Octo - Function Check

[talonraid]

I've got a quick question for the equipment experts out there.

I was performing a function check of my reg set up a few days ago and noticed that with the air off and lines bled, I could still draw a little bit of air through my octo. So, I took it off of the tank and tried it again. Sure enough, I can get a small quantity of air to flow through the reg when I inhale. It's not enough to take a full breath, but there is definetly some air there. I can't get any flow through my primary and while submerged and tank on, the octo did not apear to have any leaks at all.

The octo is practically brand new (about 60 days and eight dives), and I think on my next day off I'll take it to the LDS where I bought it. It's still under warranty, so if there is a problem they should fix it.

Has anyone else experienced something like this? I noticed that most people don't check their regulators with the tank turned off, or even before hitting the water, but it's something I learned during OW and I still do it before every dive.

 

[Divenomad]

Vaccum check. Good that you do that. Octo's generally arent as hardy as a primary reg, but a new one should not have this sort of thing occur. We see it sometimes on our rental regs, but it's usually not a problem. Might be something simple like the diaphragm isn't set quite right. Have the shop tech check it, Alos a bit of sand can cause this problem if you've used it for a beach dive...

 

[redacted]

Do not dive that octo until it is repaired. A vacuum check is not looking for air leaking out, but for water leaking in. If you try to breath a 2nd that fails a vacuum check, it will deliver a mix of air and water. How much water depends on how bad the leak is, and yours sounds pretty serious if you can almost get a breath. Could be simple like a little dirt on the exhaust valve seating surface. Or it could be a small hole in the exhaust valve or diaphram. Octos tend to live a rough life so it could even be a cracked plastic case. Get it fixed.

 

[talonraid]

I'm so glad that someone finally answered this post. I have a little story to tell today about what just happened with this reg...

I called the LDS where I bought the octo from and told the shop manager over the phone what it was doing. First, he told me that it was ridiculous to try and check a reg before turning the tank on, whoever taught me to do that didn't know anything about a reg. I told him I had been taught this in OW (SSI), Equipment Class (SSI, different shop, different city) and in my recent AOW class (PADI). I told him I didn't feel comfortable diving with it and it's only a few months old so the warranty should cover it. He reluctantly said bring it in and they would have a look at it.

So, I brought it and the manager took it to the back and within seconds the tech stormed out of the back shop area and made an ***** out of himself. He said "you mean to tell me you can draw air through this?" and he put the reg in his mouth and sucked. I said "yep". Took it right from his hand...spit and all and breathed in. Then leaned towards his ear and pointed out the hissing sound as I did so. I then packed up my gear and told the shop manager I wouldn't let that guy work on my gear...ever. The manager apologized profusely, but I just couldn't bring myself to leave it in the shop and let that tech work on it. I think I would always be afraid he had sabotaged it or hadn't fixed it right.

So, now I just "fired" the only dive shop in my city that can do warranty work on Cressi-Sub regs. I guess I can either drive a few hours to Austin, TX, send it to Cressi directly or pay to have one of the other LDS fix it.

I wish I had thought to breath on it at depth when I was diving, to see if it was breathing wet....but it didn't occur to me at the time.

Any further input or experience with this sort of thing would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[David P]

ok, I happen to be sitting in my LDS right now as everyone else is in FIJI and I agreed Id run the shop a few days a week... I got up and tested several of our rental regs MK2 R190 or R295. Yes I can suck a little air through it. I pulled a brand new S600 from the display, I can suck air. I then pulled an Atomics T2, I can suck air. All of these were with the dust caps on (all yoke valves). If I put a reg on a tank pressurize it then breath it down, (I know I have a good seal on the tank) then no, I cannot suck air. If I stand there holding the first stage sucking air and put my finger over the opening on the yoke in effect sealing the first stage, then I can no longer suck air.

If you take your reg off of a tank with the dust cover off, you will (better be able to at least) suck air through. There will be restrictions in the airway such as small orifices, hoses, blah blah but air had better beable to work its way through, with the dust cover on... depends how good of a seal you get. If your first stage is sealed to a tank and you can suck air, it could be coming from many places, I would suggest removing the reg from the hose, put your finger over the air inlet fitting and suck, if youre getting air then its an easy fix (theoretically). First check that the mouthpiece is secure to the reg, you may have to cut off the zip tie and put on a fresh one. from there check that one of the two diaphrams are not seated properly, check that the cover is completly fastened, if its none of those...get it to a pro. If you plugging the air hose fitting you no longer get air, then check the hose fittings, I doubt it would be your first stage allowing air in as you only get this from your octo and not your primary. What kind of 2nd stage octo is this anyhow?

 

[TxHockeyGuy]

All of my regs pass the vacuum test, I know, I tried it just last night. My primary second stage on one reg was allowing me to breathe in air until I exhaled once and that apparently got the seal good and I could no longer breathe any air through it. This is with dust caps on, my dust caps are all rubber so they do form a good seal.

 

[talonraid]

All of my regs pass the vacuum test, I know, I tried it just last night. My primary second stage on one reg was allowing me to breathe in air until I exhaled once and that apparently got the seal good and I could no longer breathe any air through it. This is with dust caps on, my dust caps are all rubber so they do form a good seal.

I'm with you bro. Every other reg I have passes the vacuum test. Most importantly in my situation, the primary attached to the same first stage as the octo in question forms a good seal with the dust cap on, or when attached to the tank with the valve closed. I even took the dust cap off and sealed it with a thumb. I can still get air through it. I then tried giving it a good dunking and then clearing it and seeing if the exhaust port diaphram would seal with a little water on it. No luck.

David P: Good suggestion. Just before reading this post my wife suggested either replacing the mouthpiece or at least putting a new zip tie on it. I've got plenty of both just collecting dust.

 

[Charlie99]

Atomics regs like my B2 and probably the T2 referenced earlier in this thread have a "seat saver" function.

You can suck air through them because of this feature.

On my reg setup which is Atomics B2 1st and 2nd, and Dacor Vyper octo, I can suck air through my octo because of backflow through the B2 mouthpiece, and past the B2 2nd stage poppet valve/ demand valve. Without any IP, the poppet is lifted up off the seat by a spring, which lets some air flow through the B2 2nd stage.

When trying to test the system by sucking on the B2 mouthpiece, it has a good vacuum because the Dacor 2nd stage doesn't have the seat saver sort of function.

What sort of primary reg do you have?

 

[talonraid]

My primary is a Zeagle Envoy, but it's the Cressi-Sub octo that I'm losing sleep over. I wish there was a Cressi Sub rep on the board that could shed a little light on the subject, but I couldn't find one in the "Q and A for Scuba Manufacturers" forum.

My wife's octo is also a Cressi, but it's a different model. It passes the vacuum test.

 

[Ben_ca]

I'm so glad that someone finally answered this post. I have a little story to tell today about what just happened with this reg...


So, I brought it and the manager took it to the back and within seconds the tech stormed out of the back shop area and made an ***** out of himself. He said "you mean to tell me you can draw air through this?" and he put the reg in his mouth and sucked. I said "yep". Took it right from his hand...spit and all and breathed in. Then leaned towards his ear and pointed out the hissing sound as I did so. I then packed up my gear and told the shop manager I wouldn't let that guy work on my gear...ever. The manager apologized profusely, but I just couldn't bring myself to leave it in the shop and let that tech work on it. I think I would always be afraid he had sabotaged it or hadn't fixed it right.

snipped

I would have done the same thing out of principle.. You do not treat customers like that....I would even be tempted to sell of my regs and buy the competing shops regs and let dive shop #1 know it... Maybe I'm spoiled with my dive shop but I cannot ask such a thing as a dumb question... they are the first to offer loaners (free rentals) while my regs is in for repairs.... Too bad you aren't in California otherwise I'ld bring you to the shop I go to.