Connecting hoses to first stage?

[ScubaScotty561]

When your connecting hoses to a first stage does it matter which port the regs and inflator hose go in? Like i know their not supposed to go in the HP ports but can they go in any of the lower pressure ports? Also when changing a regulator O-ring, do you have to lube it or you can just change it? Thanks!

 

[scubafanatic]

Any LP hose can be attached to any LP 1st stage port, likewise, any HP hose can be attached to any HP 1st stage port. There is a 'logic' to which hoses are best suited (for clean hose routing purposes) for any given HP or LP port, if you examine how other divers set up their gear you will get a feel for the 'proper' way to decide which hose should go where. I lube my O-rings with a trace of Christolube, but there's no law mandating you have to lube the O-rings, I think it's a good idea.

 

[hypertech]

Sometimes there will be a port designated for higher flow meant for the primary regulator. But, that is not that common. In general, any LP goes to any LP as noted above.

 

[Shftrdog]

Yes any low pressure hose can go into a low pressure port. They make they high pressure ports bigger so you can't put a low pressure hose in that port. Also I like lubing the O-rings but I know people that don't.

 

[scubamarketing]

You may change things around a little once you've tried diving your setup. Depending on where the ports are, mounting the tank in your BCD strap, etc you might feel a little pull from the reg. There's a ton of factors you can adjust to fix that, but the port may be one worth considering, but you won't really know until you try. Of course, if you have miflex, you probably won't notice a pull since they're so much more flexible. I'm a no lube guy, but either way works.

 

[Couv]

To find the best house routing:
First mount your bc or backplate and wing on a tank.
Remove all the hoses and port plugs from the first stage.
Install the first stage on the tank valve.
Now install the primary second stage hand tight.
Follow with the secondary second stage, inflator hose and spg hoses.After you've found the best configuration, torque down the hoses and install the port plugs. Note that some first stages only have one HP port, so that might limit the options you have.