What is the process for 02 cleaning a 1st and 2nd Stage Reg?

[Jackknife]

Why have it cleaned, is there some kind of leftover residue from using 21% O2, that would require this procedure to occur before using it for Nitrox type gasses over 21%? What will happen if you use non-O2 cleaned regs on tanks that use Nitrox/Pure Oxygen?

 

[Cave Diver]

Jackknife once bubbled...
Why have it cleaned, is there some kind of leftover residue from using 21% O2, that would require this procedure to occur before using it for Nitrox type gasses over 21%? What will happen if you use non-O2 cleaned regs on tanks that use Nitrox/Pure Oxygen?

They go BOOM!

Oxygen itself does not burn. Rather it is an oxidizer that can rapidly accellerate a combustion process. Hydrocarbons and certain metals are easily combustible in the presence of Oxygen at higher than normal levels.

Equipment that is going to be in nitrox service should be cleaned anytime it is exposed to suspect air, which may contains traces of oil or hydrocarbons.

Generally most manufacturers regs come ready for oxgyen service up to 40%, which covers pretty much all recreational nitrox. The biggest danger is generally in tanks that are not properly cleaned, as they are normally subjected to higher concentrations of oxgyen, as well as increased pressure and heat when filling or mixing nitrox.

If you really want to know more about this, I would recommend reading the Oxyhackers Companion from Airspeed Press

 

[brian cooper]

I refer you to a previous thread where I said what I do to oxygen clean a reg.

Sorry I don't know how to put a highlighted bit in here so that you can just "click"on to it....

Brian C

 

[Lead_carrier]

Jackknife once bubbled...
Why have it cleaned, is there some kind of leftover residue from using 21% O2, that would require this procedure to occur before using it for Nitrox type gasses over 21%? What will happen if you use non-O2 cleaned regs on tanks that use Nitrox/Pure Oxygen?

Jackknife, have you been Nitrox certified? If you are, you really ought to reread the equipment chapter, if not you really ought to take the course. Stay below 40%EAN and you'll PROBABLY get by with it, I'd recommend staying below 36% personally.

 

[Jackknife]

The shop I regularly get my nitrox fills at uses a permeable membrane system which puts the proper mix in the tank immediately, no manual adding of oxygen, and does not require an 02 clean.

When I went to a different shop on a different occasion, they could not fill my tanks because they required the tanks and regs to be 02 cleaned, and this was for NOAA32. They actually blended their gas manually, adding the right mixture of oxygen to a tank to make it 32%.

Now if I dive using regular air most of the time, cause those airfills are free, opposed to nitrox fills which cost $8 a pop, I want to be able to use the same gear, and not have to spend extra money and have dedicated gear just to dive nitrox or regular 21% O2.

Permeable membrane fill systems for nitrox is fine in my book.

 

[brian cooper]

I would really like to know the actual facts, not someones opinions, or what someone was told by someone else....
Hard facts only please...

If 21% air at 232 bar is ok (thats 48.72 bar ppO)
If 21% air at 300 bar is just on the limit for oxygen explotion with ordinary silicone grease......(thats 63 bar ppO)

What exactly are the criteria for making an oxygen / oil hydrocarbon explotion?

Is it % oxgen? is it ppO? is it the sudden thermal shock on the Oxygen making the temp rise to an ignition point of the hydrocarbon? is it the quantity of hydrocarbon present?
How much better are Viton, and EPDM than Nitrile
If Oxygen rich air escapes to ambient pressure will it ignite the silicone grease that has been squirted in to the environmental section of the reg? Permeable membrane blending versus 60 bar of O2 and top up with air.
I'm not just asking to stir up the O2 clean versus not O2 clean I genuinely want to know from someone who definitely knows....
This is not a rhetorical question

Brian C