MK10 spec & nitrox

[sisidmarino]

Hi. Recently nitrox certified. Got an SB MK10 Spec + M5 combo. Can this be serviced/retrofitted to run Nitrox? Was thinking of running this as my dedicated nitrox set up? Also have SB MK200 and G200 combo that I can use. Live in Queensland, Australia so mostly tropical and sub tropical waters. Thoughts? Also, my two BCD's run air2. Will will this need to be dedicated as well? Cheers.

 

[tridacna]

Why do you need a dedicated nitrox setup? Unless, you're going past 40%, your regs can be used for both. And yes, your Air2 can also be used for both. Absolutely no reason to have separate sets for less than EAN40.

 

[sisidmarino]

Thanks Tridacna. Just have a couple of sets with me. I'd hate to admit it but I got bitten by the collectors bug. This coupled with my OCD tells me why not? Hahaha. Cheers for the tip on the air 2!

 

[tridacna]

I have 12 regulator sets (excluding pony regs and those for deco bottles). None are dedicated for Nitrox. Curious why you want to do that? Any specific reason? Mine are categorized by use: cold water, travel, Jersey diving etc.

 

[northernone]

To me 'nitrox clean' is a myth fueled by unscrupulous or ignorant industry professionals.

Little background: In 4 modern dive shops so far I've been warned about 'non nitrox' regulators and how they will kill me (explode into shrapnel, burn my lungs, fail shut or cause a tank explosion) if used with nitrox. Trying to feed on my healthy respect for o2 with horror stories to upsell a more expensive regulator because of course an old conshelf can't be serviced.

I've replaced a nylon filter spacer on a mk15 (model a guesstimate) with stainless and cleaned it for o2 service for 100%.

Below 40% (an arbitrary number) o2 I have no concerns with a regular reg, NASA's research was enough for me.


Enjoy your quality gear and keep growing your collection!

Regards,
Cameron

Let me throw in a quote from mike circa 2001.

"Of course, there's always the issues of marketing too. The 23% rule opens up the market for selling "special" Nitrox regs with perty green faceplates and the perty green hose covers earlier. They should come out with perty green BCs and perty green pressure gauge covers, but why stop there?. Dry suits and dry suit underwear should now be O2 cleaned too. The dealers would love it for the O2 cleaning services they would have to do. There's heck of lot more (money) to this whole issue than most give it credit for, IMO.

Mike"

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Scubapro discontinued the SPEC system when they got on board with Nitrox and they went all the way, eliminating silicone from all their regs, not just the Nitrox regs. Silicone disappeared from the work bench mostly due to fears about cross contamination on the work bench between O2 and non O2 clean regulators.

I agree however that silicone used with mixes below 40% should not pose any issues from a practical perspective.

If it bothers you, you can always fill the SPEC cap with Christolube or Tribolube, just as you would silicone. It works better if you have the later version with the SPEC boot though as those O2 clean lubricants are a bit less viscous than the environmental silicone Scubapro used.

Personally, I O2 clean my deco regs and use either EPDM or Viton o-rings in them, but that's based on using mixes between 50% and 100%.

At the other extreme however, I lube the o-rings in my rebreather with silicone and it sees 100% O2 when I calibrate and on deco. Granted it's low pressure O2 and the PP02 is never over 1.6, although with O2 injection at depth it will spike well above that in some locations before the O2 mixes with the rest of the gas in the loop.

 

[sisidmarino]

Thanks for the tip. I'm still learning my way around equipment. Dunn though I chanced upon what I believe is an MK10 nitrox. I'll post a photo later.

 

[Couv]

To me 'nitrox clean' is a myth fueled by unscrupulous or ignorant industry professionals.

While not a professional nor (hopefully) unscrupulous, I use the term "Nitrox ready up to 40 %" when I sell one of my regs on fLea Bay because I get tired of answering the question. I suppose the questions come from former customers/students of type of shop you mentioned.

 

[northernone]

While not a professional nor (hopefully) unscrupulous, I use the term "Nitrox ready up to 40 %" when I sell one of my regs on fLea Bay because I get tired of answering the question. I suppose the questions come from former customers/students of type of shop you mentioned.

As someone with considerably more time inside regs then myself, have you come across anything that would have you consider a reg not "Nitrox ready up to 40 %"?

And here's a chance for official thanks for your forum contributions over the years. I've learned a ton reading your archived posts as I've been getting used gear fuctional again.

Cheers,
Cameron

 

[Couv]

Thank you for the very kind words.

No, I've never opened up a reg and thought it would be unsafe for Nitrox up to 40%. Not having a background in chemistry or more than a rudimentary understanding of different material's oxygen index ( Short articles on combustion of polymers: Oxygen-Index Methods ) it is best for me to err on the side of caution and replace any suspect seal, backup ring, lubricant etc. with one that I know is suitable for higher O2 concentrations. Therefore, I use (mostly) the same process and materials one would expect to see for "oxygen clean" but without any verification.

However, I have opened up regs that I would not dive with in a bathtub. Mold, deteriorated rubber, spider webs, etc. not to mention brittle o-rings can bring on a serious sometimes.