Archive for the 'Regulator' Category
Regular maintenance of your self contained underwater breathing apparatus and its air regulator is vital to keeping the equipment up to par. There are several steps to cleaning a diving regulator. First, you need to make sure the dust-cap and seal are completely dry before you place the regulator in a rinse tank. If the seal is damaged in any way you may need to get a new regulator because you don’t want to risk water getting into the second stage regulator, cause corrosion which in turn would damage your lungs.
Once you have ensured that the dust-cap and seal of the diving regulator are sturdy and dry, soak the sealed gear in a rinse tank. Swish the diving regulator around a bit to knock off dirt particles. Move the levers back and forth to loosen any dirt that may have stuck on, but be careful no to push the purge button. When you are satisfied that you have removed as much dirt as possible, take the regulator out of the rinse tank and place it under a stream of water. Dry the regulator with a towel, not in direct sunlight as that can damage the regulator material.
Scuba gear comes in a variety of styles and colors, but in the end the aesthetic flourishes are secondary. The breathing apparatus is what really counts, and that’s why experienced divers put so much credence in finding the best diving regulator possible. These devices facilitate and monitor the flow of oxygen and other breathing gases from the tank to the diver’s mask.
The regulator’s first stage is the part that attaches to the tank valve. Since the gas in the tank is highly pressurized, it needs to pass through the first stage and become depressurized enough to allow for flow into the second stage. The second stage attaches to a mouthpiece inside the mask, and it depressurizes the oxygen even further, rendering it breathable.