What happens if you use a regular regulator with 100% oxygen?

[h90]

I have 17 regulators, ranging from the cheapest Oceanic to the most expensive Apek. There's Dive Rite, Hollis, Poseidon and everything in the middle thrown inbetween. ALL of them are used for 100% O2, depending on what the dive is and which regs I happen to grab at that time.

I have been unable to find a single service manual that advises a different overhaul procedure for one regulator over another. They all should be cleaned the same.

This Oxygen Clean regulator thing was a "money grab" by Oceanic nearly 20 years ago. And people bought into it. Oceanic made two regulators. One had green banding on it and was said to be O2 cleaned. The other had black banding and was not Oxygen ready. Do you know what the difference was? The band color and $100. The service kits were identical, the overhaul procedure exactly the same. But people bought into it. And it stuck. Today some people still literally buy into this nonsense.

I've been diving 100% Oxygen since 1996. I haven't blown myself up yet.

I doubt that the normal Nitrile Oring would last in 100% Oxygen.

 

[Curt Bowen]

i have 17 regulators, ranging from the cheapest oceanic to the most expensive apek. There's dive rite, hollis, poseidon and everything in the middle thrown inbetween. All of them are used for 100% o2, depending on what the dive is and which regs i happen to grab at that time. I have been unable to find a single service manual that advises a different overhaul procedure for one regulator over another. They all should be cleaned the same. This oxygen clean regulator thing was a "money grab" by oceanic nearly 20 years ago. And people bought into it. Oceanic made two regulators. One had green banding on it and was said to be o2 cleaned. The other had black banding and was not oxygen ready. Do you know what the difference was? The band color and $100. The service kits were identical, the overhaul procedure exactly the same. But people bought into it. And it stuck. Today some people still literally buy into this nonsense. I've been diving 100% oxygen since 1996. I haven't blown myself up yet.

bingo

 

[Bob DBF]

View attachment 215607Here's a picture of a fitting in my O2 system that exploded from heat of compression when I opened an O2 valve to fast. No one was hurt but my pants were full of crap. I also have been using a non O2 Clean Conshelf regulator for 30 years without incident. Just open the valve slowley at first and use Cristo Lube when working on O2 systems.

For those who have not been introduced, it's called the diesel effect, and can happen with HP air as well, which is why all HP valves should be turned on slowly. It is the big nasty brother of water hammer.

h90
I doubt that the normal Nitrile Oring would last in 100% Oxygen.

http://www.balseal.com/sites/default/files/tr60d_020707133101.pdf

On a scale of 0 to 4, Nitrile is a 3 as long as it is under 200 degrees F, 200-400 degrees F it is a 1. Nowhere in any of the O-ring manufacturers information did i see that a Nitrile Oring should not be used for O2. Vitron may be preferable, or spec for a particular reg , but it is not the only material that will work.

So on the whole scheme of things, how long they last is the question, and if they last the service interval there is no issue. Now if you are going to turn on your tank valve so fast that the temp of your reg gets up over 200 degrees regularly, I'd switch to Vitron.



Bob
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I think that advocating unsafe and dangerous practices is both stupid and foolish. That is why I don't tell people to do what I do. Dsix36

 

[ams511]

This Oxygen Clean regulator thing was a "money grab" by Oceanic nearly 20 years ago. And people bought into it. Oceanic made two regulators. One had green banding on it and was said to be O2 cleaned. The other had black banding and was not Oxygen ready. Do you know what the difference was? The band color and $100. The service kits were identical, the overhaul procedure exactly the same. But people bought into it. And it stuck. Today some people still literally buy into this nonsense.

From what I remember no dive manufacturer sold O2 clean regulators until recently. What they sold was nitrox regulators. The difference was the green cover and viton o-rings. I agree it was a money grab because the regulator never came into contact with pure O2. It was really the tank and the valve that should should have been O2 clean, not the regulator. Also a nitrox regulator should have used Chistolube while the regular ones used Dow 111.

I have seen a different procedure for cleaning O2 regulators. The main difference is attention to detail and checking afterwards for oil.

One thing don't hear mentioned but probably should be is what regulator to use for O2. If you think about a o-ring as fuel, a high-performance regulator like a S600/MK25 has about 4 times the o-rings as a R190/MK2. So an unbalanced piston regulator with a downstream second stage would seem to be better for O2 use.

 

[Centrals]

One thing don't hear mentioned but probably should be is what regulator to use for O2. If you think about a o-ring as fuel, a high-performance regulator like a S600/MK25 has about 4 times the o-rings as a R190/MK2. So an unbalanced piston regulator with a downstream second stage would seem to be better for O2 use.

I used to use Apeks US-2 as my 100% O2 reg but have replaced it with a DST few yrs ago because of the turret. What I do noticed is that the internal of both regs look a bit more "worn off" than the others(eg. 50%).

 

[ams511]

I used to use Apeks US-2 as my 100% O2 reg but have replaced it with a DST few yrs ago because of the turret. What I do noticed is that the internal of both regs look a bit more "worn off" than the others(eg. 50%).

I am not sure what you mean by wore off.

 

[Superlyte27]

I doubt that the normal Nitrile Oring would last in 100% Oxygen.

You think there's two different service kits? One for O2 one for non O2? . Uh nope

 

[Jax]

No expert here,

but I use only Tribolite or however it is spelled on my breathing stuff. I also open everything slowly.

It's not worth the risk.

I also saw someone's DIN first stage picture where something caused the O2 to flame when it was being moved and became slightly loose. Looked like a welding cutting torch had cut a trough through the threads.

I am smart enough to learn from others' mistakes.

 

[Centrals]

I am not sure what you mean by wore off.

Less shiny, more dull in appearance as compare with my other 1st stages. It looks older and used.
My 18yrs old DS-4 looks better than this 10yrs old internally.
The continuous exposure of pure O2 might have something to do with it.

 

[ams511]

You think there's two different service kits? One for O2 one for non O2? . Uh nope

If you are talking about the time when the manufacturers were selling dedicated nitrox regulators then yes there were two separate kits. You can see them come up on eBay every so often. After the manufacturers gave up on separate nitrox regulators kits were combined. O-rings only cost a few pennies and switching from nitrile to viton or EPDM only costs a few pennies more. It is probably more expensive to stock two separate kits than to combine them into one.