - good or bad
- Thread starter Uncle Pug
- Start date
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Green_Manelishi
Contributor
good if you blow out a burst disk or valve o-ring
bad if you forget to open it during a fill and then you "feel
like a dope" at the dive site when you DO open it and everyone
around you smiles and nods knowingly.
personally, I think that the benefits of the isolator outweigh
any negatives. kinda like helium (yeah, you talk funny and
can't use it in your suit) and argon (ANOTHER piece of gear
to carry?)
bad if you forget to open it during a fill and then you "feel
like a dope" at the dive site when you DO open it and everyone
around you smiles and nods knowingly.
personally, I think that the benefits of the isolator outweigh
any negatives. kinda like helium (yeah, you talk funny and
can't use it in your suit) and argon (ANOTHER piece of gear
to carry?)
100days-a-year
Contributor
Good,fits into pile #2 .Things you'de be screwed without in an emergency.
Good!
I actually can't think of any reason why it might be outright bad, other than what G_M mentioned (forgetting to open it while filling), or that it might be considered another possible point of failure.
I actually can't think of any reason why it might be outright bad, other than what G_M mentioned (forgetting to open it while filling), or that it might be considered another possible point of failure.
Originally posted by Uncle Pug
Well?
very interesting thread about that at :
http://www.divernet.com/technique/0102twins.htm
Personally I have another question.
How about attacking the problem the other way around,
how about closing the valve when diving and only opening it to equalize the preasure then closing it again.
Doing this like every 20/30 bars would make around 6 equalizations /dive
and it would take alot shorter period of time to identify the problem, Just look down to the two manometers to find out whats leaking. then shutdown the right valve if its possible to stop the leak.
would that not be an advantage ?
dive safe and with a good sence of humor ;-)
OP
I left the whole quote in for easy reference...
I did read the *interesting thread* and find that the author is looking for an equipment solution to a personal problem...
Also the notion that the isolator is shut down first is incorrect and leads him further away from the obvious...
If you have one of the failure modes listed in the article which one is it most likely NOT to be?? That's right - it is not likely to be the tank o-ring or burst disk...
So the problem most likely will be solved by shutting down the offending post... first!
You will know which side to shut down because you will hear it!!!
If you still hear bubbles you then will isolate as the problem is the very rare tank o-ring or burst disk....
Now your proposed solution to the problem will not allow any faster identification of the problem... contrar... checking a manometer to identify the offending post takes longer that just reaching back to the side you hear the bubbles coming from and turning off the post...
But worse your proposed solution adds additional tasks to the dive "around 6 equalizations /dive"....
Plus monitoring and keeping track of which tank is which....
Plus the addition of an extra manometer (failure point) to monitor the isolated tanks...
All of these *solutions* are added because the original personal problem was not addressed and because the correct proceedure was not identified...
BTW the author of the article describes what I can only assume is his personal mode of handling the situation:
*dropping everything/fumbing around/bubbles gurgling all over/hit the silt and drop the visibility to zero*
OP
When I looked at the article again Hobbs I realized that they do not even address the only reason you would need to isolate...
They don't even mention tank o-ring or burst disk (you probably don't even have burst disks over there do you?)
So a question for you... with the scenarios that they list why would you need to isolate??
They don't even mention tank o-ring or burst disk (you probably don't even have burst disks over there do you?)
So a question for you... with the scenarios that they list why would you need to isolate??
There are obviously several ways to do this.
My point in having the valve closed is that if it is already closed, you will not loose half the tank whatever, can you at all se my point in that ?
What is the main advantage to the closed valve solution ?
dont tell me you ned to keep track of wich bottle is how much in, couse you will know that already since you breathe out of one of the sides anyhow..
And the extra manometer isnt necesary since one obviously doesnt need it for the dives for today. right ?
So what is the main disadvantage to having the isolator valve closed ?
the 6 times you have to equaalize the preasure ?
Are there any advantages at all in this solution ?
or is it just some crappy thing that works in theory but not practice ?
think twice do once and dive safe
well the thing is that the article and the question had nothing to do with each other.
The question was merely an idea that arose after reading the article and sitting thinking about what when and what can happen and how to prevent it as fast as possible.
dive safe
Experiencing a free flow of my primary first stage was a defining moment.
The roar is definitely noticable. Much akin to how a boat going overhead sounds. There isn't much doubt regarding where the failure is. Once you realize that, you need to get busy. Getting your secondary swapped, shutting down the failing post, closing the isolator, and getting yourself calmed down needs to be an instinctive reaction.
Since then I have an appreciation for all the times my instructor put me through the drill.
Back ashore, the failure was a nicked o-ring in the 1st stage.
DSAO,
Larry
The roar is definitely noticable. Much akin to how a boat going overhead sounds. There isn't much doubt regarding where the failure is. Once you realize that, you need to get busy. Getting your secondary swapped, shutting down the failing post, closing the isolator, and getting yourself calmed down needs to be an instinctive reaction.
Since then I have an appreciation for all the times my instructor put me through the drill.
Back ashore, the failure was a nicked o-ring in the 1st stage.
DSAO,
Larry
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