Stuck purge button with HOG D1 and other gripes.

[fuzzybabybunny]

I've got the HOG D1 second stages and they've free flowed on me on a number of occasions:

1. The purge button is just that - a button. When sand gets inside the button housing, the button can be depressed but will stay depressed due to the grit not allowing it to come back out. Basically this creates a free flow situation. Had this happen twice in 12 dives. Just had to madly fiddle with the button to get it to come back out.

My rental regulators were cheapo Oceanic Alpha and the purge button is more or less a flexible plastic covering over the entire regulator face. Nothing for sand to get into.

2. When diving down headfirst bubbles leak out of the regulator when it's in my mouth and I'm not inhaling.

Any thoughts or comments?

 

[Jax]

You let sand get in your regulator????

I have three, and they've not given any problem, but I don't allow them to get into dirt . . . well, as much as possible, and I make sure I wash them well afterward.

 

[leabre]

YOu can prevent the flow of bubbles by flipping the switch towards you otherwise I agree, it can be sensitive. I've had the button issue but because a boat crew dropped my doubles on the reg but HOG sent me a replacement faceplate/button. I have two HOGs and haven't otherwise experienced the sticky button issue and I use them frequently.

My cleaning regimen is such that sand won't be getting stuck anyway and if I suspect it, it's not big deal for me to remove the faceplace and give it extra TLC which I haven't had to do yet.

 

[Thalassamania]

If you do a long hose / necklaced aux. you will not get sand in the regulator. The easier a regulator breathes the more likely it is to bubble like that, use the lever ... that's what it's for.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

You let sand get in your regulator????

I have three, and they've not given any problem, but I don't allow them to get into dirt . . . well, as much as possible, and I make sure I wash them well afterward.

Obviously I try not to, but sometimes it's hard to avoid. There a beach here where all the beginners go - the sand is rather fine and all the scuba action stirs up sand in the water. I was doing some drills by myself - taking off my entire BC, leaving it on the bottom, going to the surface, and freediving down to get it and put it back on. I guess some sand setting around the button and when I went down and put the reg in my mouth (pressing the button to purge it) it started free flowing.

Sand doesn't need to get in the regulator. It seems that only a little bit of sand needs to get ON the regulator to seize it up.

How do you open up the reg?

 

[Thalassamania]

I imagine if you shake it off when you pick it up from the bottom before you breathe or purge that will go a long way to solving the problem.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

How do you open up the reg?

You don't have to take apart the entire 2nd stage in order to clean out sand that's causing the purge button to stick. Start by unscrewing the faceplate. That should give you access to the purge button, purge button spring, diaphragm, etc. Contact the manufacturer for further details...or take the DIY reg repair course.

 

[tc]

As far as the bubbling in the head down position- many high performance regs will do that.

Think about the position of the reg for a moment, when you're head down the exhaust valve in the second stage is actually higher in the water column than the inlet.

You can always adjust the knob to stop the bubbling too.

 

[stano]

I have two full sets of hog regs. What I ran into on the first dive on the first set was a free flow at about 35'. No panic shook it and got it to stop. I tried it again at the shore and it stuck again. I figured it was sand as I was shore diving also. What I discovered in the end was that the actual button was a bit snug in the hole due to the casting having to be tuned up a bit. I took the face off and popped the purge button out and lightly sanded it and the four retaining keepers until it moved without sticking. The sticking problem only occurred when I pushed on the button on an angle. If I pushed straight in no issue.

I got my second set and immediately tried to make it stick. It would not so obviously the first set had a minor casting flaw. This was easily fixed in about five minutes.

Try pushing on the button on an angle and see If you can make It stick. My guess is that it isn't sand but you never know. If you want more info let me know.

I have dove ten times with it since to a max depth of 120' with zero issues. I also adjust the Reg as I am diving to balance ease of breathing and not have it bubble. I really like them now that it is tuned up.

Stano

 

[Peter_C]

You can always adjust the knob to stop the bubbling too.

My regs are tuned hot enough to wear under certain conditions I have to de-tune it every so slightly.