I have been installing a p-valve in my Black Ice this week. It started on Saturday with determining placement and then sticking on a piece of aluminum tape with an appropriate size hole as a guide. I burned out the hole with a soldering iron, using a larger size socket on the backside to keep from damaging the rest of the suit. After the hole was made, I used a 1/2" bolt with 2x 2" washers and tightened the whole thing down for a day or so. Last night, I roughed up the gaskets with sandpaper and glued them on each side of the hole using RTV silicon sealant, and then put the washer/bolt system back on. Tonight I will put on the rest of the p-valve assembly. I've going diving this weekend and would like to know how I can test the valve for leaks. Short of filling the bath tub and sitting in it, anyone have some ideas?
Testing a p-valve install?
- Thread starter Armymutt25A
- Start date
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Does the shop you bought it from have a pool?
I assume you're testing for bubbles and not "function," they may not like that test in the pool.
I assume you're testing for bubbles and not "function," they may not like that test in the pool.
OP
No pool at the shop. Looking to test for incoming leaks, not worried about the opposite.
I'm kind of at the same point with my pee valve install. I would suggest just go ahead and dive the suit. Any exterior leak from the pee valve area is likely to be very small due to the way it's installed. I'm more concerned about leaks from the interior plumbing, cath forward. But maybe you've already checked that out.
HenrikBP
Contributor
Dive the suit - or - clamp the neck and wrist openings, inflate the suit and spray a soapy solution on/around the P-valve. If it bubbles it will leak. If not you're probably good to go.
Henrik
Henrik
HenrikBP
Contributor
Oops. double post.
What Henrik said. The bathtub approach also works.
I have a question that hopefully one of can answer. I just got a new drysuit with the Halcyon Streamline P-Valve installed. I haven't dove with it yet. The hose coming from the p-valve is really long, maybe 2 feet or so. It seems like the longer the hose, the more pee will stay trapped in the hose and not drain out through the valve, which could get messy when doffing the suit. Is that the case? Should the hose be cut to the shortest length needed based on my routing, or does the extra length not really matter? Your help is appreciated!
If I could add to my question - does body position affect the function of the p-valve? Having never used one, I'm not sure how gravity might affect the flow through the tube and out the valve.
