Should I be rinsing the cylinder valve and opening after dive?

[William Ryan]

The post-dive care of a tank valve depends on whether it's DIN or yoke, and especially whether or not it's a convertible valve. The convertible valves really should get the yoke plug taken out after a salt water dive. Those threads are not protected by an o-ring and salt water can really cause problems in there. So for a convertible valve, take the plug out, then squirt a little water in the threads of the DIN valve, then maybe a shot of air. For straight DIN valves (no plug) you can just rinse a bit, then dry. For yoke I wouldn't worry about it. There are no exposed threads in those.

Thanks for the help!

 

[William Ryan]

Diving in fresh water all i do for DIN 1st stages is to purge the pressure, undo the 1st stage enough to ensure the O ring is not seated, and very carefully open the cyl valve a small amount. Just enough to push some air out and round the DIN threads, which also pushes out any water that had crept down and filled those threads (which it does).

Note the small opening of the valve only. We don't need 100's of bar, we don't need a gale force wind and screaming air coming out, we just need a gentle pffft for a few seconds

For salt water, i rinse everything as an assembly if possible, ie run entire scuba unit, pressurised under a fresh water hose or tap, or dunk in large fresh water tank, then repease the blow out step i mentioned before removing the regulators from the cylinder.


For yoke type 1st stages, it's less important, because there really isn't much internal volume to get full of salty water. Here i just take off the 1st stage, rinse the cylinder and valve, then blow a little air out, again, carefully, slowly, no great gushing out with a scream, to ensure nothing is left in the valve passages.

In reality, if you look at a typical cylinder valve, there is only one small passange from the actual sealing face of the valve shuttle up and into the exit area (either for DIN or yoke) The amount of water that will get in there is pretty small, so is unlikely to be an issue.

I tend to wash the valve more to simply keep the valve knob and the PTFE/NYLON disc behind it free of salt, because this is what really makes the valve stiff to turn

nice thanks for the feedback!

 

[Wibble]

How often do you shower?

I'm working a theory

Seems I should be the Gamon.

This whole kit care and washing thing seems to be more to do with early-days diving where you've just paid out a fortune for some shiny regulators and your first diving cylinder.

Roll on a few years when you've dozens of cylinders, regulators and a garage full of dive kit, for some reason you're a lot more relaxed about the whole thing.

Same with testing and "oxygen cleaning" cylinders as it's a massive expensive racket. Should add regulator servicing to that.

Coming back to your showering point; I do wash, clean and sterilise the rebreather occasionally. That's the only time it gets rinsed on the outside. I do wash the loop and wipe out the lungs after every day's diving. Bacteria's a serious issue when breathed. None of the bailouts get washed.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Seems I should be the Gamon.

This whole kit care and washing thing seems to be more to do with early-days diving where you've just paid out a fortune for some shiny regulators and your first diving cylinder.

Roll on a few years when you've dozens of cylinders, regulators and a garage full of dive kit, for some reason you're a lot more relaxed about the whole thing.

Same with testing and "oxygen cleaning" cylinders as it's a massive expensive racket. Should add regulator servicing to that.

Coming back to your showering point; I do wash, clean and sterilise the rebreather occasionally. That's the only time it gets rinsed on the outside. I do wash the loop and wipe out the lungs after every day's diving. Bacteria's a serious issue when breathed. None of the bailouts get washed.

I literally don’t know a single diver this ‘relaxed’ about gear rinsing/cleaning. I hear what you’re saying but I still disagree. The corrosive nature of saltwater has not changed in the last 60 years.

 

[happy-diver]

Nor has the composition of brass which does not corrode in salt water

 

[Belzelbub]

I literally don’t know a single diver this ‘relaxed’ about gear rinsing/cleaning. I hear what you’re saying but I still disagree. The corrosive nature of saltwater has not changed in the last 60 years.

I agree. I don’t know anyone that takes that approach to rinsing gear.

For the occasional freshwater spring dives, I’ll rinse off any dirt, and that’s about it.

For saltwater, I’m a bit more anal about it. I fill a bucket with water and salt-off. Regs are assembled to a tank and valve opened. 1st stages are all environmentally sealed, so Not much chance for water to get caught. 2nd stages soak in the bucket and tanks and first stages are rinsed well with the hose. All DIN regs, so inserts have been removed from the convertible valves. After soaking, the seconds are rinsed and hung up. Tank valves are cracked open and allowed to dry before delrin DIN caps are inserted. IMO, saltwater should be removed as soon as possible. Not only due to corrosion, but also the salt crystals that can form when the H2O part of saltwater evaporates.

 

[Diving Dubai]

I literally don’t know a single diver this ‘relaxed’ about gear rinsing/cleaning. I hear what you’re saying but I still disagree. The corrosive nature of saltwater has not changed in the last 60 years.

I'm diligent over cleaning my kit. Not after every dive - if I'm teaching it might be a week when it gets nothing more than a hose briefly pointed at it. When home, it all gets disassembled - which includes taking off the LP inflator, and Dump valves so the BCD/Wing gets fully immersed and sits there overnight in warm water (it's never cold in the middle East)

As for tanks... Nope no special treatment. They might be sitting on the deck of a boat for 3 days, getting lashed with salt water spray, which will dry in the heat of over 40C/100F

If valves would let water in (as some fear) they won't keep high pressure air in the cylinder

Given that my steels haven't rotted though after 10 years, despite the water around the coast being more saline than most places I'd say we're good

The greatest issue here is sand, find flour like dust which gets everywhere especially in the threads of the DIN. So they occasionally get washed just to get the filth off

At the dive shop. Used tanks get thrown off the boat into the sea and you wade ashore with them. They're not washed either.

If people want to wash their tanks that's cool but the fear of some of a bit of water in the valve is silly (unless immediately filling)

 

[NothingClever]

I habitually rinse off my valves while the 1st stage is still attached. I rotate the valve knob back and forth to get the saltwater out from underneath. There have been times while loading up that I noticed salt had crystallized at the edge of the knob indicating that I had not rinsed thoroughly. Also, if I take my valves off for any length of time (other than getting a fill), I cap the 1st stages and plug the DIN valve.

Correction…..”Also, if I take my 1st stages (not valves) off for any length of time….”

Duh.

 

[Antient Marriner]

And here is another 'pro tip' I read; clean the gear with vinegar after a salt water dive? Any one want to take that 'tip' and run with it, I 'd like another point of view?

 

[NothingClever]

And here is another 'pro tip' I read; clean the gear with vinegar after a salt water dive? Any one want to take that 'tip' and run with it, I 'd like another point of view?

I’ve never heard, read or seen that.