Aqualung Aquarius Soak, Rebuild

[gone2long]

Dumb question, I know, but here goes:

I am using my Aquarius again for the first time in many years (I'm talkin' decades here, folks), and it worked fine for a while, but now I am getting leaks out of the two holes in the 1st stage. From what I have read, I figure the piston is not closing all the way, so I am soaking the regulator at the moment, trying to rid it of any corrosion.

My question is as follows: After a good soak, might that be enough of a fix, at least for the very short term. I need to use it to clean the hull of my boat real soon. No other regulator currently available.

Also, after the soak, how exactly to proceed? Do I leave all the hose connections off and blow some air from my tank through the regulator to get out any remaining water/vinegar? No compressor available either.

And, now the really dumb part. I forgot which hole I had my second stage connected to, right or left, and does it matter?

All comments appreciated,

G2L

 

[gone2long]

Dumb question, I know, but here goes:

I am using my Aquarius again for the first time in many years (I'm talkin' decades here, folks), and it worked fine for a while, but now I am getting leaks out of the two holes in the 1st stage. From what I have read, I figure the piston is not closing all the way, so I am soaking the regulator at the moment, trying to rid it of any corrosion.

My question is as follows: After a good soak, might that be enough of a fix, at least for the very short term. I need to use it to clean the hull of my boat real soon. No other regulator currently available.

Also, after the soak, how exactly to proceed? Do I leave all the hose connections off and blow some air from my tank through the regulator to get out any remaining water/vinegar? No compressor available either.

And, now the really dumb part. I forgot which hole I had my second stage connected to, right or left, and does it matter?

All comments appreciated,

G2L

Got the problem fixed folks, thanks to having read various input on various threads and applying the procedures posted by other folks.

Please see my DIY thread post for the details.

Thanks to all,

G2L

 

[redacted]

I am not familiar with that reg, but after a mild acid soak I would run a bit of water and baking soda through it to neutralize any remaining acid.

 

[gone2long]

I am not familiar with that reg, but after a mild acid soak I would run a bit of water and baking soda through it to neutralize any remaining acid.

Ran a bunch of fresh water then air through it, and it seemed fine. Hope it stays that way.

Thanks for your post,

G2L

 

[USdiver1]

While über reliable, US Divers Aquarius (and Conshelf) regulators do still require maintenance. If it has been "decades" since you last used your Aquarius, stop right now and have it rebuilt. The o-rings, seat, and all rubber and nylon parts should be replaced as they were not designed for decades of service.

 

[redacted]

While über reliable, US Divers Aquarius (and Conshelf) regulators do still require maintenance. If it has been "decades" since you last used your Aquarius, stop right now and have it rebuilt. The o-rings, seat, and all rubber and nylon parts should be replaced as they were not designed for decades of service.

Not an unreasonable course of action but quite possibly unnecessary. Some o-ring materials have a shelf life of over 20 years and then they may be put into use. Yes, some materials do not age gracefully. They harden and crack, but show up in an inspection as a leak, usually quite small. Others take a set (take on the shape of where they are installed). Once again, if there is a problem it would show up as a small leak. A good inspection will disclose the faults without going through the expense and risk of an unnecessary service.

Sure, a failure may be 2, 5, or 100 dives down the road, but that is true at any time. A good diver is ready for such an eventuality and need not unnecessarily take the risk of a service error (and the potential catastrophic failure modes which could occur ). Rather than wasting money on unnecessary service, spend that money on a back-up kit that can serve you for a very long time.