Apeks IP Pressure Question

[downtime2]

I checked the IP pressure on my TX50 yesterday and it read about 141-142, the service manual says the correct IP pressure should be 130-138. Can anyone tell me if the elevated IP pressure would cause a noticeable difference in performance?
Lately I've been feeling like it's been breathing a little hard, like a little more effort is required to get a good breath. Could this have something to do with it? It's only 3-4 psi over what the service manual suggests, could that little bit make a difference?
Thanks

 

[Diver0001]

downtime once bubbled...
I checked the IP pressure on my TX50 yesterday and it read about 141-142, the service manual says the correct IP pressure should be 130-138. Can anyone tell me if the elevated IP pressure would cause a noticeable difference in performance?
Lately I've been feeling like it's been breathing a little hard, like a little more effort is required to get a good breath. Could this have something to do with it? It's only 3-4 psi over what the service manual suggests, could that little bit make a difference?
Thanks

The main thing is that the IP is stable. If you find it creeping up when you don't purge or you get a significant drop or slow recovery when you purge then something could be wrong.

141-142 is normal for a lot of regs. I'd bet it was serviced by someone not trained on Apeks and he just did "what he always does". Just a guess. Another guess is that run-of-the-mill IP meters aren't always that accurate. Did you try it with more than one?

As for performance you shouldn't notice anything. The difference isn't that much. If it's breathing hard then there might be something else going on. When was it serviced last?

R..

 

[downtime2]

Thanks R-
It was bought new about 9 months ago and has probably 80 dives on it or so. It's about due for service. As far as the breathing effort goes, it may very well be just me, there's not a huge change, it just seems slighty harder to breathe, and wasn't sure if the slightly higher IP pressure might contribute to it.

 

[brian cooper]

Hi there,

with the Apeks 2nd stage being fully balanced the IP should not make any difference to the breathing effort. I've had as high as 17 bar for an IP (by accident as the seat was starting to leak) but the reg still continued to breathe ok.

If you get a creep when not breathing from it it usually means the HP seat on the poppet is worn or damaged and should be replaced as soon as is possible. Get the IP stable an set at 9.2 to 9.6bar then set the 2nd stage to 20mm cracking pressure and all should be honky dorry, the adjuster on the end for cracking pressure fully out to fully in makes a change in cracking pressure of about 40mm so you can have it 20mm to 60mm or 30mm to 70 ar40mm to 80 as you wish.

The acid test to see if an Apeks is working correctly is to turn the cracking adjuster fully OUT and the venturi to "+" and if you hit the purge it goes into freeflow, cover the mouthpiece and it stops.

Repeat the test with the venturi to "-" and or the cracking adjuster screwed in an it should not free flow

Hope that helps

Brian C

 

[downtime2]

Cool, thanks for the help!