Can you please explain why salt water (even a few drops) is not an issue inside the transmitter?
I realize that the water drops will not reach the electronics, only the pressure sensor. But why is that not an issue?
When others handle your first stage...and you have to worry
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Can you please explain why salt water (even a few drops) is not an issue inside the transmitter?
I realize that the water drops will not reach the electronics, only the pressure sensor. But why is that not an issue?
MrBigfins
Contributor
OP
Divectionist
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I would guess that most of the water gets shot out of the LP ports instead of the HP ports because a lot more air would move out of the larger LP orifices than the extremely restricted HP openings.
I would tend to agree. But there is a difference between "most" and "all". It could easily happen that all of the water get shot out the LP port, but there is no guaranty of that.
mi000ke
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I use Atomic regs with the seat-saver feature, and they are supposed to be rinsed under pressure. I always inform the DMs and crew that I want to change over my own tanks and that at the end of the dives I need to rinse the reg under pressure. Since I now dive mostly with the same outfit they are getting used to my situation, but at first there was a little pushback when I would dunk my reg, bcd and tank into the rinse barrel before disassembling. Before disassembling, I blow air out the regs to get as much water out as I can, and try to keep the first stage above the second stages, and as soon as I get home I put the reg under pressure again before soaking. Still I end up having to have the reg serviced about once a year based on monitoring the IP for creep. Even trying to avoid water in the reg, the parts still get a fair amount of corrosion. Enough that I'm thinking about getting another reg set without the seat-saver feature.
95% of my dives is fresh water, but I try to avoid all water in my first stages. I am not in panic if some water enters it, I can service my self, but I try to avoid.
The best way: No others are allowed to touch my regs. Even not on liveaboards, I really get angry if someone touches my stuff. That is mines, and stay away from it. All damage is done by me then. Really, the biggest problem is the 'service' from divecenters to gear your stuff up. Never do that.
The outside of regs I sometimes clean with fresh water and an old toothbrush. The dirt is then removed. The threads of valves you can clean with an old toothbrush and vinegar and then rinse with fresh water. Salt is gone. With this care you can use a longer serviceinterval. But you have to know what you are doing.
Seconds stages, I open them regularly and rinse them. Clean the membranes from sand. After every day of salt water diving I rinse my regs and have an old towel to dry them. With my ccr, in warm weather I take 1 or 2 bottles fresh water to rinse the unit from outside after diving before the salt can dry. Rebreathers I don't leave them at a divecenter, they are in my hotelroom.
At home: my divestuff is dried in my livingroom and in summer protected from sun. Drysuit is in my shower. After some days salt water diving I have to rinse the zip. When I know the drysuit will be dry completely after salt water diving, I rinse it completely with fresh water. After fresh water diving no rinsing, just let them dry.
For oxygen use: Really do it every year. I am extremely cautious when using oxygen. Even when everything looks clean.
The best way: No others are allowed to touch my regs. Even not on liveaboards, I really get angry if someone touches my stuff. That is mines, and stay away from it. All damage is done by me then. Really, the biggest problem is the 'service' from divecenters to gear your stuff up. Never do that.
The outside of regs I sometimes clean with fresh water and an old toothbrush. The dirt is then removed. The threads of valves you can clean with an old toothbrush and vinegar and then rinse with fresh water. Salt is gone. With this care you can use a longer serviceinterval. But you have to know what you are doing.
Seconds stages, I open them regularly and rinse them. Clean the membranes from sand. After every day of salt water diving I rinse my regs and have an old towel to dry them. With my ccr, in warm weather I take 1 or 2 bottles fresh water to rinse the unit from outside after diving before the salt can dry. Rebreathers I don't leave them at a divecenter, they are in my hotelroom.
At home: my divestuff is dried in my livingroom and in summer protected from sun. Drysuit is in my shower. After some days salt water diving I have to rinse the zip. When I know the drysuit will be dry completely after salt water diving, I rinse it completely with fresh water. After fresh water diving no rinsing, just let them dry.
For oxygen use: Really do it every year. I am extremely cautious when using oxygen. Even when everything looks clean.
axxel57
Contributor
If it looks like very little salt water that has entered my 1st stage, I'm not concerned.
If it seems to be quite a lot, I prefer to service it if possible in that moment.
In 2000 in Mexico one of my DM Candidates flooded my 1st stage accidentally with sea water when changing my tank on board
I didn't have time to service it that week, so I remembered a hint of a colleague and got me in the evening some distilled water (battery water) when we got back to Playa del Carmen, removed the hoses, and filled the 1stage with the water, then pushed out the water with an air gun.
Did that about three times and dried the 1stage, put on the LP hoses and shot some air through the LP hoses to hopefully clean them from salt water residues. I didn't do anything about the HP hose, was just expecting that no water had entered it.
Worked well for me in that situation.
Later, when I serviced the reg I was checking for salt or mineral residues, but couldn't find any serious, just the normal o-ring wear.
I admit, I'm not 100% sure if that is a perfect solution for a situation like that (was a bit worried that that procedure would affect the lubrication of the dynamic o-rings), but in the end there were no salt residues in the stage which could have damaged the piston edge, so I might do it again if something like that would happen again to me......
If it seems to be quite a lot, I prefer to service it if possible in that moment.
In 2000 in Mexico one of my DM Candidates flooded my 1st stage accidentally with sea water when changing my tank on board
I didn't have time to service it that week, so I remembered a hint of a colleague and got me in the evening some distilled water (battery water) when we got back to Playa del Carmen, removed the hoses, and filled the 1stage with the water, then pushed out the water with an air gun.
Did that about three times and dried the 1stage, put on the LP hoses and shot some air through the LP hoses to hopefully clean them from salt water residues. I didn't do anything about the HP hose, was just expecting that no water had entered it.
Worked well for me in that situation.
Later, when I serviced the reg I was checking for salt or mineral residues, but couldn't find any serious, just the normal o-ring wear.
I admit, I'm not 100% sure if that is a perfect solution for a situation like that (was a bit worried that that procedure would affect the lubrication of the dynamic o-rings), but in the end there were no salt residues in the stage which could have damaged the piston edge, so I might do it again if something like that would happen again to me......
It's very hard for a lot of water to enter the reg, even when fully submerged. I would dive it normaly and take a look at the filter later in the day when in a safe and dry spot. If it's not starting to go green no big deal. If it is dissamsemble it, clean everything with fresh water, dry and lubricate as needed.
My Titan LX also has the ACD. so I don't worry about it too much. The look on some faces when I put the regs in the rinse tank at the resort without a dust cap is priceless.
All of my diving is in salt water, so I have a rise tank at home - regs get rinsed and then hang to dry.Divegoose
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