Cleaning Air 2?

[LowTide]

I am not posting this trying to start some flame war about what is better Air 2 or regular Octo.

I just want to get some advice on how best to clean this puppy. Can I just throw it in my dunk tank with my BC as long as the cap is on the hose connector? Or does it need to be pressurized?

Any comments on how to best care for this device would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Rob

 

[MechDiver]

Why should the cap be on the hose connection? There isn't anywhere for water to go you don't want it to. Rinse the reg with low flow from a hose, then put in the rinse tank or just put the reg part in a milk carton full of water. You can't soak it too long.

MD

 

[redacted]

I suspect the cap is more usefull to protect the fitting from physical damage than to keep water out. I rinse mine in FW with the cap off, shake empty, and apply cap (if I remember) for protection. I found it important to rinse SW from this fitting before capping to prevent the green corrosion that otherwise grows in and on the connector.

 

[ew1usnr]

MechDiver once bubbled...
Why should the cap be on the hose connection? There isn't anywhere for water to go you don't want it to.

No! The Air2 is a 2nd stage regulator (see attached). If you let water into the air inlet it will corrode the low pressure nozzle. Put the rubber cap over the air inlet before you rinse out the regulator. The cap is not there for decoration. It is meant to keep the inside of the regulator dry and free of debris. Just like the dust cap on a first stage. For the same reason, don't press the purge button while rinsing it either.

 

[MechDiver]

ew1usnr once bubbled...


No! The Air2 is a 2nd stage regulator (see attached). If you let water into the air inlet it will corrode the low pressure nozzle. Put the rubber cap over the air inlet before you rinse out the regulator. The cap is not there for decoration. It is meant to keep the inside of the regulator dry and free of debris. Just like the dust cap on a first stage.

I know the Air2 is a regulator. And this is high on the list of stupid advice I've seen here as ANY part of a second stage can be exposed to water. I've used 3 Air2's for years and never had one corrode because water got in the LP fitting. What complete nonsense!
Gawd, where do you people come from

MD

 

[Murphdog]

Hi, I have the ScubaPro Air 2 and it began free flowing while I was diving at some oil rigs off Huntington Beach. I took it to the dive shop where I bought it and they suspected it had some sand in it from beach diving. After taking it apart they said that it was clean but that the scubapro Air 2's are set to be very sensitive like a normal reg. I am not sure of the mechanics behind it but the repairer said that he adjusted it down so it would not be as sensitive and it would still be within factory specs. He hooked it up to a tank so I could test the breathing pressure and it was fine.

He then told me that the Air 2 should be soaked for 20 minutes prior to cleaning to decrystalize the salt. He said it takes 20 minutes to do this. Once soaked the BC and reg should be put back on the tank and water should be sprayed in the BC and drained twice. He said once the BC has some water in it from the hose use the power inflator to back wash the water. I drain the BC via the lower dump valve to avoid washing back through the Air 2. I have a scuba pro night hawk.

As far as beach diving he recommended using an Octopus instead of a the Air 2 because they are not as sensitive to sand.

Does all this sound right?

 

[LowTide]

Ok, since things got confusing I just checked out Scuba Pros website, should have looked there before - dooh!

A.I.R II MAINTENANCE
After use, the A.I.R. 2 should be set up on a scuba tank, pressurized, and thoroughly rinsed with fresh water. Let water run into the mouthpiece and flow out the exhaust valve. Rinse the purge area and blow or shake excess water out of the unit. The attached buoyancy device can be flushed with fresh water and then drained. The A.I.R. 2 should be stored in a cool dry location away from sun, smog, and other contaminants which can deteriorate rubber components. This is especially important when used in chlorinated water (swimming pools) because of the detrimental effects that the acids and chlorine may have on the various materials used. After each use in a swimming pool the SCUBAPRO A.I.R. 2 must be thoroughly rinsed in fresh water and allowed to dry completely before storing. The A.I.R. 2 should be serviced once a year by an Authorized SCUBAPRO Dealer.

So, from Scuba Pros point of view it should be pressurized for cleaning...

 

[MechDiver]

Murphdog once bubbled...
scubapro Air 2's are set to be very sensitive like a normal reg.

As far as beach diving he recommended using an Octopus instead of a the Air 2 because they are not as sensitive to sand.

Does all this sound right?

No. The Air2 is essentially the R190, which is an unbalanced reg. It is NOT adjusted to be sensitive unless the tech doing so is stupid.

Being fairly well protected by it's mounting location, it is also much better protected against sand than the normal octopus that is left dangling and dragging all over the place.

MD

 

[MechDiver]

rteegarden once bubbled...
Ok, since things got confusing I just checked out Scuba Pros website, should have looked there before - dooh!

A.I.R II MAINTENANCE
After use, the A.I.R. 2 should be set up on a scuba tank, pressurized, and thoroughly rinsed with fresh water. Let water run into the mouthpiece and flow out the exhaust valve. Rinse the purge area and blow or shake excess water out of the unit. The attached buoyancy device can be flushed with fresh water and then drained. The A.I.R. 2 should be stored in a cool dry location away from sun, smog, and other contaminants which can deteriorate rubber components. This is especially important when used in chlorinated water (swimming pools) because of the detrimental effects that the acids and chlorine may have on the various materials used. After each use in a swimming pool the SCUBAPRO A.I.R. 2 must be thoroughly rinsed in fresh water and allowed to dry completely before storing. The A.I.R. 2 should be serviced once a year by an Authorized SCUBAPRO Dealer.

So, from Scuba Pros point of view it should be pressurized for cleaning...

This ain't rocket science folks. Nobody caps a second stage to rinse it. The thing is pressureized to keep water out of the first stage. But you do what you want. It ain't my equipment and I don't much care what happens to it.

 

[ew1usnr]

A.I.R II MAINTENANCE
After use, the A.I.R. 2 should be set up on a scuba tank, pressurized, and thoroughly rinsed with fresh water. [/B][/QUOTE]

Notice how it says "set up on a scuba tank and pressurized". That is so that water will not go in the air intake while it is being rinsed. A grain of sand or a salt crystal can damage the knife edge of the LP nozzle and cause a leak.