Silicone oil for sealed regs?

[scubaalblake]

(originally posted in the reg thread - but on reflection more appropriate here with all the other self-maintainers' stuff - sorry if you read it twice!)

I have two 20+ year old Aqualung SEA regulators. I service myself as I have no problem sourcing the parts from a friendly LDS and lived for 2 years on an island where if you didnt fix it yourself it didnt get fixed

Consequently I have the tools to service pretty much anything.

Regs are great and are the environmentally sealed versions with the silicone oil in the top. LDS has trouble getting silicone oil as I am the only customer that uses it..... and often forgets to order it in.

In the past I have used plumbing supply silicone grease (on advice of an LDS) but really it's too thick which makes it really hard to get the bubbles out.

I have now found I can easily get Silicone 'gun oil' or 'fishing reel' oil. Pretty cheap and nice and thin. (12 bucks australian for 50ml)

Any reason why I *shouldnt* use this in the environmental sealed section of Aqualung regs? It's only a pressure transfer medium so as far as I know should work just fine? It dosnt actually go into the reg at all as its sandwiched between 2 diaphragms.

Thanks
Al

 

[WozfromOz]

Just had to giggle when I was reading this, I've serviced gear for many years and remember coming across my first oil filled reg many years ago. When I spoke with the local importer about what to use they suggested a good quality cooking oil as they are generally non reactive when it comes to the o'rings/diaphragm etc

and the but is..... if the enviro seal leaks and salt water enters the oil chamber.... it turns pretty gross very quickly....

I'm still not convinced it's the right thing to do.... but hey.... who was I to argue?

Woz

 

[scubaalblake]

Ok - in another forum some posters went ballistic when I suggested gun oil - guess they hadnt read the post - so I checked up with the supplier.

Not wishing to get flamed but I just got a very nice explanatory reply from the gun oil company who indicate their product is

"No additives at all - just pure PDMS (polydimethyl siloxane) alias silicone. "

So bearing in mind that this is for air (not nitrox) and its going into the environmental chamber (not the reg body) why wouldnt this be fine. Surely this is just silicone? I have used plumber (tap) slicone before (on the advice of an LDS) when I couldn't find anything else but its way too thick.


They actually put a little label on the same bottle calling is 'gun oil' or 'reel oil' or 'serwing machine oil' and its all the same stuff. Just depends what the customer wants to buy it for as people dont link to think their putting gun oil on their sewing machine (or vice versa).

Al.

 

[Hallmac]

It is fine to use, Mineral oil, Silicone oil, rubbing alcohol all work fine. The last would be my very last choice however.

Mineral oil can be found at your local drug store or grocery store for less than a buck, Freezing point is well below human diving abilities, it is consumable, non toxic, and easy to clean up.

No worries!

 

[UWDoc]

Poseidon recommends using vodka in their regs for this purpose. (Swedish vodka of course).