Titanium vs EAN

[a22shady]

I was considering buying an Atomic T-2 Regulator but i have been hearing some horror stories about some catching fire from people using EAn with these. I was wondering if anyone had some more info on these regs. Are they safe to use wit Nitrox? Does anyone have any experince using these. Thanks for the Help

 

[halocline]

I've heard stories about all sorts of things, that does not mean they're true. There is a compatibility issue between Ti and high percentage O2, but for nitrox to 40% you should not have any problem. I think that atomic has some recommendation for O2 cleaning the Ti reg and then only using it with grade E (O2 clean) air. This might make it inconvenient to use rental tanks with the reg. I'm not really sure about the atomic recommendation because it would never occur to me to spend that much money on a regulator, but you could head over to the atomic forum and I'm sure they'll tell you.

I have a tiny suspicion that nobody has actually started a fire using one of these regs and nitrox. That one would tend to get around pretty quickly.

Why don't you just buy the brass atomic and an $800 bottle of scotch instead?

 

[DwayneJ]

I was considering buying an Atomic T-2 Regulator but i have been hearing some horror stories about some catching fire from people using EAn with these. I was wondering if anyone had some more info on these regs. Are they safe to use wit Nitrox? Does anyone have any experince using these. Thanks for the Help

When my buddy caught fire at 50', the surrounding water extinguished the flames pretty quickly. Of course it served him right as he had taken his O2 stage tank off and was using it has a lever to lift a rock up to get to a lobster.

 

[promocop]

wives tale nonsense! It's a great reg.

 

[a22shady]

thanks for the info

 

[Puffer Fish]

I was considering buying an Atomic T-2 Regulator but i have been hearing some horror stories about some catching fire from people using EAn with these. I was wondering if anyone had some more info on these regs. Are they safe to use wit Nitrox? Does anyone have any experince using these. Thanks for the Help

Not heard anything bad about the regulator, but the issue is that Titanium is a sparking metal, and brass is not. One could theoretically start a fire with a piece of Titanium and a rock, but not with brass.

Is this an issue? Well, one needs a source of ignition (your rock and the regulator), high O2 and some fuel...say you put some gasoline in the second stage and lets some gas out.. it would then easily be possible to start a fire...but I don't see how that could happen under normal use...

It is one very nice regulator, and i would be happy to use on with Nitrox.

 

[Downing]

Atomic "advised" that if you're going to use nitrox, then the T2 should be nitrox-dedicated. That is to say that you could go from air to nitrox on the T2 but once you used nitrox you were supposed to use only nitrox from then on unless you had the reg cleaned for use with air.

Not very practical. I imagine the advice was lawyer oriented and based on theoretical conjecture. I certainly don't worry about it with my T2.

The brand spanking new T2x, however, has no such restrictions and can be used with air or nitrox and back and forth with no, um, restrictive "advice" from Atomic. Per the AA website, the T2x is "interchangeable with air or nitrox to 40% without dedication."

I imagine that there should be some good deals on the T2 out there to make way for the T2x.

 

[Indian Valley Scuba]

I dive with T2's and switch them back and forth between air, recreational nitrox, high O2 blends and trimix, without ever cleaning or changing anything. I suspect the original warning was due to fear of being sued by the Atomic folks - I have about 1,000 dives on my T2's and zero "horror stories" to report!

By the way, I am an Atomic dealer also, and share the same information with my clients.

Hope that helps put your mind to rest.

 

[promocop]

You can have the TX updated to the TX2 (I did) and resolved the issue of the phamntom fire issue. They replace $75.00 worth of parts and its an 'X'

 

[DevonDiver]

I have a set of Scubapro Ti regs...and they cannot be used with Nitrox. It was stated in the manual and I even checked with Scubapro to confirm this.