Drying Zeagle BCD bladder

[The Kraken]

Well, I suppose you could pour in a bottle of alcohol from time to time and rinse thoroughly.

But to date, I've never had any problem with my B/C bladders generating any odor that would indicate any sort of organic growth.

Besides, it gives one's B/C bladder that "nice minty" smell.

 

[crpntr133]

I noticed the other day that the smilies on the Advanced page aren't what they should be, well at least one. Another good reason to know a few regular used ones.

I guess I have to join the club and admit that I suck the air out of my BC, even under water if I think I am trapping air.

If you really want to kill off anything that may be crawling in there, throw in a little lemon juice. The acid should kill of about everything but there might be issues with the natural sugars. IMHO, use water(even hot water), flush and splash a bit of mouthwash down there.

 

[stevetim]

I have decided the best way to dry out the bladder completely and to really rinse it as well as possible, is to just unscrew the inflator hose from the base of the bladder. It is very easy, and unless you are violent with the cap while unscrewing it, the threads are not going to strip.
The first time I unscrewed the cap after rinsing the bladder 3 or 4 times with water and Scope, there was some water left in the threads. Guess what, tasted like salt. So I think it's a good idea to disassemble the hose from the bladder every time I wash my BCD now.

 

[stevetim]

If you really want to kill off anything that may be crawling in there, throw in a little lemon juice. The acid should kill of about everything but there might be issues with the natural sugars. IMHO, use water(even hot water), flush and splash a bit of mouthwash down there.

I used to use Gatorade, which has a lot of sugar, in my Camelback bladder. This is when I noticed the most contamination and growth.

 

[crpntr133]

I have decided the best way to dry out the bladder completely and to really rinse it as well as possible, is to just unscrew the inflator hose from the base of the bladder. It is very easy, and unless you are violent with the cap while unscrewing it, the threads are not going to strip.

It's usually not the unscrewing but rather screwing it back on that can cause troubles. Get it cross threaded and it's going to cost $200+ for a new bladder.

 

[billtodive]

I follow the Minnesota Department of Health recommendations for clorinating private drive-point wells. (usually 15-20 feet deep and 1.25 inch diameter). They suggest
2 ounces "bleach" ( approx 5 1/4% ie: household bleach) per gallon of water. Dump it in, let set for 2 hours, flush well. It kills coliform bacteria as well as some things I can't pronounce, much less spell! Or we could follow with 1.5 oz kahula and 1.5 oz vodka to give it a fresh smell and prevent sticking. I'm not sure it would do much for the bacteria, but I would be sure to get all the air out!