O2 clean reg

[Deal Me In]

Hello all. This is my first post on this site so please go easy on me. In two weeks I will be taking the adv. nitrox and decompression procedure class to start my way on the road to tech diving. Here is my question. My instructor told me that I need a 100 percent O2 clean reg for deco. Now what exactly goes into cleaning a reg. He recommended buying a deco rig from OMS. Over the years i've accumulated a couple of regs and i was just going to have one of my older one's cleaned. Is this not possible or not cost effective. How much does it cost and who will do it. Also any info that regards the process would be helpful.

Thanks for your time.

 

[TechBlue]

Hello all. This is my first post on this site so please go easy on me. In two weeks I will be taking the adv. nitrox and decompression procedure class to start my way on the road to tech diving. Here is my question. My instructor told me that I need a 100 percent O2 clean reg for deco. Now what exactly goes into cleaning a reg. He recommended buying a deco rig from OMS. Over the years i've accumulated a couple of regs and i was just going to have one of my older one's cleaned. Is this not possible or not cost effective. How much does it cost and who will do it. Also any info that regards the process would be helpful.

Thanks for your time.

Most regs can be cleaned for O2 service, there is no need to rush out and buy a new reg. We clean all regs to O2 service as a matter of course, we use a Blue Gold solution followed by a hot water rinse, with your regs the o-rings will need to be changed to either viton or epdm. Some manufacturers supply O2 service upgrade kits for their regs so it may depend which regs you want to use on how easy the transition is. If you are doing the class through your LDS they should be able to handle it for you.

 

[Arnaud]

Sounds like a good start. DMI, you haven't started the course but they're already trying to force-feed you stuff you don't need...

 

[NEWreckDiver]

Hello all. This is my first post on this site so please go easy on me. In two weeks I will be taking the adv. nitrox and decompression procedure class to start my way on the road to tech diving. Here is my question. My instructor told me that I need a 100 percent O2 clean reg for deco. Now what exactly goes into cleaning a reg. He recommended buying a deco rig from OMS. Over the years i've accumulated a couple of regs and i was just going to have one of my older one's cleaned. Is this not possible or not cost effective. How much does it cost and who will do it. Also any info that regards the process would be helpful.

Thanks for your time.

O2 cleaning is just changing the o-rings and lubercants in the regulator. You can use the one you have, just take it in to be cleaned. You don't want to put a high O2 mix through the regulator that hasn't been cleaned. Although rare, you could end up with a fire in the reg.

More than likely you will need 4 regulator, 2 for your doubles amd one for each deco bottle you will be carrying. So if you don't have 4, talk to your instructor to make sure you have what you need.

Talk to the folks you are taking the course with. The one they recommended is a good one, but any regulator will due as long as you get it O2 cleaned.

Good Luck, you will have fun.

 

[BigJetDriver]

Deal Me In,

As others have pointed out, you will need four regulators. Of the ones you have, I would suggest that you choose the newest regulators that you have, and the ones with the best "breathability" at depth for your main regulators, i.e. the ones mounted on your left and right cylinder valves on your manifold. I would also recommend that they be the same model. This will ensure that your primary and your secondary will have identically good breathing characteristics at depth.

As the others have pointed out, you must have all four of them cleaned, and critical o-rings and filters replaced with oxygen compatible components. Upon re-assembly, oxygen compatible lubricants, such as Christolube, or others made for oxygen atmospheres, must be used.

Have fun with your training!

BJD

 

[Deal Me In]

Thank you all for your awnsers. My next question is how much should I expect to pay for this service?

Thanks for your time.

 

[padiscubapro]

Most regs can be cleaned for O2 service, there is no need to rush out and buy a new reg. We clean all regs to O2 service as a matter of course, we use a Blue Gold solution followed by a hot water rinse, with your regs the o-rings will need to be changed to either viton or epdm. Some manufacturers supply O2 service upgrade kits for their regs so it may depend which regs you want to use on how easy the transition is. If you are doing the class through your LDS they should be able to handle it for you.

As Chris stated,
Many regs can be made for oxygen service, but not all..
Oxygen cleaning and proper o-rings are definately necessary, BUT not all regs have HP seats that are compatible with oxygen..
I have seen more than one HP seat burn up (but not the rest of the reg) on a reg that was properly cleaned. Most older regs have seats that really aren't compatible with 100% oxygen so any contamination will generally destroys/damages the seat..

Many people think their regs are fine, but many don't bother to check their IPs on a regular basis, IP creep is common with incompatible seats and may go unnoticed for sometime until it gets very bad.

Most Apeks and Scubapro regs can be cleaned up for o2 service..

Poseidon, Oceanic and Abysmal have regs designated for oxygen service, OMS states its oxygen clean, but doesn't come out and say its for oxygen service..

 

[Deal Me In]

one more thing, all of my regs are nitrox compatible. shouldn't this mean that they are able to be cleaned?

Thanks for you time.

 

[NEWreckDiver]

one more thing, all of my regs are nitrox compatible. shouldn't this mean that they are able to be cleaned?

Thanks for you time.

I would assume so.

 

[LUBOLD8431]

one more thing, all of my regs are nitrox compatible. shouldn't this mean that they are able to be cleaned?

Thanks for you time.

Well, not necessarily, because most manufacturers say that their regs are good for up to 40% O2. Just because a reg is good for EAN40, doesnt mean that it can handle 100% O2. The only regs that the manufacturers SAY that they are good for O2 is the Oceanic Tech, the OMS reg, the Poseidon Xstream deco, Aqualung O2 (which is a clean Calypso), and maybe a few others out there (Abyss). Now, that being said, many divers clean alot of different regs, and use them with O2 against the manufacturers guidelines. For instance, Apeks, and Scubapro, and Sherwoods, etc...
Now with the legal mumbo jumbo out of the way, yeah, they should be OK.