FlashX
Registered
I am concerned with my regulator being packed away for a few months if i should worry about mildew in the hoses. Is there a way to clean out the inside of the hoses?
Regulator hose maintenance concern, mildew
- Thread starter FlashX
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
eelnoraa
Contributor
Before you stow, in fact after rinse or soak, connect to a tank and purge for a few seconds. Tank air should be very dry. The kind of flow rate when purging will "blow" dry any moisture left in the hose. Dry clean hose won't grow mildew
Agree with Eel. No memory of molds etc. invading air hoses the way they can in marine water tubing.
GJC
Contributor
How old is the hose?
I've seen a lot more hose deterioration than mold. Take the reg off, put a q tip in the end (don't leave any fibers behind) and see what it looks like. Old hoses dry out and shed rubber. I don't like the idea of inhaling black rubber bits.
New hoses are not that expensive. If in doubt replace.
I've seen a lot more hose deterioration than mold. Take the reg off, put a q tip in the end (don't leave any fibers behind) and see what it looks like. Old hoses dry out and shed rubber. I don't like the idea of inhaling black rubber bits.
New hoses are not that expensive. If in doubt replace.
ThatDogDontHunt
Oscar Meyer Weiner
Mildew requires moisture. There is no moisture inside your hoses - if there is, then you are doing something very wrong
In single hose diving, agree something has gone very wrong to get water inside your LP hose...!
With double hose diving water regularly gets into the inlet and exhaust corrugated hoses, and stays there for a very long time unless the hoses are removed, rinsed and shaken then air dried after each dive session.
After an extended remote area dive trip I soak the hoses in Steramine solution (as used by the rebreather crowd) to kill any random bugs that may hang around... probably overkill, but not keen on a lung full of Tropical Trouble a few months down the track
With double hose diving water regularly gets into the inlet and exhaust corrugated hoses, and stays there for a very long time unless the hoses are removed, rinsed and shaken then air dried after each dive session.
After an extended remote area dive trip I soak the hoses in Steramine solution (as used by the rebreather crowd) to kill any random bugs that may hang around... probably overkill, but not keen on a lung full of Tropical Trouble a few months down the track
Thank you guys for your time in replying, It is appreciated.
The easy way to get water into the hoses is rinsing and mistakenly pushing the button on the second stage of the regulator when it is under water.
I have not done that in a long time but some might think they are rinsing the button mechanics by doing that, thus allowing water to enter into the hose.
I need to always remember to flush the regulator with air after each dive session. Also agree that hoses are not that expensive and will take the second stage off and see what I find. I leave the cover off the first stage when stored hoping that doing so will let any water residue evaporator. That little cap / cover can also hole in a small amount of water on the first stage. I will post here what I find when I remove the regulator and inspect the inside of the hose, maybe a week or two.
The easy way to get water into the hoses is rinsing and mistakenly pushing the button on the second stage of the regulator when it is under water.
I have not done that in a long time but some might think they are rinsing the button mechanics by doing that, thus allowing water to enter into the hose.
I need to always remember to flush the regulator with air after each dive session. Also agree that hoses are not that expensive and will take the second stage off and see what I find. I leave the cover off the first stage when stored hoping that doing so will let any water residue evaporator. That little cap / cover can also hole in a small amount of water on the first stage. I will post here what I find when I remove the regulator and inspect the inside of the hose, maybe a week or two.
While I don’t think the hoses pose an issue I would be concerned with the second stage in general, I have encountered seconds the have stored wet in an airtight container and the mildew was so bad that it wouldn’t clean up, always allow air circulation when storing and don’t push the purge button while rinsing.
It is easy to get water into the hose if you do things wrong even if the first stage is plugged.
Your attached video does not mention one key point.
If one was to put the regulator in a rinse tank "some rinse tanks are two feet deep" and hold the second stage HIGHER that the first stage or hose, then push the purge button, the air in the hose being lighter than water will escape upward and water will enter the hose to displace the vacuum created. Then when you release the purge button you lock the water in. Some people might acerbate this scenario by swishing the second stage around unwittingly making the air escape faster. If one wants to rinse the second stage purge button mechanism be sure to hold the hose and first stage above the second stage. This way the air in the hose will keep the water out.
Similar threads
