If a regulator is Nitrox certified does it lose that certification if you run regulor air through it? I am looking at a Flathead6/ZX vs an Abyss Explorer reg set. I decided not to get the Apek. The Flathead6 is nitrox certified and the Abyss is not. What I want to know is if I go to nitrox would I need a new reg set for nitrox and one for air? Or would I just need to get mine "Cleaned"? How does this work? I think this is important as I can definately see nitrox in my future. If I can I would like to avoid to spend money on multiple regs. If I am missing some other aspect of this issue, please feel free to bring it up.
Nitrox Regulator
- Thread starter sndt1319
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
erikharwell
Contributor
it depends on the quality of the air at your local dive shop. if they use well filtered oxygen compatable air for their regular fills you should be ok. if they dont you will have to have it cleaned before using nitrox.
If you are breathing nitrox, then your fills come from specially filtered compressor lines. Some filling stations use banked nitrox, some do partial pressure blending. Banked is stored in tanks at a specific percentage of O2. Blending comes from putting 100% O2 into the tank first to a specific psi, and then topping it off with compressed air. This compressed air has to be filtered at a higher level than filling a standard air tank. All air is nitrox. EAN21 is compressed air run through the extra filter. If you do this, then you don't need two sets of regulators. What this means is, you can fill your tanks with compressed air (ean21), as long as it is run through the extra filter. If you do this, then your O2 compatible regs (up to 40%) and O2 clean regs (up to 100%) will be fine. Most regs come O2 compatible, or can be made so by changing the o-rings with viton o-rings.
If you're diving EAN40 or less, there is no need to give this issue any thought. Nitrox cleaning/prepping a regulator for use in recreational nitrox is a waste of time and money.
If you start moving into decompression diving and are bumping your EAN mixes to higher than 40%, you will want to O2 clean, prep and dedicate regulators for those tanks. You'll be buying extra regulators then, anyway, so it's not a problem.
If you start moving into decompression diving and are bumping your EAN mixes to higher than 40%, you will want to O2 clean, prep and dedicate regulators for those tanks. You'll be buying extra regulators then, anyway, so it's not a problem.
quimby
Contributor
Same ole question, same answer like reefraff said only extra comment would be as above as long as they are doing cont blend or banked nitrox. If they do partial pressure blending youll need your tank and valve O2 cleaned, but not your regulators. But thats not what you asked.
Also check the abyss site http://www.abyss.biz/web/products/hardware/regulators.html
The phrase is under the explorer description OXYGEN SERVICE READY. Chris at abyss dosent screw around it is or isnt if you have a question email them. And its not even the rubber for the orings etc, its seat material and lube, and for less than 40percent just go with it. Now there are some on here that I believe make 3min safety stops before they come out of the pool, and they will tell ya there always a chance that ............. I wont go there as to me and most its a bit anal.
The big question is how your instructor teaches you and what your lds's require (as said about tank), if you do your own regs as abyss sells the manual and parts, or you have your shop due you annuals (yech), or send it back to abyss (Ive heard good things about their service). A annual cleaning and O2 compatable lube, which most use anyway, and enjoy.
PS only other point I would add to this weather your rig is O2 clean or not, never slam a valve open, always slowly open a valve since that is the critical time on any system. If you get nothing out your course or here etc about equipt and nitrox, remember that and follow it without fail or it might....
Also check the abyss site http://www.abyss.biz/web/products/hardware/regulators.html
The phrase is under the explorer description OXYGEN SERVICE READY. Chris at abyss dosent screw around it is or isnt if you have a question email them. And its not even the rubber for the orings etc, its seat material and lube, and for less than 40percent just go with it. Now there are some on here that I believe make 3min safety stops before they come out of the pool, and they will tell ya there always a chance that ............. I wont go there as to me and most its a bit anal.
The big question is how your instructor teaches you and what your lds's require (as said about tank), if you do your own regs as abyss sells the manual and parts, or you have your shop due you annuals (yech), or send it back to abyss (Ive heard good things about their service). A annual cleaning and O2 compatable lube, which most use anyway, and enjoy.
PS only other point I would add to this weather your rig is O2 clean or not, never slam a valve open, always slowly open a valve since that is the critical time on any system. If you get nothing out your course or here etc about equipt and nitrox, remember that and follow it without fail or it might....
rescuediver009
Contributor
This is that same debate that I think has been startedbefore about when to clean your regs. There is a simple answer.
All regulator manufacturers are starting to conform to this standard including Zeagle and Apeks.
Because your regs are never subjected to the high pressures of high concentration oxygen thanks to partial pressure blending. Because of this they are all saying that their regs are good to 40% which is the limit for rec nitrox. (also you can;t go too deep with a higher mix. Here is what they say take a look at the bottom left of the page.
Apeks says the same thing on their site.
All regulator manufacturers are starting to conform to this standard including Zeagle and Apeks.
Because your regs are never subjected to the high pressures of high concentration oxygen thanks to partial pressure blending. Because of this they are all saying that their regs are good to 40% which is the limit for rec nitrox. (also you can;t go too deep with a higher mix. Here is what they say take a look at the bottom left of the page.
Apeks says the same thing on their site.
Similar threads
