Preventing Flooding a DIN first stage when soaking and rinsing the regulator

[Divescape]

If you soak with posative preasure you also have an opportunity to pick up any leaks that might develop. For example i found my tank had a micro leak from an o-ring not seated correctly after hydro.

 

[ajduplessis]

My thumb has never failed me. I have never understood the need to soak anything, beside my old bones in a hotbub? You dive, you rinse the kit, done!! Soakng is only required when you neglegted daily dive maintenance over time IMO.

---------- Post added July 10th, 2014 at 05:32 PM ----------

If you soak with posative preasure you also have an opportunity to pick up any leaks that might develop. For example i found my tank had a micro leak from an o-ring not seated correctly after hydro.

I pick these kind of problems up during s drill BEFORE the dive, not after the fact!

 

[Scared Silly]

Simple. I soak the first stage with the second out of the water. Then I soak the second stage with first stage above the second stage.

The key with second stages with a seat saver design (i.e. Atomic Aquatics) is always keeping the first stage above the second stage.

 

[BoltSnap]

Soakng is only required when you neglegted daily dive maintenance over time IMO.

Daily?????? I am talking about "seasonally"!!!

(Just kidding)

---------- Post added July 10th, 2014 at 07:46 PM ----------

Simple. I soak the first stage with the second out of the water. Then I soak the second stage with first stage above the second stage.

The key with second stages with a seat saver design (i.e. Atomic Aquatics) is always keeping the first stage above the second stage.

The water leakage I am talking about is water leaking in to the FS through the FS air inlet not the SS. As far as I can tell from Atomic's reply to me, the seat saving feature doesn't case the water to go into the FS even when the whole regulator is submerged and unpressurized (as long as you don't press the SS purge).

 

[Akimbo]

I keep a small spare bailout bottle around for soaking and testing. It makes it easier to dunk the whole regulator in a deep sink than using a single 80. I let it soak for hours in warm water while doing other things. I shut the valve but leave it pressurized for hours after pulling it out of the shop sink to allow air drying before removing the regulator. I have a leak if it isn't still pressurized by the time I come back.

I usually get more than 20 years between regulator service.

 

[FinnMom]

I use a little 1L argon tank (i.e. drysuit gas tank) with air in it.

 

[halocline]

The screw-on caps have always worked fine for me.

 

[spectrum]

Nothing trumps positive pressure so hook it up and pressurize to have no worries.

This is doubly so if that rubber cap is on a Sherwood. The check valve for the dry bleed is hardly a positive sealer so I would not trust it.

Pete

 

[Dr. Lecter]

Get a 6cf tank, slap on an H-valve with DIN/yoke inserts, keep it somewhat full using a transwhip off your mostly used real tanks...instant cheap soaking tool for multiple regs at a go.

 

[beanojones]

The water leakage I am talking about is water leaking in to the FS through the FS air inlet not the SS. As far as I can tell from Atomic's reply to me, the seat saving feature doesn't case the water to go into the FS even when the whole regulator is submerged and unpressurized (as long as you don't press the SS purge).

Too many people end up with wet first stages to believe what Atomic says about that. I pressurize my regs with atomic seconds or at least hook them up to a tank to blow the lines clear after rinsing.

But as to the first question:

Here's a hidden fact I discovered about the screw on DIN dust covers: it is really easy to screw them on too tight, because of the strength of the threads, and the fact that the discover is hard and has no give.

I have blown out tens of those screw on covers that way, and flooded my first stage in the rinse water that way.

What I really want is a prefectly fitting stopper to just fit into the inlet, because for me I end up using the cappy rubber cap because I need the threads rinsed. Scubapro's old Yoke Dust cover works nicely as a DIN dust cover (though it it not so secure) for rinsing DIN regs as well because it has a bit that stuck down the middle and a tight seal abound the metal before the threads, so the threads got rinsed as well.