Regulator seal failure/failures

[Doctor Rig]

I’ve been researching regulators for a purchase and find there are many SB advocates for the Deep 6 (Signiture) regulators. The Deep 6 regulator 1st stage uses Teflon orings, as I understand it. From a plastics engineering perspective, Teflon is NOT a preferred material for sealing applications, as Teflon is prone to a compression set, where Viton (seals) are not. So with time, Teflon seals lose their sealing abilities. The advantage of Teflon over Viton is its lower coefficient of friction, so I can understand why Teflon might be used.

I don’t claim to understand the Deep 6 sealing application where these Teflon seals are used, but the use of Teflon orings does raise a red caution flag for me.

The % seal compression, differential pressures and piston dynamic friction of a seal application are factors determining the effective life of a Teflon seal of coarse. This issue is likely a good justification for regular service replacement of the (Teflon) regulator seals. (Slightly counter to this is the recommendation by Deep 6 for regulator service at 2 years or 200 dives, not 1 year.)

To keep this in perspective what other regulator brands other than Deep 6 use Teflon seals?

Since time is not ones’s friend for seal life, does anyone have any related seal leak/failure real life experiences with Deep 6 or any other brand or seal material that you would share with us?

 

[LandonL]

We use Viton O rings, Teflon is used on the HP seat and some washers (areas in need of friction reduction and durability, not expansion sealing). Seems to be some misinformation out there.

To my knowledge no other manufacturer uses Teflon the way we do. The same can be said with a few of our other features we have developed. Although I have recently seen another manufacturer has utilized one of our developments and now uses PVD coating to improve durability.

Our service manual is freely available online if you would like to see a breakdown.

Cheers,
Landon

 

[Doctor Rig]

We use Viton O rings, Teflon is used on the HP seat and some washers (areas in need of friction reduction and durability, not expansion sealing). Seems to be some misinformation out there.

To my knowledge no other manufacturer uses Teflon the way we do. The same can be said with a few of our other features we have developed. Although I have recently seen another manufacturer has utilized one of our developments and now uses PVD coating to improve durability.

Our service manual is freely available online if you would like to see a breakdown.

Cheers,
Landon

Landon, thanks for your info & clarification! I’d be interested in hearing more about how Deep6 uses Teflon and developed “other features” that differentiates Deep6 from other manufacturers. If that information is in other posts maybe you could give us links. Thanks!

 

[LandonL]

@cerich has put up some lengthy descriptions elsewhere before, but I will try and summarize a bit here. The product descriptions probably have a little more as well.

In the Deep 6 Signature First Stage we exclusively use a teflon O ring in the first stage balance chamber along with the HP seat poppet shaft/metal being teflon coated versus just chromed. This provides a better response and lower IP swing during the cycle due to friction reduction and increased durability. The diaphragm is also a new material, more responsive, and stronger. The entire reg is Chrome and PVD coated to be more resistant to corrosion and getting scratched up, versus just a chrome layer only. The TiCN PVD coating is even harder than carbide, and 3x harder than chrome alone. The HP ports are 90 degrees, not angled like others. The DIN wheel is also PVD coated metal, not plastic, and if you are into yoke, the yoke knob is PVD coated metal with a nice laser etched logo, not plastic..

Other small details like the DIN cap, that comes with a spare O ring built into the cap, and other adjustments like lengthening and narrowing the body so the turret doesn't interfere with your talk valve if used in configurations like sidemount. We also provide a free set of service kits with every new reg order. Other auxiliary benefits include that we offer a free first service for you if you send back the reg with your kits, and our turn around time is currently about 24-48h. We also are pretty reasonable and if anyone is unhappy for any reason we offer them a full refund if they wish to return the regs to us.