Regulator Washing / Concerns

[Jim Lapenta]

Annual service is often not necessary. The annual that is done if the regs are not acting up is something anyone of average intelligence can do at home. Requires a $20 IP gauge, a sink, and a ruler.

 

[underH2Oman]

My dust caps never go in the water. I remove them from the reg and place them in the reg bag when on tanks. Then remove the dry dust cap from bag and replace on reg when removed from tank. no towel or blowing air required.

 

[dpspaceman]

I like the dry approach


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[omegadivingusa]

Hey Jim, the problem is most divers rarely tell the difference between flippers and fins never mind any of the other parts of the equipment. There are those who can service their own equipment but most should not. It is not so much the annual service issue as it is a "condition of the equipment" issue. Had a divemaster recently who managed to seize a A700 Scubapro 5 dives old. He just did not clean it properly and proceeded to store it for 6 months like that. I like to motivate relationships with the LDS which promotes better understanding both ways. Yesterday a master diver came in to purchase a new computer( integrated) as his other one would not read the tank data correctly even after the computer had been serviced & calibrated by the supplier. I checked it & it did not show correct data as checked with another set.I asked about the service history....I serviced it myself and was going to dive this weekend he said. Fitted a normal SPG and same result wrong tank data. I knew right away that he had put an o-ring on the bottom of the yoke retainer partially restricting the HP flow. Opened it up and there it was...........no new computer required in actual fact the computer did not need a service either. Joe diver should endeavor to find a good LDS. With this forum it should be easy.

 

[oldschoolto]

Pushing the purge button on the 2nd stage with the air off and first stage higher then the rinse bucket is not bad to do at all... I have done this for years... Turn off tank purge air from line... Hold purge button in well giving the second stage a good shake in fresh clean water... This will get any salt that is sitting on the seat area... Then turn the tank back on and purge again... This will push any water out.. Hang set with 1st stage up and all hoses hanging... You can tap the purge button after a few minutes to double check it... And plus one for using a T-shirt or towel to dry cap... I always have a small wash cloth in my hand to cover the 1st stage when disconnected from tank..

Jim..

 

[Nemrod]

I have been using the tank to dry the protective cap for 45 years. I service my own regulators and I have never had any water entry resulting from using tank air to dry the protective cap. I do not turn the air on with woosh but place the protective cap adjacent to the valve face and gently crack the valve. This dries the cap quickly and makes hardly any noise.

If your Titan has the ACD, I think the newest version does, there is no reason for concern for water entry. Simply do not fully tighten the protective cap down with the thumb screw, just snug it enough that the protective cap will remain in place to protect the o-ring sealing surface from impact damage. Installing the protective cap fully with the thumbwheel tight into the first stage offsets the ACD valve and could allow water entry. Simply put, the ACD AL regulators can be treated differently from standard first stages without ACD.

N

 

[AfterDark]

OP what you are doing is fine. My post-dive routine is similar. When I get home I soak my regulators in luke warm water to start and let them soak over night. My other gear is in a plastic barrel soaking overnight also. I've always been of the mindset that the only sure way to dissolve salt is with a long soak. A short soak in warm water and a good rinse is probably all that is really need to dissolve and wash away the salt. However the overnight soak puts off the rinse until the next day!

As an aside my regulators are decades old and still going strong. Scubapro Mk5's w/109 2nd stages these are old workhorse regulators with thousands of saltwater dives on them.

 

[Dnaber]

I have to ask.... Saltaway good to use or not?

 

[Water Boy76]

OP sounds like the type of guy that alphabatizes his alphabet soup.

I've accidentally thrown by reg in wash tanks without dust cap on numberous times and never had a problem. Actually think it worked better afterwards. A buddy of mine doesn't even bother to rinse his gear. He says that's what the annual service is for. (but he gets serviced every 3 years not annually becasue he's cheap - ha ha)

Remember that your gear is made to withstand the corrosive properties of salt water. Yes everything eventually corrodes or gets excess salt buildup but that takes a very long time.

 

[Divescape]

I always wash my regs attached to a tank with positive pressure when i get home from the site. Just check your regs. if they are the Titan LX version they may have ACD (Auto Closure Device) in which case, you can use any of the recommended solutions with little effect on the reg first stage.