Connecting the reg to tank

[Manatee Diver]

For example, it's common for rental tanks to have worn o-rings that result in fine bubbles leaking throughout a dive. It may be "fine" from the divemaster's point of view in the sense that it probably won't drain your tank noticeably, but it's not "fine" because, if nothing else, it is the kind of thing that can be unsettling to new divers, not to mention the potential for the o-ring to blow out completely.

One of the big advantages of DIN, is that you don't rely on rental tank o-rings that are replaced once in a blue moon.

 

[Zef]

Perhaps. Welcome to rental gear. I've seen this before and yes the slow hissing did stop as I breathed the air down in the tank. Here is they way I see it - renting means paying. Payment is given to rent a properly functioning piece of gear. Demand another one or dive with the hiss.

The intermediate pressure (IP) is a bit high, some regs creep up over time, or the second stage cracking effort needs adjusting. Most likely, the reg may need servicing. In my traveling experience rental regs are not serviced often enough. Many dive operators do not have a service technician which means regs simply don't get serviced when they should be.

Or it could be that the reg was just serviced and the 2nd stage poppet has not bedded in yet. Not all shops cycle there regs after servicing to ensure the poppet seat beds in, and I imagine that a shop or operator with number of rental regs would be serviced and pushed back out for use without a fine detail like this being done....on the bench if the IP locks up normally the reg is put back in service. The most likely time for a reg issue/failure is fairly soon after service.

For the OP...if you experience this in the future, try taking a few breaths off the 2nd stage that is hissing, try pushing the purge button a few times briefly in succession, and you can also try shaking or tapping the 2nd stage against the palm of your hand (not too hard though), and/or submerging it....if the hissing does not stop and you are in the vicinity of where you rented the reg set from you should ask for a different reg and mount and test the new one too.

I do not recommend pulling the reg off the hose and meddling with the adjustment unless one owns the equipment or is asked to do it for someone who owns the equipment. By doing this you are accepting full liability/accountability for damage of the equipment, and any injury or death that may result. If it is felt the equipment is not within spec/functioning to expectations take it back and discuss with the rental shop.

Often, though, this issue will manifest when one is not in a position to exchange for a different reg set. In this case, if the 2nd stage is just hissing, while an annoyance, it should not materially impact a dive...you may have slightly reduced time underwater due to the air escaping but the regulator should breath fine. One way to handle this if it is the octo and the primary 2nd stage is ok, is that you can switch to the octo and breath off of that as the primary, that way the slowly escaping air goes into your mouth/lungs instead of the water column.

While this type of malfunction is a problem, from a go/no go perspective this is not a "no go" problem unless the hissing progressively gets worse or becomes a full-on free flow that will not stop.

Of course, if you ever have concern about whether a piece of equipment is functioning properly you can abort the dive/plan. There is no recreational dive that is so important that one should take unnecessary risks and proceed with a dive while questioning if your gear is working properly or not....you either believe and trust that your gear is working properly and proceed with a dive or you accept that it is not and postpone the dive until you can obtain gear that you trust to be properly functioning or abort the plan completely.

-Z

 

[rhwestfall]

and, what did it do when you dove it?

 

[rick00001967]

jim is correct.

this is a problem with new divers. (we have all been there). we take the word of the captain or guide in a case like this and we dive anyway.

but the proper response would be to turn off the tank and either repair the problem (if possible) or switch regs. any decent operator will have spare regs on board.

up here in cold water, jumping in with a reg that is already "leaking" is just asking for trouble.

 

[Vicko]

It could also be a dry membrane, once you get the second stage wet it will usually stops hissing. Also shaking or taping it with your palm might help.
And it's probably fine unless you are diving in very cold water, but considering you are paying for it you also have a right to ask for a properly working piece of equipment.

 

[rsingler]

Yes, it will probably stop underwater

once you get the second stage wet it will usually stops hissing

Help me understand what you're saying here. Other than a piece of grit holding the valve slightly open, then disappearing with a few breathing cycles, what is it about "getting the reg wet" that would by itself, stop a slight freeflow?
I guess I'm saying, I don't buy this explanation, and I would NEVER accept a hissing rental reg. An absolute no-go for me, because what you're saying is that you accept already having the first hole in the Swiss Cheese theory of accident analysis.

 

[arcticat99]

i always get asked why do i haul my own equipment around to dive shops when its easier to rent .because i know my own equipment .i don't mind lugging 25 lbs around for a piece of mind .i seen some pretty sketchy equipment especially on the poorer islands in the caribbean

 

[Vicko]

Help me understand what you're saying here. Other than a piece of grit holding the valve slightly open, then disappearing with a few breathing cycles, what is it about "getting the reg wet" that would by itself, stop a slight freeflow?
I guess I'm saying, I don't buy this explanation, and I would NEVER accept a hissing rental reg. An absolute no-go for me, because what you're saying is that you accept already having the first hole in the Swiss Cheese theory of accident analysis.

Diafragme in second stages can get slightly stuck "crinkled", I don't know what causes it but when i'm testing out the rental regs at the beginning of the season most of them hiss. Simply getting the the second stage wet, or taping it with my palm fixes the problem. Just taping it will sometimes even make it go into full free flow, but getting it wet fixes it immediately.
I used to do a complete service on them when they do that but I never found anything wrong with the first or second stage.

I'll personally dive anything that will give me air if I suck on it hard enough, but I understand if a customer does not feel comfortable diving such a reg and will always give them another one that works properly.

 

[rsingler]

Diafragme in second stages can get slightly stuck "crinkled", I don't know what causes it but when i'm testing out the rental regs at the beginning of the season most of them hiss. Simply getting the the second stage wet, or taping it with my palm fixes the problem.

Interesting!

 

[halocline]

Interesting!

To say the least.