Use of Vindicator Knobs...
- Thread starter CuzzA
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and if you are in good trim, you have to get in some big passages or chance see it when turning a corner to see, and it also implies the person with the roll off is up front... If you're in single file only passage, or you're in the back, then it's not going to do anything for you.
I did Tec 40, 45, and 50 without them. Then I borrowed a set of doubles and two deco bottles with them with them on all valves and the isolator.
I thought it was great having a second visual way of determing if the valves were open or shut. They were particularly useful in confirming the deco bottles during gas switches.
How's that saying go: Two is one, one is none. Not quite applicable, but certainly better than just one way to check valve status.
There was actually an out of gas incident that occurred to someone on a trimix dive to 210. Turns out it had to do with the isolator valve being closed. While this should not have happened, it happened anyway. One of the other divers might have caught it if it had a vindicator.
In another case someone thought they opened a left post valve during a valve drill, but did not. It would have potentially been a problem if a real emergency had occurred. This time it was caught easily because the valve had a vindicator.
At the last dema, I kind of went crazy and bought the nitrox version for my doubles and one of my deco bottles. I also got the o2 version for my 100 percent and the regular black one for some air tanks. At $7 a piece I couldn't pass it up.
I thought it was great having a second visual way of determing if the valves were open or shut. They were particularly useful in confirming the deco bottles during gas switches.
How's that saying go: Two is one, one is none. Not quite applicable, but certainly better than just one way to check valve status.
There was actually an out of gas incident that occurred to someone on a trimix dive to 210. Turns out it had to do with the isolator valve being closed. While this should not have happened, it happened anyway. One of the other divers might have caught it if it had a vindicator.
In another case someone thought they opened a left post valve during a valve drill, but did not. It would have potentially been a problem if a real emergency had occurred. This time it was caught easily because the valve had a vindicator.
At the last dema, I kind of went crazy and bought the nitrox version for my doubles and one of my deco bottles. I also got the o2 version for my 100 percent and the regular black one for some air tanks. At $7 a piece I couldn't pass it up.
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OP
CuzzA
Wetwork for Hire
That's a good deal. I'd replace all of mine at that price. I do really like the bigger knob and like you said, that one simple layer of extra safety could prevent a potential incident.
K
KeithG
Guest
Are they a fail safe design?
The one true way to determine if your valve is on or off is to manually turn it. Manually turning the knob will always give you the correct answer.
Is there any failure mode of the knob mechanism that would allow it to misrepresent that actual valve setting?
Regardless this appears to be a nice to have since it requires a visual confirmation of a manual test (I can manually test my valve without needing to look at it - works fine in the dark)
The one true way to determine if your valve is on or off is to manually turn it. Manually turning the knob will always give you the correct answer.
Is there any failure mode of the knob mechanism that would allow it to misrepresent that actual valve setting?
Regardless this appears to be a nice to have since it requires a visual confirmation of a manual test (I can manually test my valve without needing to look at it - works fine in the dark)
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from the quick look I gave them. The red bit is a separate sleeve from the knob, and the green bit is threaded so as you turn the knob the green comes out. If it fails, the green bit may be able to come down on its own, but it would be loose. To the point that it would fall out of the knob and go all the way to the valve outlet because all of the threaded parts had stripped. I don't see how this would be possible in the real world. Same with being open and showing red, the only way for that to happen is if the threads on the knob seized, which I don't know how that would be possible
the only "failure" I've seen/heard of with these is the whole thing slipping because the stem nut came off or was out so far that the knob was free spinning off the shaft key-way. Truth be told, I've seen this many more times on "normal" valves, so it isn't really an issue with the vindicator system specifically. Actually, the spring should hold everything, so perhaps there was an issue with the spring (which is the same on all of them).
Michael Guerrero
Contributor
It is definitely a nice to have rather than a necessity, but some things are nice to have.
K
KeithG
Guest
Agreed. Fail safe is always top of mind, even though I left that stuff 30ish years ago. It always bubbles up.
My first awareness was as a coop university student. One of our bearded employees went on a client visit and came back clean shaven. The client would not allow him onsite with a beard (something todo with emergency face masks of some sort). He was given a choice: shave or sit in the hotel.
He needed to be onsite, so he shaved....
My first awareness was as a coop university student. One of our bearded employees went on a client visit and came back clean shaven. The client would not allow him onsite with a beard (something todo with emergency face masks of some sort). He was given a choice: shave or sit in the hotel.
He needed to be onsite, so he shaved....
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