Possible Cause Of Free Flow At Twenty Feet.

[oldandpokey]

this was also my first major equipment failure iv'e had to deal with at depth. i look at it as an unscheduled training dive. reality is always a good teacher..

 

[fmerkel]

How its work - Scuba Dive Regulators Balanced Diaphragm

This only shows you how it works, not if there are any problems inside.

 

[oldandpokey]

thanks

How its work - Scuba Dive Regulators Balanced Diaphragm

This only shows you how it works, not if there are any problems inside.

thanks

 

[undrwater]

Please let us know what the tech discovers. Provides a lesson for everyone.

 

[oldandpokey]

Please let us know what the tech discovers. Provides a lesson for everyone.

will do. thanks for the input..

 

[kebosatu]

Just wondering if any updates on this? #curioustoo

 

[oldandpokey]

still waiting for my regs to come back. i will update when i receive them. I miss my regs...

 

[halocline]

good morning, i have a newly serviced regulator that started free flowing at a depth of twenty feet on two consecutive dives. both primary and safe second were affected. these were full blown and could not be stopped at depth. just wondering what could be some causes. thanks for your time in advance.

It's been a month and the shop that originally serviced this reg set still hasn't fixed it? After they likely screwed it up in the first place?

I would suggest that you call them and politely tell them to return your regulator and the money you spent getting it serviced. See if that motivates them to do their job a little better.

Meanwhile, if you can describe better what happened it might help someone on this forum diagnose what happened. For example, both the primary and alternate 2nd stages started freeflowing at 20 ft, correct? At the same time? Are they balanced 2nd stages? If you don't know, just list exactly what regs these are and someone will know.

When you surfaced, did the freeflow stop or did it keep going until you shut off the tank valve?

If the freeflow just started and did not stop, it's a pretty clear sign that your IP is creeping badly, and the two spots that can cause that in a balanced diaphragm are a leak at the HP seat and a leak at the balance chamber. Less likely, but still possible, would be simultaneous problems in both 2nd stages, likely caused by not adjusting them correctly or breaking in the seats during service.

Stories like this make me very happy that I invested the time and effort into learning about regulator function and service. It's why I can dive in caves with regulators that cost me about $40/stage and be completely confident that they work flawlessly.

 

[oldandpokey]

good morning Halocline, the regs had been used in the pool probably a dozen times or more before this incident with just a slight freeflow on the surface. I figured they were set up a little loose,which was no big deal. i just got ahold of a D10 pro ISS drysuit and wanted to try it out. As we started our descent everything was going great. suit was warm and comfortable reg was breathing nice, life was good, until my mask started popping off my face and the bubbles started.Ha ha. SURPRISE!!!! It took a second to figure out what was going on..

After messing with the regs for a minute, iwent on the pony and made a nice leisurely ascent. I was never able to stop the freeflow until i turned off the tank. after awhile i decided to see if it could be reproduced, so i went back down. sure enough, at twenty feet it all started again.

I actually got most of the event on my intova. if i can figure out how to post a movie

 

[undrwater]

You're saying:

• Open tank valve, no free flow
• Descend to ~20', free flow
• Ascend, free flow continues
• Close tank valve
• Open tank valve, no free flow
• Descend to 20', free flow

Is this correct?

Which regs?