Nitrox Wear On BCD's

[Teller]

I have owned the Mares Dragon with Air Trim BCD for a little over a year now. Only recently I read the owners manuel and it says that I should not use my BC with with any mix greater than 21% because it will wear the BC prematurely. It also says that you can have your BC serviced for use with Nitrox. I am assuming they mean o2 cleaned like a Nitrox tank. The manuel says if I get my BC serviced for Nitrox and then use it with air I will have to get it surviced for Nitrox again. Does any of this sound correct. I have never heard of someone having their BC o2 cleaned before.

 

[SailNaked]

So there I was at 100ft and decided to put a little Nitrox into my BC, there was this loud bang and a flash of light, my BC exploded.

I might be wrong, but I really doubt this is possible, you need heat,O2,combustible material, but mostly the stuff should be dry and it is almost never dry in my BC. I do not know if the material in your BC is made from something combustible but I do not think the rubber in your average BC is, now wearing due to high O2? well the most that people usually dive is 36% some might dive with more but they are usually using it to decompress with and it is in a separate bottle. seems like a line of bull, but I am not a paid engineer so what do I know.

 

[Jorgy]

Higher O2 levels can deteriorate some types of o-rings faster than exposure to plain old 21% air.....

If this is real, the "service for Nitrox" most likely includes changing o-rings and potentially some other rubber items (????)....

Of course why you would need it re-serviced if air is put in BC escapes me.....

For tanks "re-cleaning" makes some sense as "plain air" might not be clean enough for the initial 100% oxygen fill which is how most Nitrox tanks are blended.......

If you fill Nitrox tanks using "clean" air then re-cleaning is not required...........

Hope this helps.......M

 

[cbrich]

This is a first I have heard this. I have put 40% in my BC (bp/w) and it's not wore out, nor have I ever had it O2 cleaned, or viton o-rings installed (o-rings on the dump valves).

 

[mselenaous]

Sounds like an overpaid non-diver tech writer wrote that manual using cut and paste/search and replace from a tank/tank valve manual.

 

[Jax]

Makes perfect sense! To a manufacturer supporting its dealers.

Wow, the LDS gets to service your BCD at every gas change . . . Nice. . . capitalism at its finest. And since it is being 'serviced', you know it cannot be any major parts or anything major -- an "O"-ring or two? Dang fine idea for an LDS to support Mares . . .

 

[The Kraken]

The fact of the matter is that in the presence of pure O2 rubber does have a tendency to deteriorate more rapidly.

But, as all the good statisticians say, in your case it's "statistically insignificant".

the K

 

[rigdiver]

In a word: BULL$&i*

 

[carrielsal]

So do I now need to have my drysuit O2 cleaned?

Carrie

 

[john1bl]

OH NO do I have to be O2 cleaned to use my drysuit with nitrox