BRUT general question

PNWDVR · Mar 13, 2012

I picked up an old style (late 90's) brut regulator, had it "serviced" by a local shop, and it is bleeding air from a relief valve on the bottom of the first stage. I was just wondering if this was some sort of weird safety thing, or if I should go with my gut and have it serviced by a different shop? It is letting air escape as soon as air is hooked up to it, I can cover the hole and it seems to stop leaking. I have done several shallow dives on it without incident, but I am a bit nervous to keep using it.

Just wanted to know if this is the way it is supposed to work or not. I would like to trust the shop who serviced it but recently had my confidence shaken when they failed to fix an issue I was having with my BC, and then latter fixed it after selling me a new inflator valve.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

miked · Mar 14, 2012

In the late 80s and early 90s,I had a Sherwood Magnum2 regulator, which had the slight air discharge as you describe.(a small, nearly continuous bubble trail coming from the orifice at the bottom of the first stage)
It was apart of the normal operation of the regulator, and, IIRC, Sherwood said that this feature was a way to keep the first stage dry. Sherwood also made a Brut regulator, with the same feature.Perhaps this applies to your Brut regulator.

Is your Brut a Scubapro (the forum that we are in.)? have the companies merged??

diversteve · Mar 14, 2012

From the Brut manual:

A tiny stream of bubbles escaping from a small black valve on the first stage indicates that the Dry Air Bleed System is working. The amount of air used is negligible (13-25 cc/min.). Check the system periodically, particularly after servicing, to ensure that there is some air escaping from the black one-way bleed valve. If no air is escaping from the valve when air pressure is applied to the first stage, you should have the regulator inspected by your authorized Sherwood Scuba dealer.

moved to the Sherwood forum...

dumpsterDiver · Mar 14, 2012

Those are very reliable first stages. Excellent workhorse reg. The bleed system works well to keep water away from the piston. If you never allow water into the reg when it is off the tank, you will have no corrosion or other problems with this first stage. Maybe not the very best performance but they work great!

herman · Mar 14, 2012

The "Dry bleed system" which Dumpster described, is what is allowing the small stream of bubbles to come from your reg, that is not only normal for most Sherwoods (not the SR-1 or some of the older ones) but an indication it's working properly. Sherwoods are the only reg that I am aware of that SHOULD "leak" when they are working properly. The Brute/Magnum series might not be the most elegant regs ever produced but they are on the top of my list of most rugged and dependable regs ever built, much of which is due to that "leak". As long as the stream of bubbles is small and constant (coming out of the bleed port only), the "dry bleed system" is doing it's job. You can dive the dickens out of that reg and it will keep on going.

Xaryo · Mar 14, 2012

If it dosen't bleed, you should be worry.

Rhone Man · Mar 14, 2012

The Sherwood Brut is one of those regulators who have not improved with time. I still have the same Brut my Dad gave me in 1984 and it breathes beautifully, even below 100 feet. I have a second Brut that I purchased in 2008 and it breathes like a clogged straw below about 60 feet. That's progress.

Like classic cars, with Sherwood Bruts, you want to aim for the older ones.

ibj40 · Mar 14, 2012

Our (wife's and mine) Oasis have the same feature. I was always under the impression, as noted above, that it was a good thing to see the stream of bubbles. I assume what is true for the BRUT is true for the Oasis?

PNWDVR · Mar 14, 2012

diversteve:
From the Brut manual:

moved to the Sherwood forum...

Thanks for all the replies,
I kind of had an idea that was the case (or at least I was really hoping) , but I guess you can never be too sure. Now I think it is time to hunt down that sherwood brut manual.

diversteve · Mar 14, 2012

http://www.frogkick.dk/manuals/sherwood/

BRUT general question

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