I have a Sea Elite Manifold with isolator valve. It has recently taken to not accepting incoming air when the incoming pressure is above 1000-2000psi. I have had problems with both valves in this regard. Divers Supply sent me a new set of seats and my local service center completely tore down and serviced the valves replacing the seats. The problem has recurred with both valves acting the same...air comes out no problem....no air goes back in. Anyone else experience similar issues?
Sea Elite 300 bar Manifold
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ElectricZombie
Contributor
I've had zero problems with my Sea Elite manifold.
nyresq
Contributor
I have a 300 bar Sea-Elite on a set of E7-100s. Never had any problems filling to 3500psi. I wouldn't use it till you get it 100%... just cause it comes out now doesn't mean it'll come out at 140' below the surface. I would pull it off and send it back to DS for a replacement. It sounds like it may be a bad cast in the valves if it was pulled apart and rebuilt.
boomx5
Contributor
and have also had no problems.
Ive never heard of that before. Something is going on. If this shop cant fix it, send it back to Diver's Supply...
Im sure they would want to know if something is wrong with this manifold. Was this a brand new manifold? Or, did this issue come up after having been recently serviced? If so, I would find someone else to overhaul the manifold, because it sounds like something is messed up...
Im sure they would want to know if something is wrong with this manifold. Was this a brand new manifold? Or, did this issue come up after having been recently serviced? If so, I would find someone else to overhaul the manifold, because it sounds like something is messed up...
I've had mine for a couple of years on a set of AL 90's, 3300 PSI, and I've never had any trouble with it excepting gas.
Did the shop find anything wrong with it when they serviced it last time and replaced the seats? I think I'd get Divers Supply to replace the entire manifold before I tried to use it again.
Did the shop find anything wrong with it when they serviced it last time and replaced the seats? I think I'd get Divers Supply to replace the entire manifold before I tried to use it again.
I just finished cleaning and rebuilding my manifold, carefully noting how things came apart in order to put them back together the same way, and Im sorry, but the engineer in me thinks the valve stems o ring and nylon washer are backwards
Going from ambient to pressurized side of the valve stem, theres the valve capnut (I have no idea what its really called), a nylon washer and then the O-ring (up against the part that has the slot that engages the valve seat screw).
How the heck does this thing seal?
I would think youd want the O-ring up against the valve capnut, so itd seal against the stem and the capnut. As it is now, the nylon washers doing the sealing up against the capnut, and the O-ring seals between the nylon washer and the valve stem.
And the weird thing about it is that I cant deny that it works.
Does that nylon washer really seal that well up against the roof of the capnut while the O-ring takes care of the stem to nylon washer seal?
Roak
Going from ambient to pressurized side of the valve stem, theres the valve capnut (I have no idea what its really called), a nylon washer and then the O-ring (up against the part that has the slot that engages the valve seat screw).
How the heck does this thing seal?
I would think youd want the O-ring up against the valve capnut, so itd seal against the stem and the capnut. As it is now, the nylon washers doing the sealing up against the capnut, and the O-ring seals between the nylon washer and the valve stem.
And the weird thing about it is that I cant deny that it works.
Does that nylon washer really seal that well up against the roof of the capnut while the O-ring takes care of the stem to nylon washer seal?
Roak
mgdive
Guest
roakey:
The DR valves have an o-ring on the valve stem to seal the valve stem to the valve stem nut (nylon valve packing on stem above o-ring in location you described) in addition to an o-ring on the valve stem nut that seals it to the manifold body.
The nylon packing is not designed to perform any sealing function as far as I know.
If you only have one o-ring, it's possible it is sealing between the valve stem and the manifold body with the valve stem nut holding it in place with the nylon packing, but I have never seen it that way.
Can someone with the same model manifold confirm the parts you should have?
Well it must, because with the order valve bonnet nut, nylon washer and then O-Ring, the nylon washer has to be part of the sealing solution to the HP chamber beneath the bonnet nut.mgdive:
I know I have the right parts, having three isolation manifolds means I have nine valve bodies I can look at, and so far I've looked at six and they're all the same, I'm just surprised that it works in that configuration, that's all...mgdive:
Roak
Don Burke
Contributor
The "plastic washer" is actually an o-ring retainer. It's function is to provide hardness transition. The o-ring can move the retainer around, but not enough to get it through the gap.roakey:
Picture the seal assembled without the retainer. Under 300 bar of pressure, the o-ring is attempting to extrude through the gap between the metal parts. There is a good chance it will make it.
With the retainer in place, the o-ring attempts to extrude both inside and outside of the retainer making a shape somewhat like a ring cake mold. The o-ring is hung up on the retainer, the retainer can't squeeze through the gap, and the gas is blocked both ways around the retainer by the odd shaped o-ring wrapped around the retainer.
That nut is called a "stem nut." If packing was involved, it would also be called a "packing nut."
Here's some valve geography:
http://www.20un.com/asalara/gate-valve-por.html
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