Nitrox Ready?

[TheRedHead]

Hi,

I'm trying to sell a Mares Axis/R2 reg and the question came up about rec Nitrox (40% or lower) and the Scuba mag review which says the Axis is not Nitrox ready. I recall from my Nitrox class that in order to use recreational nitrox with a non-Nitrox regulator all you had to do was _______. And I can't remember what the instructor said, but I think it was some small part needs replacing.

Does anyone know?

Thanks.

 

[pants!]

The phrase that goes in the blank is "attach it to a tank full of nitrox."

 

[Wayward Son]

Pretty much all of them are good up to 40%. Over that they may need O2 cleaning & different O rings & lube.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Pants! and Wayward pegged it.

 

[ReefGuy]

OMG! :lol:

That was so funny, I had to look up a new smiley.

It's also true. You don't need to o2 clean a reg for rec nitrox.

The phrase that goes in the blank is "attach it to a tank full of nitrox."

 

[TheRedHead]

Pretty much all of them are good up to 40%. Over that they may need O2 cleaning & different O rings & lube.

That's it. It was an o-ring and I think it was clear. It is probably fine for Nitrox and I'm not so anal that I would not dive Nitrox with a 3 year old regulator. But there is some reivew that some guy read which states it is not compatible with Nitrox. I think it was just Mares marketing.

The reg was serviced a year ago and I would assume they used the latest parts.

 

[TheRedHead]

The phrase that goes in the blank is "attach it to a tank full of nitrox."

Ok, Smarty-Pants, here is the problem:

"The regulators share the same second stage, which is free of user controls and uses a mesh grid faceplate to minimize free-flow when swimming into strong currents. The differences between the regs lie in their first stages. The MR12 is a balanced diaphragm, the R2 an unbalanced piston. Both are equipped with Dynamic Flow Control, which is a priority low-pressure port for the primary second stage. According to Mares, this cuts down on inter-stage pressure drops during inhalation, reducing inhalation resistance. Although the regs performed virtually identically in the water, the R2 earned better comments from test divers for ease of breathing in the heads-down position. The regs we tested are not designed to be used with nitrox, but according to Mares, there are nitrox versions available."

From:

http://www.scubadiving.com/gear/regulators/class_of_2004/1/

 

[California Diver]

any regulator can be used to with nitrox up to 40%, they are just trying to sell something unneccasary. anything about 40% is "supposed" to be 02 clean.

 

[pants!]

I understand the Mares marketing for insurance purposes or whatever, but you can use any modern reg on recreational nitrox no problem. O-rings (there are lots of em) and lubricants and such need to be cleaned and in many cases replaced to make a reg compatible with higher O2 mixtures used for decompression by technical divers.

 

[Shannon M.]

For whatever it's worth; most regulators are fine to use with recreational Nitrox (40% or below). The Compressed Gas Association (CGA), which is a non-government organization, basically says that anything below 40% O2 can be treated as air. OSHA/DOT have established a president of following CGA recommendations. The only reason NITROX Cylinders need special attention, other than markings to prevent a non-nitrox diver from using it, is because the way it's filled. Most dive shops use partial pressure blending, in which they start by putting pure O2 and then topping with air. Since they partailly fill the cylinder with pure O2, it must be O2 cleaned. The 1st and 2nd stages of the regulator should never come into contact with anything other than already blended gas below 40%. Hope I have helped.