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

[Pao]

Maybe you can make a stopper of some kind. Since the DIN inlet accepts a hex key, maybe you can use a hex key to make a mold from wax or clay then you can fill it with silicone and maybe embed a handle for easy removal. I reckon you need a hex key with a larger diameter to assure an adequate seal. Or are there hex shaped stoppers available in the market?

Sent from my Underwood typewriter

 

[drbill]

Rinse off your regs? With our drought I have to forego that unless I take them in and do my "Navy" shower with them... but back when we had freshwater, my DIN cap worked just fine. Must have been delrin.

 

[beanojones]

Use your grey water! (Wait your toilets are salt water in Catalina right?) Nevermind.

 

[Peter_C]

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.

I find most people way over tighten stuff thinking tighter is always better. Such is not the case...Torque wrenches were built for a reason. Once you learn what a specific torque feels like you don't really need one, but while learning a torque wrench is highly recommended. Having trained many Auto Techs, that was one of the requirements for doing things like seating spark plugs. Typically they come back with "That is it? Shouldn't they be tighter?" "Nope!" I am sure lots of you are really strong men and women, but finesse is often more important.

FWIW I have never destroyed a cover in many hundreds of cleanings. Then again I just lightly screw my cap on, which actually relates to a lot of pressure on the o-ring. Nor have I ever found water in my first stage, and I am very careful not to depress my second stage. Like some others here, I drop them in a shallow bin for a few minutes giving them a gentle swish.