"Wet breathing" regulators

[hi_alx]

Hi!

Just wondering was causes regulators to breathe "wet" - only happens when I'm upside down. To clarify, a small amount of water ends up in my mouth. It also seems that it is slightly harder to breathe through a regulator when upside down.

Thanks

 

[wedivebc]

Hi!

Just wondering was causes regulators to breathe "wet" - only happens when I'm upside down. To clarify, a small amount of water ends up in my mouth. It also seems that it is slightly harder to breathe through a regulator when upside down.

Thanks

I had a customer bring me a Sherwood reg that breathed wet. He had it rebuilt twice by another shop with no success but I love a challenge. I discovered a seam in the moulding process ran right through where the exhaust valve seats. I took some light emery cloth and smoothed it down and it worked fine after that.
A reg that breathes wet upside down probably breathes wet right side up it's just that you exhale the water through the exhaust valve which sits lower than the mouthpiece. I would look at the mouthpice for cracks or pinholes and look behind the exhaust 'T' at the exhaust valve to see if it sits flat. A pinhole in the diaphram will cause a wet breather too.
As for the harder breathing upside down it is simple physics, the slight difference in water column between the mouthpiece and the diaphram causes a slight breathing resistance. It is pretty normal. During normal operation the mouthpiece and diaphram are level in the water.

 

[scubadoguk]

Hi!

Just wondering was causes regulators to breathe "wet" - only happens when I'm upside down. To clarify, a small amount of water ends up in my mouth. It also seems that it is slightly harder to breathe through a regulator when upside down.

Thanks

I would think the breathing harder comes down to differing pressure on the chest

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Hi!

Just wondering was causes regulators to breathe "wet" - only happens when I'm upside down. To clarify, a small amount of water ends up in my mouth.

It's partly the way regulators are designed ... and many, if not most, regulators will give you a slightly wet breath when you invert. When you're diving, water can collect the bottom of the exhaust vent. When diving normally, this isn't even noticeable, because the position of the diaphragm is such that the exhaled breath keeps the water from backflowing. But when you invert, you change the relative position of the exhaust diaphragm and this water can seep in when you breathe out and the diaphragm opens ... giving you that few drops of water that you notice.

You can eliminate the problem by sticking your tongue in your mouthpiece and doing a quick purge as you invert. It blows the accumulated water out the exhaust T so it won't be there to seep in on your next exhalation.

Personally, it's such a minor thing that I don't even notice it anymore.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[rescuediver009]

A reg that breathes wet upside down probably breathes wet right side up it's just that you exhale the water through the exhaust valve which sits lower than the mouthpiece.

Not really. Breathing wet is just when there is not enough of an air pocket above the diaphragm to hold the water out. If all regs that breathed wet upsidedown breathed wet rightside up, they all would. As for being upsidedown or facing up and having a harder time inhaling, as explained elsewhere it is because there is too much air inside the secodn stage pushing up on the diaphragm (as air always wants to go up under water) and it makes it harder to pull the lever down and draw in the air. nothing to do with your chest being lower. Otherwise you would have this problem everytime you were vertical in the water. Its just logical....

 

[wedivebc]

Not really. Breathing wet is just when there is not enough of an air pocket above the diaphragm to hold the water out. If all regs that breathed wet upsidedown breathed wet rightside up, they all would.
....

I don't understand what you mean.

As for being upsidedown or facing up and having a harder time inhaling, as explained elsewhere it is because there is too much air inside the secodn stage pushing up on the diaphragm (as air always wants to go up under water) and it makes it harder to pull the lever down and draw in the air. nothing to do with your chest being lower. Otherwise you would have this problem everytime you were vertical in the water. Its just logical....

Oh, so why is it harder to breathe upside down with my rebreather then?

 

[DepthCharge]

I don't understand what you mean.



Oh, so why is it harder to breathe upside down with my rebreather then?

Are you seriously asking this question? If so what are you doing diving a RB?

 

[wedivebc]

Are you seriously asking this question? If so what are you doing diving a RB?

rhetorical

adj: concerned with effect or style of writing and speaking; "a rhetorical question is one asked solely to produce an effect (especially to make an assertion) rather than to elicit a reply" [ant: unrhetorical]

 

[ZenDiver]

I had a customer bring me a Sherwood reg that breathed wet. He had it rebuilt twice by another shop with no success but I love a challenge. I discovered a seam in the moulding process ran right through where the exhaust valve seats. I took some light emery cloth and smoothed it down and it worked fine after that.
A reg that breathes wet upside down probably breathes wet right side up it's just that you exhale the water through the exhaust valve which sits lower than the mouthpiece. I would look at the mouthpice for cracks or pinholes and look behind the exhaust 'T' at the exhaust valve to see if it sits flat. A pinhole in the diaphram will cause a wet breather too.
As for the harder breathing upside down it is simple physics, the slight difference in water column between the mouthpiece and the diaphram causes a slight breathing resistance. It is pretty normal. During normal operation the mouthpiece and diaphram are level in the water.

Also check the housing itself for a crack. All of what wedivebc said and checking the housing should reveal why your 2nd stage is breathing wet. These are all things I check when a customer complains about wet breathing. 90% of the time its the exhaust diaphram not seating flat in my experience.

 

[rescuediver009]

rhetorical

adj: concerned with effect or style of writing and speaking; "a rhetorical question is one asked solely to produce an effect (especially to make an assertion) rather than to elicit a reply" [ant: unrhetorical]

Should I ignore your entire response then.... I don't understand you. And if you were mocking me, I would encourage your opinion.

To be more clear, when the reg is oriented so that the exhaust diaphragm is at the bottom, or lowest point, some water does come it but very little unnoticeable ammount.