Regulator tuning question

[Rich Keller]

This is a basic explanation of how to fix the most common cause of free flow in the field but this is not the only possible cause. The attached exploded view is for reference purposes, your reg will look different when you open it up but they all work on the same principal. When you inhale the diaphragm (part 17) is drawn in pushing on a lever (part 7) that opens the valve letting air into the second stage. All you need to do is adjust the lock nut (part 9) to adjust the the amount of pressure needed to open the valve, otherwise know as the cracking pressure, too lose and it will not open or breath hard, too tight and it will free flow. There is a way to determine the exact cracking pressure but if you are trying to fix this problem in the field we do not need to get into that as you can do this by trial and error based on how it feels when you inhale. Most free flow problems are due to the lock nut being too tight so all you need to do is back it off a little bit at a time, testing it after each adjustment, until it stops free flowing after you inhale. I usually just hold the cover and diaphragm in place when I am doing this rather then reattaching it with every adjustment attempt. Once you are at the point when you can inhale easily and remove the reg from your mouth without exhaling into it and then listen to make sure no air is escaping you are done. If it is adjusted perfectly the reg should free flow when you place it in the water with the mouth piece facing up and stop free flowing when you turn the reg over so the mouth piece is facing down. This is the most common cause of free flow problems and can be fixed in the field but it is not the only possible cause. If the intermediate pressure is set too high in your first stage or if the valve seat (part 3) is damaged this adjustment will likely not help much if at all. With a little more experience you could fix the valve seat problem by removing it and turning it over so the undamaged side is facing out. Adjusting the intermediate pressure is something you would need more experience and an IP gauge to fix but this is something that you would likely not be doing in the field. The only tools you need would be a wrench for the lock nut and whatever tool is required to remove the reg cover.

 

[Peter69_56]

As long as you also depress the purge and turn only about 30 degrees at a time (and no more than 90 degrees before you need to consider other possible problems) you may consider yourself minimally trained.

I tried to teach my dog to do this and he almost had it but just could not work his way around the problem of lacking thumbs.

He probably got caught in the butt sniffing loop and couldn't go on from there. That's in module 2

 

[cocoajoe]

This is a basic explanation of how to fix the most common cause of free flow in the field but this is not the only possible cause. The attached exploded view is for reference purposes, your reg will look different when you open it up but they all work on the same principal. When you inhale the diaphragm (part 17) is drawn in pushing on a lever (part 7) that opens the valve letting air into the second stage. All you need to do is adjust the lock nut (part 9) to adjust the the amount of pressure needed to open the valve, otherwise know as the cracking pressure, too lose and it will not open or breath hard, too tight and it will free flow. There is a way to determine the exact cracking pressure but if you are trying to fix this problem in the field we do not need to get into that as you can do this by trial and error based on how it feels when you inhale. Most free flow problems are due to the lock nut being too tight so all you need to do is back it off a little bit at a time, testing it after each adjustment, until it stops free flowing after you inhale. I usually just hold the cover and diaphragm in place when I am doing this rather then reattaching it with every adjustment attempt. Once you are at the point when you can inhale easily and remove the reg from your mouth without exhaling into it and then listen to make sure no air is escaping you are done. If it is adjusted perfectly the reg should free flow when you place it in the water with the mouth piece facing up and stop free flowing when you turn the reg over so the mouth piece is facing down. This is the most common cause of free flow problems and can be fixed in the field but it is not the only possible cause. If the intermediate pressure is set too high in your first stage or if the valve seat (part 3) is damaged this adjustment will likely not help much if at all. With a little more experience you could fix the valve seat problem by removing it and turning it over so the undamaged side is facing out. Adjusting the intermediate pressure is something you would need more experience and an IP gauge to fix but this is something that you would likely not be doing in the field. The only tools you need would be a wrench for the lock nut and whatever tool is required to remove the reg cover.

View attachment 161388

Thanks

 

[elmer fudd]

They aren't exactly rocket science, but there are a few things you need to be careful about.

Don't remove o-rings or pick at things with sharp objects like a pocket knife. Use something softer than the metal you are working on or something blunt. Brass is soft.
Use the correct lubes. Nitrox and O2 at 3000 psi aren't safe around some lubricants.

I'm sure there are probably a dozen other rules of thumb to follow as well, but these are the two I remember right now.

 

[Rich Keller]

Thanks

Your mail box is full so my messages will not go through. It is impossible for me to diagnose this 100% by explanation alone but my guess is that you should not need to adjust the quick connect fitting, it is probably the regulator part of the SS1 that is free flowing. Is the air coming from the mouth piece on the SS1 or the hose connection? The reg part of the SS1 needs to be adjusted exactly like my explanation of how to adjust a reg earlier. You need to take the round cover off the end of the SS1, remove the diaphragm and under that you will see a lever that rests against the diaphragm. There is a lock nut that adjusts the tension of that lever, just back that off a bit and you should see the lever move down, away from the diaphragm. Try it a little bit at a time and check for free flow with every adjustment. Inhale so the valve lets air in then take it out of your mouth without exhaling into it and listen for escaping air. The only part of doing this that is different then my explanation of how to adjust a reg is that you will want to have this breath a little harder so the SS1 will not free flow when it hits the water. If you have the manual that came with the SS1 scan the relevant parts and email it to me. This might me diagnose the problem better.

 

[spectrum]

Really? That is what you got from my post? THIS is why I love scubaboard.

Relax, Frances.

I have to admit, I had the same thought.

********

But to the OP.... If you're reasonably mechnanically inclined and do a little study and perhaps find a mentor you can easilly be doing regulator first aid. There is a sticky at the top of the Regulator forum that is a good starting point.

The malfunction you encountered is classic for shortly after a service visit.

Pete

 

[DenbyS]

I recently had my Atomic reg & SS1 serviced. I tried it out in the shop and both were fine. 2 days later hooking up gear at BHB and SS1 started free flowing. Long story short, tech at Pure Vida adjusted SS1 with allen wrench.
I haven't had any regulator training but this seems like something the average diver can handle. Comments? Turn clockwise or counter?

I had a similar experience with a new regulator set after about 10 dives. Before sending it in for service, I decided to do some research on this board, and ended up making the adjustment myself and fixed the issue. Based on what I learned from other posts, it seems that a new or newly serviced regulator may need a slight adjustment after the new parts begin to wear in, especially if the cracking pressure is set "optimally" in the beginning. Another possibility I read could be the intermediate pressure being set too high. But since everything seemed fine at first and gradually got worse, I felt the most likely cause was the secondary regulator needing a slight adjustment and I also trusted that it was very unlikely to get a new regulator with a bad setting on the primary IP. I turned the nut clockwise the smallest amount I could manage, and that is all it took.

 

[Rich Keller]

Here is the info you need to work on the SS1, pages 8-11 of the repair PDF and pages 14-15 of the schematics PDF.

View attachment Atomic Assy Repair 2003.pdf

 

[Mitchell Teeters]

Only trained service technicians should service or adjust SS1 regulators by turning clockwise to reduce freeflow.

Gotta admit it took a sec for me to chuckle on that one. Very subtle, very subtle. I'm watching you buddy!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[j2s]

basic regulator service is far easier then most people think and has not really changed in decades. The problem is that the manufactures know this and make some of the parts on their regs in such a way that you need special tools to remove them. There is no reason for them to have a special pattern on the top of a screw that only a dive shop has the tool for when an allen wrench could do the job if the part were made that way. That is starting to change with at least a few manufactures, hog being the leader in that area, that makes normal parts and offers classes on how to do your own service.

---------- post added july 26th, 2013 at 03:21 pm ----------



or you will die right? Wrong! I have been doing my own service for 30+ years and i am still here. I had no formal training, all i had was a repair manual and the parts. This is not rocket science, anyone can do this.

......hear, hear !!!!!!..........