Pony Bottle Location Question

[James R]

Most tec divers I know only use argon when using Trimix backgas.

 

[lowviz]

...//...pony bottles filled with argon to dive with drysuits and love it. I've considered it, ...//....

-if you do, make sure there is an overpressure relief valve (OPV) on one of the argon regulator's LP ports. You most certainly won't have a secondary reg connected to an argon bottle, so if the primary free-flows it will shortly overpower the suit's valve without an OPV in place.

 

[Randy43068]

As others have suggested, sling it.

 

[ddmattos]

Another Sling it....Left side.

 

[oldflounder]

-if you do, make sure there is an overpressure relief valve (OPV) on one of the argon regulator's LP ports. You most certainly won't have a secondary reg connected to an argon bottle, so if the primary free-flows it will shortly overpower the suit's valve without an OPV in place.

This probably should be moved to another thread, but I don't know where---------------

Now you have got me thinking [probably overthinking the problem would be more likely for me!]

Question # 1 ---If this 1st stage fails and starts to freeflow, is high pressure going to force it's way through the lp ports that go to your drysuit [or BCD] or does it just exhaust the bubbles in one of the chambers? I've forgotten how a 1st stage works internally. I'm going to go home tonight and read up on it.

Question # 2 ---If such were to happen, aren't the lp hoses constructed with failsafe holes in one of the layers of coverings that cause the hose to fail before a dangerously high bursting pressure can build up.

Question # 3 ---Would a high enough pressure at the drysuit inlet valve cause it to burst open or are they built to release early with some kind of pressure relief designed in?

Addressing the other comments: [you would definately not have a reg hooked up to an argon bottle] and [I don't think you would need a pressure relief valve at the drysuit because you are taught to just pop the hose off if the valve fails.]

Don't mean to sound argumentive - just trying to answer some questions in my head.

 

[oldflounder]

whoops-----------deleted double post

 

[oldflounder]

OK - so I'm done some quick research on how a 1st stage freeflows. I've done a lot of ice water diving and haven't had the pleasure of experiencing one myself yet. Apparently the high pressure seat fails allowing tank pressure air to pass through the lp ports. The bubbles will freeflow out of the reg in your mouth because this is a designed to be a type of failsafe so that the hoses don't burst. [I understand the second stage can also freeflow on it's own.] So the bubbles don't come out of the 1st stage. That answers question 1. The answer to question 2 is that the tiny holes in the fabric under the outer layers are to allow air leaking between the layers to escape slowly without ballooning these outer layers. And with further reading I see that the OPV screws into any lp port on the 1st stage. I read it to say that it was attached onto the drysuit valve. My bad.

 

[lowviz]

take this up in another thread?

 

[Hatul]

Another Sling it....Left side.

If the reg is coming from the left, how do you keep it from being upside down when you breathe from it?

 

[ddmattos]

Same as your long hose. Route it around the back of you neck when ready to use.