Regulator Washdown

[nannymouse]

My buddy has a pony bottle that he uses when he washes down his regulators, to keep pressure between the first stage and the second stage. He washes down his whole rig in his shower. (I don't know if he took the PADI TubDiver class.)

I have no tanks of my own yet, so I keep the dust cap on the first stage intake, and use my garden hose to gently wash down my rig.

Am I headed for trouble?

Is he overkilling?

What are the possible consequences of getting water between the second and first stages?

Thank you in advance for your words of wizdom. -N

 

[Dive Junky]

Giving your regs a good soaking under pressure on your tank is the best way to get the salt off. Followed by a good rinse. If you dont have a tank to do this with a good rinse will work well. Avoid at all costs getting water in your first stage. It will reduce the breathability of your reg.

 

[redacted]

Yes, you are headed for trouble. but not because you don't have a tank to pressurized your regs. I often clean mine, unpressurized, with just the dust cap firmly in place. Make sure there is a rubber mating surface in the cap making a good seal. You are headed for trouble because a rinse is not enough to remove SW from the unprotected threaded connection it penetrates during a dive. I always soak my regs for at least a couple hours.

 

[spectrum]

Positive pressure is the only way to be certain nothing is getting backed into the system.

With a good sealing cap and care not to activate purges you can get by unpressurized.

Water backed into the system can leave the valves corroding between dives and can reach the SPG rotting that out as well.

Warm water will be most effective, especially after salt water dives.

Pete

 

[nannymouse]

awap said "You are headed for trouble because a rinse is not enough to remove SW from the unprotected threaded connection it penetrates during a dive."

What threaded connection? Yoke, not DIN.

I am thinking that once I get my own tanks I can use 10 psi or so for rinsing.

I saw a sticker in LDS that said something like "For surface use only, not for diving".
Is this for tanks which don't meet specs?

 

[rawls]

A good thing to do would be to rinse your regs right after you use them if possible. I would assume you rent your cylinders so use those cylinders to pressurize the reg. If you rinse then make sure the first stage is quite a bit higher than the second so you will limit the amount of water that may make it into the hoses and up to the 1st stage.

 

[spectrum]

I saw a sticker in LDS that said something like "For surface use only, not for diving".
Is this for tanks which don't meet specs?

They may be playing game to market to the paintball folks.

As a pressure vessel I don't see where they have any wiggle room on cylinder integrity.

In terms of it being clean and suitable for breathing air and/or filled with breathing air it's hard to believe that they would sell a sub standard cylinder under a surface use only pretense since they have no control over the ultimate use.

I'd ask the shop what it means.

Pete

 

[redacted]

awap said "You are headed for trouble because a rinse is not enough to remove SW from the unprotected threaded connection it penetrates during a dive."

What threaded connection? Yoke, not DIN.

I am thinking that once I get my own tanks I can use 10 psi or so for rinsing.

I saw a sticker in LDS that said something like "For surface use only, not for diving".
Is this for tanks which don't meet specs?

Unprotected threaded connections:

Yoke nut (o-ring is below threads)
LP hose to 2nd stage
HP hose to SPG
Piston 1sts - ambient chamber to body & some HP seat retainers.
Diaphragm 1st - diaphragm cap to body

These are all threaded connections where the threads are exposed to SW and rinsing is nor enough to remove salt.

 

[diver_pirate]

There are several correct and incorrect answers. The type of regulator you have makes a difference. The type of diving you are doing also effects how you rinse. A couple of hour soak is ideal unless you are on vacation and diving several times a day where a quick rinse will do between dives. At the end of the frequent diving experience a long soak is good.

Salt water, sand and biological contaminants (alge) needs longer rinses than fresh water diving.

If you have certain Atomic regulators they do not want the reg submerged without pressure on the first stage so that all seals (first and second stages) are held shut during the rinse. Its design is meant to preserve valve seats during periods of inactivity.

Most other modern regulators need only to have the dust cap secured in place on the first stage to be submerged for rinse for both stages. (check manufacturers recommendations)

If a drop or two of water does get in first stage (accidentally of course) you will want to pressurize it and purge several times to dry the moisture. The annual or bi-anual (Atomic) service will replace corroded parts if you got some water in a bad place. If you look at the first stage filter ( each time you use your reg) and see rust or corrosion in the screen ask your local shop for a replacement. If they know you as a regular or you bought it there it may not cost you anything.
DP

 

[Charlie99]

<snip list of threads>

These are all threaded connections where the threads are exposed to SW and rinsing is not enough to remove salt.

My experience is that soaking is needed ONLY if you have let the regs dry with salt on them. I do a quick rinse after the dive before the saltwater dries, then a more thorough dunk later.

My "more thorough" dunk is all of 2 or 3 minutes. Atomics B1, just using an aftermarket dustcap with a yoke tank o-ring as the sealing surface. I do hang them to dry with the 1st stage above the 2nds.

When I bring my reg in after a couple years and 150 dives, the reg tech usually says everything is looking pretty good.

SALT is hard to remove. SALTWATER is easily removed with a very short rinse.