NITROX can go BOOM?!

[Manta Aria]

:11:
I am looking forward to taking my Nitrox class and gaining that knowledge and practicing those skills, but I have heard that if your reg. is not tuned properly or it has Titanium components, the whole show can go BOOM :xyxnervou !! I have an Apex 200 ATX, Black Pearl 1st. and 2nd stage, and one of the more experienced divers who saw it recently said " Nice Titanium,". Up until this point I just thought I had a nice reg. which I thought was kinda pretty. Should I be worried about this? Should I dive the reg with EAN? The Manual states that" passing Hydrocarbons through valve and reg creates Hydrocarbons build-up over time and when they come in to contact with HP EAN, they can pose a very real hazard that can lead to combustion." ( this is not a PRECISE quote but I got the meat of it.).

Once again, should I be worried about this? I don't hear too much on the board about my fellow divers going BOOM because of EAN ( actually I've NEVER read about this)!! And I know many of you have Nicer regs than mine and religiously dive EAN.

Any help would definately sooth my mind on this. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.
-Manta:51:

 

[Blackwood]

For your up-and-coming recreational Nitrox certification, your regulator should be fine.

 

[DTB1981]

There is no danger as for are explosion tell you exceed 80. DOT dose not reconize nitrox as an oxidizer tell it is over 80%

 

[Bo Danker]

I would not worry about that regulator since it is the best regulator that is currently being produced on this planet. Make sure it has it's annual up to date and tuck it in at night.

 

[wreckchick]

Well.... I may be wrong on this... but I'm pretty sure that the Black Pearl was a limited production that ended last year. Also, it has identical internals to the regular ATX200 just a prettier housing and the benefit is that there isn't titanium in the ATX200 which actually makes it a somewhat superior reg for use with 100% O2.

It is well known that titanium and high O2 mixes are a bad thing, but the bottom line is that you won't be using that reg for anything richer than 40% which is perfectly fine and the boom factor is roughly zero.

Rachel

 

[Warren_L]

:11:
I am looking forward to taking my Nitrox class and gaining that knowledge and practicing those skills, but I have heard that if your reg. is not tuned properly or it has Titanium components, the whole show can go BOOM :xyxnervou !! I have an Apex 200 ATX, Black Pearl 1st. and 2nd stage, and one of the more experienced divers who saw it recently said " Nice Titanium,". Up until this point I just thought I had a nice reg. which I thought was kinda pretty. Should I be worried about this? Should I dive the reg with EAN? The Manual states that" passing Hydrocarbons through valve and reg creates Hydrocarbons build-up over time and when they come in to contact with HP EAN, they can pose a very real hazard that can lead to combustion." ( this is not a PRECISE quote but I got the meat of it.).

Once again, should I be worried about this? I don't hear too much on the board about my fellow divers going BOOM because of EAN ( actually I've NEVER read about this)!! And I know many of you have Nicer regs than mine and religiously dive EAN.

Any help would definately sooth my mind on this. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.
-Manta:51:

The only real risk of going "boom" is in the tank filling process, if the fill method involves pure oxygen at high pressure into your tank (as in partial pressure blending). If your tank and other components (valves, o-rings, lube) are not properly oxygen clean and compatible, this is a very real risk. But if everything is done properly, the risk should be minimal. And someone else will be filling the tank for you.

 

[String]

For basic level (<40%) nitrox courses pretty much all regs INCLUDING titanium regs are fine. Only if you go for the richer mix for accelerated deco you might get issues or at least need some things cleaned or replaced.

 

[pants!]

:11:
I am looking forward to taking my Nitrox class and gaining that knowledge and practicing those skills, but I have heard that if your reg. is not tuned properly or it has Titanium components, the whole show can go BOOM :xyxnervou !! I have an Apex 200 ATX, Black Pearl 1st. and 2nd stage, and one of the more experienced divers who saw it recently said " Nice Titanium,".

First things first. Your Black Pearl isn't made of Titanium. It has a coating which consists in part of titanium, but that's just the exterior.

Up until this point I just thought I had a nice reg. which I thought was kinda pretty. Should I be worried about this? Should I dive the reg with EAN? The Manual states that" passing Hydrocarbons through valve and reg creates Hydrocarbons build-up over time and when they come in to contact with HP EAN, they can pose a very real hazard that can lead to combustion." ( this is not a PRECISE quote but I got the meat of it.).

Once again, should I be worried about this? I don't hear too much on the board about my fellow divers going BOOM because of EAN ( actually I've NEVER read about this)!! And I know many of you have Nicer regs than mine and religiously dive EAN.

Any help would definately sooth my mind on this. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.
-Manta:51:

No, there's nothing to be worried about.

would not worry about that regulator since it is the best regulator that is currently being produced on this planet.

I disagree completely. It's verifiably not the best regulator that is currently being produced.







It's not being produced anymore

 

[oxyhacker]

Titanium and O2 can be a problem, the BP isn't titanium anyhow - its good old brass, with a trick finish which contains titanium and zirconium, and and maybe a couple other -iums. Apeks says it's OK to 40%, so it's safe bet its good for that and more.

Also, as Warren has pointed out, nitrox does sometimes go boom, but it's the mixer not the diver who is most at risk. Though 100% in a real titanium 1st is another matter.

 

[pants!]

Apeks says the BP can be suitably cleaned for 100% O2 use and is good for 40% out of the box.