how do you sanitise your rig?

pirateeye · 4th October 2006, 18:43

I rinse the loop after each day of diving with fresh water if diving repeatedly

if going into storage

I use listerine do a soak with it then rinse and let dry prior to packing the kit away

**Gill Envy** · 4th October 2006, 19:42

I rinse the exhale side of the loop with tap water (which is slightly chlorinated) twice after each day of diving, then fill up the exhale counter lung with the same, twice...and most of all (IMHO), i dry out the loop and lungs as best i can by leaving them open with mesh covering to keep out the bugs when necessary. Am even considering leaving the loop open and fitting a little fan to push air through the loop till dry, my understanding of microbes tells me that getting the loop dry is a higher priority than any other thing. Standing moisture and mucus are a bad combination.

One the other hand the persistant use of strong antimicrobials eventually breeds resistance and stronger microbes. As for the hard core cleaning solutions, i'm generally more wary of them than i am of infection. further, Virkon says it protects from HIV, and a whole list of other stuff I can only get if I already have it, which would then be moot. The inhale side of the loop is devoid of food for microbes and the air that goes through it has gone through the scrubber, which pretty much acts as a a sterilizer. Periodic cleaning of the whole unit with a weak betadine solution seems to me to be a prudent addition to the daily routine.

I’ve only been diving CCR’s for about 6 months and am therefore still forming long term protocols, and watching such threads with interest.

ding · 4th October 2006, 20:37

Am I the only person who still uses buddy clean? After 3 hours diving I strip the box down and air dry the head and clean the hoses, lungs and scrubber housing with a soloution of buddyclean and rinse with lots of fresh water from a hose. So far no problems. PS I do drain the exhale lung after every dive as well.

chrismc · 5th October 2006, 07:01

Quote: (Originally Posted by ding)

Am I the only person who still uses buddy clean? After 3 hours diving I strip the box down and air dry the head and clean the hoses, lungs and scrubber housing with a soloution of buddyclean and rinse with lots of fresh water from a hose. So far no problems. PS I do drain the exhale lung after every dive as well.

No your not, I do it exactly the same way. I was tought this on the course.

scunick · 5th October 2006, 07:11

Quote: (Originally Posted by ding)

Am I the only person who still uses buddy clean? After 3 hours diving I strip the box down and air dry the head and clean the hoses, lungs and scrubber housing with a soloution of buddyclean and rinse with lots of fresh water from a hose. So far no problems. PS I do drain the exhale lung after every dive as well.

Same here, but that is really because thats what I was taught on my course.

Cheers

Nick

Paul Vinten · 5th October 2006, 10:46

I hose the whole unit with fresh water at the end of every day.

I also rinse out the breathing hoses & dsv with bottled water every day.

Then I remove & disinfect with Buudy Clean the counterlungs & breathing hoses once a week.
I'm diving almost every day on the unit, so to dismantle, disinfect & allow to dry every day is simply not practical.

I guess I'd disinfect everything if somebody else used my unit, but nobody has even managed to get close to it yet

mixedangased · 5th October 2006, 20:00

Quote: (Originally Posted by York)

Hi all (experienced and novice) (x)cr divers,
I didn't know if to post this here or under dive medicine.

Anyhow, I noticed that there seem to be different protocolls for loop sanitisation - starting from almost ignoring it ("it's not a problem...") to meticulous cleaning of every piece.

What method do you use - rinsing (before, after), what cleaner or detergent, hot air, ambient air, cleaning all or just hoses or/and counterlungs, or just the mouthpiece?

What is your experience - ever had problems with getting a sour throat after diving your buddy's rigg?

What did your instructor teach you?

Any other thoughts on this subject?

Looking forward to a wide field of answers.

Joerg

fresh water rinse after a wkends/3days diving & a 1/2hr soak in vercon `s`& fresh water rinse once a month.

**Gill Envy** · 5th October 2006, 20:49

Quote: (Originally Posted by Paul Vinten)

I hose the whole unit with fresh water at the end of every day.

you don't actually hose down the head, right? In any case, how much direct moisture can the head take anyway?... are folks actually treating the sensors with VIRKON or other cleaning agents, or even just directy with clean water?...just curious if my general aproach of leaving the head well enough alone is considered a good thing or a bad thing.

Paul Vinten · 7th October 2006, 09:42

[quote=Gill Envy;70978]you don't actually hose down the head, right?

I hose the whole unit down while it's complete before dismantling anything. Diving in the Red Sea is very salty indeed so if you allow anything to dry before washing in fresh water you get a massive build up of salt crystals which can cause a lot of damage over time. Especially where plastic and/or O-rings are concerned

Divereh · 7th October 2006, 11:54

Hi
Straight after finished diving with the unit I will open up the exhale counter lung and drain the gloop. When I get the unit home I wash it down and use a little dettol spray to rinse the lungs and loop - then dry off and put to bed.
This is what I’ve been taught to do.

p.s. yey my first post on Rebreather World!!!

4th October 2006, 18:43	#11 (permalink)
pirateeye New Member Current Rebreather/s: Dolphin Other Rebreather/s: Not Bought Yet Dolphin Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 49	Re: how do you sanitise your rig? I rinse the loop after each day of diving with fresh water if diving repeatedly if going into storage I use listerine do a soak with it then rinse and let dry prior to packing the kit away __________________ Why Buy It When You Can Spend More to Build It
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4th October 2006, 19:42	#12 (permalink)
Gill Envy Shearwater Copis Divers Current Rebreather/s: Other CCR Other Rebreather/s: Evolution Other CCR Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: seattle Posts: 1,315	Re: how do you sanitise your rig? I rinse the exhale side of the loop with tap water (which is slightly chlorinated) twice after each day of diving, then fill up the exhale counter lung with the same, twice...and most of all (IMHO), i dry out the loop and lungs as best i can by leaving them open with mesh covering to keep out the bugs when necessary. Am even considering leaving the loop open and fitting a little fan to push air through the loop till dry, my understanding of microbes tells me that getting the loop dry is a higher priority than any other thing. Standing moisture and mucus are a bad combination. One the other hand the persistant use of strong antimicrobials eventually breeds resistance and stronger microbes. As for the hard core cleaning solutions, i'm generally more wary of them than i am of infection. further, Virkon says it protects from HIV, and a whole list of other stuff I can only get if I already have it, which would then be moot. The inhale side of the loop is devoid of food for microbes and the air that goes through it has gone through the scrubber, which pretty much acts as a a sterilizer. Periodic cleaning of the whole unit with a weak betadine solution seems to me to be a prudent addition to the daily routine. I’ve only been diving CCR’s for about 6 months and am therefore still forming long term protocols, and watching such threads with interest. __________________ Gill Envy ...Because I wasn't born with gills! ><(°>><(°>><(°>><(°>><(°>><(°>><(°>><(°>
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4th October 2006, 20:37	#13 (permalink)
ding New Member Current Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: May 2006 Location: Glasgow Posts: 55	Re: how do you sanitise your rig? Am I the only person who still uses buddy clean? After 3 hours diving I strip the box down and air dry the head and clean the hoses, lungs and scrubber housing with a soloution of buddyclean and rinse with lots of fresh water from a hose. So far no problems. PS I do drain the exhale lung after every dive as well.
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5th October 2006, 07:01	#14 (permalink)
chrismc New Member Current Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: North west, uk Posts: 61	Re: how do you sanitise your rig? Quote: (Originally Posted by ding) Am I the only person who still uses buddy clean? After 3 hours diving I strip the box down and air dry the head and clean the hoses, lungs and scrubber housing with a soloution of buddyclean and rinse with lots of fresh water from a hose. So far no problems. PS I do drain the exhale lung after every dive as well. No your not, I do it exactly the same way. I was tought this on the course.
(Online)

5th October 2006, 07:11	#15 (permalink)
scunick Nick Cunningham-Moorat Current Rebreather/s: Other CCR Other Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Inspiration Vision Other CCR Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: South Africa - Cape Town Posts: 96	Re: how do you sanitise your rig? Quote: (Originally Posted by ding) Am I the only person who still uses buddy clean? After 3 hours diving I strip the box down and air dry the head and clean the hoses, lungs and scrubber housing with a soloution of buddyclean and rinse with lots of fresh water from a hose. So far no problems. PS I do drain the exhale lung after every dive as well. Same here, but that is really because thats what I was taught on my course. Cheers Nick
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5th October 2006, 10:46	#16 (permalink)
Paul Vinten New Member Current Rebreather/s: Classic Kiss Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Hurghada, Egypt Posts: 33	Re: how do you sanitise your rig? I hose the whole unit with fresh water at the end of every day. I also rinse out the breathing hoses & dsv with bottled water every day. Then I remove & disinfect with Buudy Clean the counterlungs & breathing hoses once a week. I'm diving almost every day on the unit, so to dismantle, disinfect & allow to dry every day is simply not practical. I guess I'd disinfect everything if somebody else used my unit, but nobody has even managed to get close to it yet __________________ Living on the edge might be dangerous, but it has a great view If you're not living on the edge then you're taking up too much room www.tekstremediving.com Technical diving in the Red Sea
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5th October 2006, 20:00	#17 (permalink)
mixedangased mixedangased Current Rebreather/s: Megalodon Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: gloucestershire Posts: 60	Re: how do you sanitise your rig? Quote: (Originally Posted by York) Hi all (experienced and novice) (x)cr divers, I didn't know if to post this here or under dive medicine. Anyhow, I noticed that there seem to be different protocolls for loop sanitisation - starting from almost ignoring it ("it's not a problem...") to meticulous cleaning of every piece. What method do you use - rinsing (before, after), what cleaner or detergent, hot air, ambient air, cleaning all or just hoses or/and counterlungs, or just the mouthpiece? What is your experience - ever had problems with getting a sour throat after diving your buddy's rigg? What did your instructor teach you? Any other thoughts on this subject? Looking forward to a wide field of answers. Joerg fresh water rinse after a wkends/3days diving & a 1/2hr soak in vercon `s`& fresh water rinse once a month. __________________ if it ain`t broke,fix it till`it is!
(Offline)

5th October 2006, 20:49	#18 (permalink)
Gill Envy Shearwater Copis Divers Current Rebreather/s: Other CCR Other Rebreather/s: Evolution Other CCR Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: seattle Posts: 1,315	Re: how do you sanitise your rig? Quote: (Originally Posted by Paul Vinten) I hose the whole unit with fresh water at the end of every day. you don't actually hose down the head, right? In any case, how much direct moisture can the head take anyway?... are folks actually treating the sensors with VIRKON or other cleaning agents, or even just directy with clean water?...just curious if my general aproach of leaving the head well enough alone is considered a good thing or a bad thing. __________________ Gill Envy ...Because I wasn't born with gills! ><(°>><(°>><(°>><(°>><(°>><(°>><(°>><(°>
(Offline)

7th October 2006, 09:42	#19 (permalink)
Paul Vinten New Member Current Rebreather/s: Classic Kiss Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Hurghada, Egypt Posts: 33	Re: how do you sanitise your rig? [quote=Gill Envy;70978]you don't actually hose down the head, right? I hose the whole unit down while it's complete before dismantling anything. Diving in the Red Sea is very salty indeed so if you allow anything to dry before washing in fresh water you get a massive build up of salt crystals which can cause a lot of damage over time. Especially where plastic and/or O-rings are concerned __________________ Living on the edge might be dangerous, but it has a great view If you're not living on the edge then you're taking up too much room www.tekstremediving.com Technical diving in the Red Sea
(Offline)

7th October 2006, 11:54	#20 (permalink)
Divereh New Member Current Rebreather/s: Inspiration Vision Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: May 2006 Location: UK Posts: 8	Re: how do you sanitise your rig? Hi Straight after finished diving with the unit I will open up the exhale counter lung and drain the gloop. When I get the unit home I wash it down and use a little dettol spray to rinse the lungs and loop - then dry off and put to bed. This is what I’ve been taught to do. p.s. yey my first post on Rebreather World!!!
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