Proper care for Atomic Regulator?

[BobbyWombat]

Atomic regulator owners: any special considerations necessary for caring for an Atomic regulator due to the "seat saver orifice"?

If you need to disconnect the reg from the tank to rinse in fresh water, what is the proper way to do this? The manual says "rinse" but avoid "soaking". What exactly does that mean?

Thanks!

 

[rakkis]

i.e. do not dunk the entire unit in water, but let water rinse on it from above.

What I do:

Dunk (yes i know. but i'm careful!) then rinse the 2nd stage in water making sure the 1st stage remains above the 2nd and the hoses hang straight down.

Hook up the 1st stage to pressure making sure it stays above the hoses/2nd then free flow the 2nd stage for 20 secs or so.

Dry

//2nd stage clean

Rinse the outside of the 1st stage under a small trickle of water making sure the cap does not allow any water into the second stage.

If you have a non-environmentally sealed reg: rinse through the holes on the side of the 1st stage with water.

Dry

//1st stage clean

 

[Couv]

Atomic regulator owners: any special considerations necessary for caring for an Atomic regulator due to the "seat saver orifice"?

If you need to disconnect the reg from the tank to rinse in fresh water, what is the proper way to do this? The manual says "rinse" but avoid "soaking". What exactly does that mean?

Thanks!

Shower, don't bathe....leave your shower cap on.

 

[redacted]

It means you will not be able to maintain the regulator adequately without a tank. Rinsing is not enough to remove SW from many locations like the ambient chamber, 2nd stage hose connection, and SPG swivel.

 

[shellbackdiver1]

1. I leave mine attached to the tank, rinse the first stage, put the second stage in the water shaking it and purging.

2. Then I remove the first stage from the the tank and let it soak in clean fresh water until i am done cleaning the rest of my gear. Naturally the cap is secured.

3. Again I reattached the first stage to the tank and free flow for 20 seconds or until I get annoying looks from divers in the area or the LDS owner.

This works for me and try to do this everytime it is used. However next week I am going to have it for serviced and will be present when this takes place. It will be interesting to see how everything looks on the inside. My B2 has 185 dives in the last 14 months.

 

[paulwlee]

I stopped soaking my regulators about two years ago.
I just rinse them thoroughly in fresh water very soon after the last dive of the day.
I also take extra care to run water through the ambient chamber for maybe a minute each.
I haven't seen any difference since I started doing things this way, they look the same inside from when I used to soak them after every dive day.

YMMV.

 

[jeckyll]

I rinse mine while disconnected. Both first and second stage. No issues so far, but I only have 100 dives on my Z2. Less on my M1.

I guess the first service at 200 dives will tell.

 

[knotical]

I soak ours (two sets) after each trip, and have been for six years. I haven’t seen a problem when I service them. Maybe I’ve just been lucky, or perhaps the seat-saver just reduces the pressure on the seat without opening up, and the suggestion not to soak is overly conservative. After all, why couldn’t water get in while you’re rinsing?

The owners manual does not say to keep the reg pressurized. It says to put the dust cap in place and rinse.

The mention of soaking is hidden in the text that few folks read thoroughly anyway. It just says: “Avoid soaking the regulator as water may enter . . .”
Where’s the Atomic rep when we need him?

I guess someone could contact Atomic Aquatics at:
16742 Burke Lane
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
(714) 375-1433

 

[johnny_bravo]

With my Z2 if I'm on a boat with some nice long freshwater hoses I rinse the reg after the last dive of the day while it's still on the tank. After I've dissambled all my gear I will lightly rinse the whole reg while holding the first state higher. Sometimes I will then put it on a tank and purge it for a few seconds.

Cheers.

-J.-

 

[BobbyWombat]

The mention of soaking is hidden in the text that few folks read thoroughly anyway. It just says: “Avoid soaking the regulator as water may enter . . .”
Where’s the Atomic rep when we need him?

I guess someone could contact Atomic Aquatics at:
16742 Burke Lane
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
(714) 375-1433

OK so seeing that Atomic Aquatics doesn't have a FAQ email address....I suppressed my introvert tendancies and gave them a ring and talked to an actual person. :11:


Very nice lady answered the phone and was happy to read to me directly from the owner's manual. She also stated that you shouldn't soak the reg while un-pressurized.

So I asked point blank "If you going to soak it, then you need to have it connected to a tank?" Ans: "Yes."

When soaking the whole thing conncted to a tank is an option, I'll definitely do that.

However, It seems to me that it is pretty reasonable (as suggested by others) to soak the 2nd stage unpressurized as long as the 1st stage stays above the water free surface, then blow the whole thing dry.