how do you sanitise your rig?

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

cstmwrks

Hello!
I dive with an 02 rig here in the high desert. Cleaning is pretty darn simple. I just rinse and let it dry most of the time. The air here is 15% humidity so there are a lot of bugs that just to not get to grow because things dry out so fast. Every now and then I give it a weak Betadine rinse or if I let some one else do a " rebreather experiance dive".
My cleaning habits would likely differ in a hot and humid environment.

Bill

Padowan

I drain the goop out after every days diving and leave it all open to dry, I tend to wash out the hoses and lungs about once a month or just before/after a long trip. I reckon my unit gets the buddy-clean treatment 3 times a year. Never had a problem, live in the UK, so it's quite moist but not very warm.

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UKSteve

On a trip I just drain the exhale lung at end of every day.
On return home - and therefore not diving for next few days - I will flush both lungs with fresh water, then put container cap full of Trigene into both lungs and top up with water. After 5 mins soak I drain them and flush with water prior to storing unit upright with dil and O2 injectors removed.

Front loop gets 5 squirts of trigene into the inhale end of hose and subsequently into mouthpiece. I gently swing hose a little to sluice it around the inside of hoses and when it stops draining out the bottom I flush hose with water. I then always check inhale and exhale musroom valves straight after this.

This is how I was taught on Mod 1 - but as always - open to any improvements.

Steve

Philippe GERIN

After each day of diving:
cold water rince + soak with a solution of 20% rubbing alcohol + soak with a solution of 20% mouth-rince + let dry loop components for an hour or 2. re-assemble rig if diving the next day. store components in plastic container if not.
Best
Philippe

6Gill

Rinse hoses and dsv with water at the end of each day's diving, after several days of diving or if the unit is going to be idle for awhile I rinse everything well and disinfect hoses, cl, scrubber can with virkon and dry well. Never had a problem, it's a bit more than most, but it is an extenstion of your lungs.

ScubaDadMiami

That's pretty much what I do. I live in a warm, humid area. So, I prefer not to take chances.

If I am diving every day, I will just rinse. If there will be any breaks, I disinfect.

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Howard Packer
IANTD CCR Instructor
Miami Beach, Florida
CCRDiveTraining.com

Mary

I know some people use dilute betadine for this does anyone use dilute chlorhexadine (which comes in handy tiny sachets rather than whole bottles.....) or is this a really really bad idea?

(just a thought as we use both for skin preparation pre-op.... )

wedivebc

When I did my meg training, Leon recommended betadine, I have used a product from MSA called confidence plus and have also used dettol which has a nice smell to it.

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Cheers,

Dave....

Man is the only animal burdened with the knowledge he will eventually die

Mary

Thing is betadine comes in big bottles where as chlorhexadine comes in handy 20ml sachets.....