Rinsing environmentally sealed 1st stage

[supergaijin]

I was wondering whether environmentally 1st stages are still effective without being pressurised by the tank.

ie. when washing the reg, would it be OK to immerse the 1st stage in water or would this lead to problems as with "normal" regs?

Thanks to those in the know.

 

[Abaco24]

It's sealed, that's the whole point, hose it, rinse it, done. The last bit of psi seals it when disconnected.

 

[JBRES1]

Be it an environmentally sealed first stage or not, you should rince them.
But , do not dunk the first stage in water if the yoke or Din cap is not sealed off.
The environmentally first stage is sealed from the water during a dive so that the internal workings of the reg do not come in contact with the water or muck you are diving in.
Jim Breslin

 

[tfsails]

In a word, yes. Just as long as the dust cover is on the inlet.

 

[shogan]

So lets go a little further on this. What are we rinsing when we rinse the 1st stage with the dust cover on? How do you rinse a 1st stage that isn't enviro sealed? How do you rinse a 1st stage like the sherwood that uses pressure bubbles to keep it sealed?

And while we are at it what do you do with your 2nd stage. Dunk in water pressurized, dunk in water unpressurized and then hook it back up and blow it out? Dunk it in water unpressurized and let it hang dry?

 

[halocline]

I was wondering whether environmentally 1st stages are still effective without being pressurised by the tank.

ie. when washing the reg, would it be OK to immerse the 1st stage in water or would this lead to problems as with "normal" regs?

Thanks to those in the know.

What "problems" exist by immersing a normal 1st stage in water?

Regulators-all of them- should be soaked, not dunked, after salt water use. with some 2nd stages that have a seat saver function you have to be careful not to allow water to flow up the hose into the 1st stage, but that's easily accomplished by simply not soaking the reg with the 2nd stage lower than the 1st stage. After soaking, it's a good idea to pressurize the reg and blow a little air through it.

If you can soak the reg pressurized, like with a pony, that's great, but not necessary. I have a feeling you're referring to immersing a 1st stage without the dust cap in place. That's a no-no, but leaving salt water to dry on a reg is also very bad for the reg.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

1+ for what mattboy said about soaking.

Environmental sealing has nothing to do with proper "care and feeding" of the regulator first stage.

A quick rinse or fast dunk will probably not get all the salt out of nooks and crannies in the first stage body and hose fittings. In fact, be sure to pull back the rubber hose covers prior to soaking to make sure the hose fittings get a good bath too.

Best wishes and happy soaking

 

[supergaijin]

Thanks for the replies.

In every dive center I haved worked in thus far (7), the 2nd stages were left to soak but the 1st stages not. Maybe a wee splash of water with the hand and that's it.

I've always left mine completely submerged (dust cap on). Pretty much everyone has commented that it was bad for the 1st stage and leads to problems with the SPG.

Cheers again for the posters

 

[rcs9250]

Agreed on a good soak is better than a rinse. On a trip use your off gas day to soak your reg in a bath tub while you are having fun on land.
You do want to make sure though that your dust cover will hold water out. Some of them are rubber and all deformed from years of use. I make stainless steel ones that simulate the the tank valve with an O ring in it and a dimple on the back side for the point on the yoke knob. That way I know I don't get water in the reg.
Most of my regs are now DIN's and there are good DIN covers available that screw on for an excellent seal.

 

[halocline]

In every dive center I haved worked in thus far (7), the 2nd stages were left to soak but the 1st stages not. Maybe a wee splash of water with the hand and that's it.

This is indicative of the poor understanding of regulators that exists in so many dive shops.

You're doing the right thing soaking your regs. If you're ultra paranoid about getting water in the first stage you can put the reg on a pony, then soak, but there's really no reason to. The dust cap works fine.

By far the most corroded, dirtiest reg I've ever rebuilt was owned by an instructor in Roatan who was working in an environment where she couldn't soak the reg after diving in salt water on a daily basis.