H valve set up tips.

[MichigandiverJon]

Hi, I'm looking to add a little redundancy to my deeper rec dives with a H valve and extra reg set. Any tips on set-up and hose routing? Clip off tips? The H valve is coming off the left side of the tank valve. Tank is a steel HP 120, The redundant reg is an Atomic B1 with second SPG. My harness is a Dive Rite Transplate. I'm using a 22 inch hose and necklace for my octo and a 5ft primary hose off the primary first stage. Thanks

 

[RandyD]

I have the exact same question. How did you end up setting it up?

 

[tbone1004]

holy old thread...

If you want to run an H-valve, which I don't really agree with, but to each his own. Run the regulators exactly like you would with a set of doubles and all will be well.

 

[rhwestfall]

do you plan to follow the routing that you would if it was a set of doubles? I (and a few others) do not cross the hoses like the "true Hogarthian" camp does with LPI & DS. LPI is on "left post", and comes directly over shoulder. Bungied Octo is on same post. Primary is on the "right" post, and DS is on the "right" post (does your suit valve rotate to that side?). SPG is on the "right" post....

As I have a separated set of 120's, my valves can have the "second" valve on either side....

ymmv...

 

[tbone1004]

@rhwestfall my backmount doubles have drysuit on right and lpi on left anyway

If diving with lefty and righty H-valves, it doesn't/shouldn't change the hose routing since there is no "primary" or "secondary" valve outlet since they are both tied straight to the tank

 

[RandyD]

Thank you

 

[rhwestfall]

my backmount doubles have drysuit on right and lpi on left anyway

I did say "and a few others", didn't I?

 

[tbone1004]

I did say "and a few others", didn't I?

you did, I was just stating that I'm in that same camp ;-)

along with Bill Hogarth Main....

 

[rhwestfall]

Steve Lewis....

 

[2airishuman]

Hi, I'm looking to add a little redundancy to my deeper rec dives with a H valve and extra reg set. Any tips on set-up and hose routing?

I dove with H valves for a while before concluding that I hated them, at which point I sold them on ebay. There are a number of problems which are not obvious, which I will share, so you don't have to discover them yourself.

• With 120s, or any other 7.25" diameter cylinder, the H valve and its handle project beyond the cylinder. That means that they have to be protected so they don't bump into things. The cylinder has to be carefully secured while in a car or truck so that it doesn't roll, because if it does you have a chance of rolling the valve open, or damaging the valve.
  
  
• The H valve sits closer to the cylinder shoulder than the main valve, and that complicates reg placement and hose routing. For a while I put my wing on backwards to try to cut down on the clutter in this area, which helped a little. If you slide the cylinder up in the cam bands it also declutters the area but at the expense of making your trim more head-down, which I found problematic.
  
  
• If you have a twinset you've broken down then the H valve configurations will be quite different on the left and right cylinders. You may find that you need different hose lengths, or that, at a minumum, you need to plan your hose lengths carefully so they will work either way. You may also find that, since either reg can end up being the low one, you are limited in whether you can use the bottom port.
  
  
• The configuration will confuse fill station operators who have never seen it and in some cases may lead them to ask you what you are doing and why.
  
  
• If you dive with a port plug in the H adapter, so that you can use your regular single cylinder regulator, you will inevitably roll the valve open at some point and have a stuck port plug that will require the BFW to remove.

I am much happier with doubles than I ever was with the H valves. And I am much happier with my 120s now that I took the H adapters off of them.

My advice, if you're bound and determined to try this, would be:
1) Use 8" cylinders.
2) Use modular valves with a longer neck, like the thermo ones, so you get a little more clearance. I had Dive Rite valves which are lower.
3) If you set up more than one cylinder this way, set them all up with same-side modular valves, so that your hose routing will always be the same.

Good luck.