Regulator Soaking Question?????

[Cheekymonkey]

I was told to rinse my Apeks and Aqualung regs thoroughly in fresh after each use. That means with the "dust" cap in place so no water gets into the first stage. The second stage is self-sealing and no water gets into the critical parts of it. I have also learned through trial and error that "thoroughly" means longer than I originally thought. After each day of diving, I give do a pretty decent rinse in a shower or a tub. Upon returning home, the regs now soak in the tub for hours because I discovered that despite apparently "thorough" rinses at home, salt crystals were forming in the first stage pressure sensing cavity days and weeks after the rinse. That obviously means the rinse was not sufficiently thorough and that fresh water did not get in all the nooks and crannies to wash away residual salt. I was careful previously, but am much more careful now. Pesky stuff, that salt.

The dust cap is called the dust cap not the seal cap for a reason, the water can still enter it, its not water tight, just dust tight. I beleive at least one or two companies have created water proof ones though, I think one may be Oceanic, but otherwise dustcaps are for dust just as their name implys.

 

[Hoosier]

Just a half hour soaking is more than enough right after the dive. You don't need the reg. over night.

Cheekymonkey is right... The dust cap is a dust cap, not seal cap.

The best feasible way is to attach the reg to the smallest tank (6cf) during the soak though...... I have asked a special DIN cap with an o-ring for the soaking purpose, but I don't hear any words from him yet. That idea might hit the market though...

 

[spectrum]

So, let me get this straight...You are suggesting I take a CHEAP aquarium head, with 117 VOLTS, drop it into my tub of WATER, on my WET garage floor to help stir the water? Would you also suggest I do it during a lightning storm?

That's why they require GFCIs in the garage.... are you feeling lucky?

As for soaking, if you have cylinders available by all means soak under pressure. Positive pressure trumps all of the dust caps and automatic closures in the world. A little purging and swishing doesn't hurt either.

Pete

 

[Oriskany Divemaster]

I dunk my in a tank of freshwater for a few seconds, swish it around and hang it up. The next morning, I toss it in the bag for the day's dive. It's held up for 12 years.

 

[Jon C]

That's why they require GFCIs in the garage.... are you feeling lucky?

Pete

Good one!!!

 

[CompuDude]

DIN regs are a different story. A good Delrin screw-on DIN cap for your first stage seals it quite effectively. Close it up and soak away.

A nice, cheap 5 gallon bucket from home depot, filled with warm (not hot) water enough to cover the regs, works like a champ for soaking the regs. I keep one in my car partially filled (with a cap) and just toss my regs in after the dive, and they get swished around nicely on the drive home.

 

[Hoosier]

DIN regs are a different story. A good Delrin screw-on DIN cap for your first stage seals it quite effectively. Close it up and soak away.

My all 13 regs are all DIN with a good Delrin screw caps, but the caps can't seal it completely because there are no o-ring seals on the cap at all. :no That was reason why I asked a local mechanic an O-rings sealed DIN cap for a soaking purpose, but I haven't heard any words yet.



In addition, depending on the 1st stage design, a few second soaking might be work except 2nd stage, such as an environmental sealed one (Apeks, SP MK17), but not MK25AF.

 

[CompuDude]

I don't know about your DIN regs, but mine has it's captured o-ring on the end of the threaded screw on the DIN connector of the 1st stage. That o-ring projects out from the metal body a bit. If you look into your tank's valve, and compare it to the inside of your delrin DIN caps, you'll notice they both share a flat surface at the end. This flat surface is what the o-ring presses into to make a seal, on both. It's not pressurized on the delrin cap, of course, but the pressure of the fitting is amply sufficient to provide a water-tight seal in one foot of water during a soak.

The o-ring

The flat ring to seal against (not the greatest picture, sorry) I wish I had a good picture of inside of the delrin cap, but the flat surface is even bigger. It seals quite nicely.

I'm not sure what your "few second soaking" point was. I said to leave it soaking during the drive home. Unless you're diving in your backyard, that's going to take more than a few seconds for most of us.

 

[danktex]

I don't know about your DIN regs, but mine has it's captured o-ring on the end of the threaded screw on the DIN connector of the 1st stage. That o-ring projects out from the metal body a bit. If you look into your tank's valve, and compare it to the inside of your delrin DIN caps, you'll notice they both share a flat surface at the end. This flat surface is what the o-ring presses into to make a seal, on both. It's not pressurized on the delrin cap, of course, but the pressure of the fitting is amply sufficient to provide a water-tight seal in one foot of water during a soak.

The o-ring

The flat ring to seal against (not the greatest picture, sorry) I wish I had a good picture of inside of the delrin cap, but the flat surface is even bigger. It seals quite nicely.

I'm not sure what your "few second soaking" point was. I said to leave it soaking during the drive home. Unless you're diving in your backyard, that's going to take more than a few seconds for most of us.

The problem is that many of the delrin caps(like the ones I just got from DiveRite Express) do not have an indention for the metal part of the din that sticks out past the o-ring. The ones that came with my Apeks regs do but I don't trust them. They are a little soft and you can over torque them.

 

[Hoosier]

I don't know about your DIN regs, but mine has it's captured o-ring on the end of the threaded screw on the DIN connector of the 1st stage. That o-ring projects out from the metal body a bit. If you look into your tank's valve, and compare it to the inside of your delrin DIN caps, you'll notice they both share a flat surface at the end. This flat surface is what the o-ring presses into to make a seal, on both. It's not pressurized on the delrin cap, of course, but the pressure of the fitting is amply sufficient to provide a water-tight seal in one foot of water during a soak.

The o-ring

The flat ring to seal against (not the greatest picture, sorry) I wish I had a good picture of inside of the delrin cap, but the flat surface is even bigger. It seals quite nicely.

I'm not sure what your "few second soaking" point was. I said to leave it soaking during the drive home. Unless you're diving in your backyard, that's going to take more than a few seconds for most of us.

Great pictures. It looks like there are two kinds of delrin caps. I checked mine after reading your post. Three caps didn't have a groove (?) inside. I am not sure if those one allowed an water insert though. Mine hasn't been sealed well against the water. I will try it again tomorrow after diving.

As for a few second soaking, it wasn't to your post, but Oriskany divemaster.