IDA-71 High Pressure O2

Mossyback

I'm in the final stages of my IDA-71 re-build and I'm replacing the Russian O2 tank with a steel Faber. This way I can use an Apeks DS4 reg and use standard fill whips etc.

Question: I've been told by several sources that both the Faber tank and the DS4 come O2 clean and I don't have to take any special precautions re: cleaning. Could some of you confirm this for me? I've lost the immortality of my youth.

Hank

__________________
"Be the kind of person your dog thinks you are."

Dsix36

The Apeks DS4 that I bought WAS O2 clean.
As far as the tank goes, I think that all new tanks are O2 clean (been my experience thus far), but I have never had a Faber.
Remember, I am an idiot and should not be trusted

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THE MORE THAT I LEARN, THE MORE THAT I STILL NEED TO LEARN!!!!!!

Mossyback

Thanks, Dsix36.

After I sent my email it dawned on me that I'll also have to add a SPG since the Russian one won't fit the DS4.

Do you or anyone else have any thoughts on whether one can use a standard SPG on 100% O2? Some are oil filled and I don't know how they're designed and whether the gas would actually come in contact with the oil. The SPG would be subjected to O2 at 200 bar.

Maybe Dave Sutton could jump in here and rhyme off some McMaster-Carr numbers for me.

Hank

__________________
"Be the kind of person your dog thinks you are."

Dsix36

All of my O2 SPG's are just standard ones. None are oil filled.

__________________
THE MORE THAT I LEARN, THE MORE THAT I STILL NEED TO LEARN!!!!!!

SeaBass

I had the same question when I was putting SPG's on my russian rig.

I spoke with a guy at my local dive shop who was a Tri-mix instructor and he said that the only change that they made was swaping out the "O"-ring for a Viton one. However he said he didn't change his because he felt it was was not necessary since so little gass actually goes into the SPG.

As a result I didn't bother either. Come to think of it all of my Drager SPG's have normal "O"-rings on them also.

--SB

Mossyback

That's good news. I'll just get a similar one to the one I'm using on my diluent tank.

__________________
"Be the kind of person your dog thinks you are."

Edvin M

If you buy the DS4 Nitrox version it's O2 cleaned when it arrives, both the nitrox and the normal version has Viton o-rings but the normal one uses normal silicon grease and the nitrox crystolube.

As for the SPG I wouldnt want one with EPDM rubber o-rings, pretty high ppO2 in there which breaks donw the o-rinh which leaves of some pretty nasty gases. On OC it wouldnt cause much trouble as it will be diluted in to many many breaths but on CC it will accomodate over time. It wont probobly matter but I dont want any of mine high pO2 in uncleaned enviroment, especialy where it can gain some pretty high speed when the preasure is turned on.

carcharodon1957

Hello,
may I explain my way of thinking about special o2 viton or not o-ring...

especially on CCR dive, when regs are not hardly used as in OC, and exept if you dive deep and/or in cave, you don't need special o2 compatible o-ring!

Viton's one are stronger, of course, but regulars o-ring are also compatible, and when lubricate enough with cristolub or fomblain (what ever you find 100% o2 compatible under high pressure), you will encount no probs!!
Using regulars one since 25 years in 100%o2 environement, and nothing happen until now!
No explosion, no blow and for that spare money I'm able to change all my o-ring every year!

best regards