Nitrox Reg VS. Compression Air Reg

[scubahorse]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3628107206

I am selling a Mares Nitrox regulator. May people asked me about the difference between Nitrox regs and air regs. I really don't know their difference. Many brands have nitrox regs which base on some popular models. Anyone knows? Please help me. Thanks.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

When Nitrox first became "approved" for general use, most equipment manufacturers stated that special preparation was required for any nitrox use. The end result was a lot of companies made lots of money selling dedicated Nitrox regs.

This was not a real surprise as the irony is that the dive industry at large opposed any and all use of nitrox until it dawned on them that they could make lots of money off specialized training and equipment sales.

However the current doctrine is that no special cleaning is required for nitrox mixes less than 40%. For mixes over this percentage special O2 cleaning and o-rings are required.

So if you are selling a recently serviced and O2 cleaned reg with a known history as to what has been put through it (ie, it was your personal reg) then it's maybe worth a little more. If it has not been recently serviced or if it has been used at anytime since the O2 cleaning with compressed air that was not at least E-grade or better (or if you are not sure) then it is not worth anymore than a standard reg regardless of what it may or may not have in terms of nitrox markings.

Best advice if you are not positive it is still O2 clean is to sell it with the recomendation that the buyer have it serviced before using it with compressed air or nitrox mixes from 22-40%, and serviced and 02 cleaned before using it with nitrox mixes over 40%.

 

[japan-diver]

The differances between a "Nitrox" reg as compared to a regular "air" reg are -there really isn't any.

The nitrox reg has viton o-rings instead of rubber and probably used a o2 compatible lubricant as opposed to silicone, but if it wasn't serviced properly this is no longer true. Mares regs out of the box are not 02 clean so the reg is worth nothing more than a standard reg.