Storing partially used Sorb.

Karlos · 22nd June 2005, 03:52

Let the YBOD head dry out for as long as it takes - generally 2-3 hours. Clean the pot, put it all together again. Put the unit under pressure (positive pressure test) and leave it until the next dive.

At the moment I have my unit sitting there with 3 hours on the scrubber and I won't be diving for another week. I intend to use my Inspirations scrubber upto 5 1/2 hours. So that means that sorb has been used for at least 5 weeks... The only time I encountered problems were when I had pushed it to 6 1/2 hours... But never, never repack the sorb....

Rgds,
Karl

iain-hsm · 22nd June 2005, 16:54

I wonder how long it will be before the bucket and spade and the like dive shops start to lay out the lime in the sun to dry on the hire rigs. Bets are on this summer at 4:1.

From test we have done on re dried lime (still within the canister) the drop in humidity is critical with the C02 absorbent performance in the scrubber on the subsequent dive. The lag in time before breath humidity re starts the absorbent is surprisingly long. On fresh lime we see a blip in C02 before humidity starts the lime off. On re dried lime the lag time has been as much as 10 minutes before restarting C02 absortion. Graph will follow when back in office.
There is a line here in the lime, just dont cross it lol.
Iain Middlebrook
HSM Engineering Technology Ltd

deepseacowboy · 22nd June 2005, 19:43

The Sport Kiss scrubber comes with plugs for all four ports, and I was hoping to be able to reuse scrubber medium over the course of a month. Question is, how dry do you want it to get before you plug it, especially considering how long it may take to restart...

Andy M · 22nd June 2005, 20:20

Quote: (Originally Posted by deepseacowboy)

The Sport Kiss scrubber comes with plugs for all four ports, and I was hoping to be able to reuse scrubber medium over the course of a month. Question is, how dry do you want it to get before you plug it, especially considering how long it may take to restart...

I've saved scrubber in the sport kiss, with the plugs in. Have you opened it up after it has been left in the shed for 2 weeks? It STINKS! I decided I'd rather put a new scrubber load in than risk TB or something...

Andy

Drmike · 23rd June 2005, 06:28

Quote: (Originally Posted by Martin Parker)

Oh wow, I don't believe i am reading these responses. They are not just wrong, they are ridiculously unsafe.

Under NO circumstances should you remove the lime, bag it and re-pack it. The partially used scrubber contains used sorb on the inlet side. This leaves you with a reaction front. If you remove the lime, you'll mix up all the used stuff with the unused and you will get premature channeling.

Leave it in the scrubber. If you want to isolate it from the rest of the loop, unscrew the inlet hose from the T and connect it directly to the lid.

The important issue is that you don't let the lime dry out too much. Obviously, if it is absolutley soaked because you've flooded it then you've got more of a problem - under these circumstances i'd probably chuck it.

Storing it in the sealed scrubber is no different to storing it in the canister it is sold in. The important issue is to make sure you put a fill date and hours used label on the scrubber, so when you come back to it you know what that lime has done.

Bottom line - if you remove the lime - throw it away.

I am surprised to see even some instructors advocating repacking sorb - especially as we have only recently seen a diver die in a pool doing a non 'real dive'

Pierre Farrugia · 23rd June 2005, 06:46

Quote: (Originally Posted by Drmike)

I am surprised to see even some instructors advocating repacking sorb - especially as we have only recently seen a diver die in a pool doing a non 'real dive'

Have you read this

Quote: (Originally Posted by Decostop)

Since I get 12 hours of dive time out of my sorb, it can take 4 weeks to get in the dives. I disassemble the unit, leave the sorb in it's pack (out of the canister) and then put it in next time I dive. Never had a problem. Maybe I'm wrong but there isn't a lot of CO2 to absorb while the thing sits in my store room and it's kept dry with my dehumidifier running. If I need to repack with new sorb for a dive, I pour the partially used sorb into an icecream pail and label with the hours on it already. I have come back to this sorb months later and have still been able to get the hours out of it that I should.

I've never had a problem.

Reading such posts make me think, altough I don't know which unit is he diving and canister duration, can you get 12hrs out of a scrubber ? And this guys packs it up and in a pale each time!! Are we being too conservative altough I prefer to be on the safe side!

Drmike · 23rd June 2005, 07:10

Quote: (Originally Posted by Pierre Farrugia)

Have you read this

Reading such posts make me think, altough I don't know which unit is he diving and canister duration, can you get 12hrs out of a scrubber ? And this guys packs it up and in a pale each time!! Are we being too conservative altough I prefer to be on the safe side!

Clearly this method has proven to work for him (at least so far)

I can understand that if you have a large scrubber and you only have a fraction of its time used up then the risks are less in repacking that sorb than if you have a small scrubber and have used up more of its life before repacking.

I guess if you can be 100% sure the dead sorb is fully mixed with the live sorb when you repack the risks are reduced - but how to guarantee that?

To me the risks are just too high and I wouldn't be able to relax and enjoy the dive.

My unit has a large scrubber, 9Lbs, I keep it in the unit until it has up to 11 hours* on it then change it out. Fortunately I'm diving regular so the longest time its been in the unit has been 3 weeks.

When Ive been flying with my unit there has been times that Ive had to bin 9Lbs worth of lime that only had been used for 1/11th of its life! That hurts! But personally I still dont consider repacking- common sense tells me its too risky.

*(Warm water & Scooter dives, Min 7 hours max 11 hours, no repeat dive sub 60m after 7 hours)

***caveseeker7*** · 23rd June 2005, 07:32

Don't nail me down on it, but I think Pez dives an Inspiration, at least that's what they list on Diablo Adventures' website. Yucatan caves for most part, I gather.

I doubt he has a clear understanding of the way absorbants work ... otherwise I doubt he would gamble like that.

Certainly not anything I would do, and if my instructor would recommend it I would get my money back and look for another one.

Duncan Price · 23rd June 2005, 09:26

This year I've only done two dives on one of my sidemount units. I filled it for a dive in January which didn't get done. Put an hour on the scrubber in mid April and then used it again for another 30 mins last week. I'm minded to put some more time on it since it holds 3.3 kg of lime. I guess though if I don't use it again soon I'll dump the sorb. God knows what's living in the loop!

I would not repack used sorb though I have filled the scrubber half full of new sorb and topped off with used stuff for pool use. No difference with the half fill adapter for the Draeger IMNSHO.

22nd June 2005, 03:52	#21 (permalink)
Karlos New Member Current Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Evolution Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 55	Let the YBOD head dry out for as long as it takes - generally 2-3 hours. Clean the pot, put it all together again. Put the unit under pressure (positive pressure test) and leave it until the next dive. At the moment I have my unit sitting there with 3 hours on the scrubber and I won't be diving for another week. I intend to use my Inspirations scrubber upto 5 1/2 hours. So that means that sorb has been used for at least 5 weeks... The only time I encountered problems were when I had pushed it to 6 1/2 hours... But never, never repack the sorb.... Rgds, Karl
(Offline)

22nd June 2005, 16:54	#22 (permalink)
iain-hsm Custom Title Allowed! Current Rebreather/s: MK 15.X Other CCR Other SCR Other Rebreather/s: Other CCR Other SCR Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Loughborough England uk Posts: 347	I wonder how long it will be before the bucket and spade and the like dive shops start to lay out the lime in the sun to dry on the hire rigs. Bets are on this summer at 4:1. From test we have done on re dried lime (still within the canister) the drop in humidity is critical with the C02 absorbent performance in the scrubber on the subsequent dive. The lag in time before breath humidity re starts the absorbent is surprisingly long. On fresh lime we see a blip in C02 before humidity starts the lime off. On re dried lime the lag time has been as much as 10 minutes before restarting C02 absortion. Graph will follow when back in office. There is a line here in the lime, just dont cross it lol. Iain Middlebrook HSM Engineering Technology Ltd
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22nd June 2005, 19:43	#23 (permalink)
deepseacowboy DeepSeaCowboy Current Rebreather/s: Sport Kiss Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Canada Posts: 37	The Sport Kiss scrubber comes with plugs for all four ports, and I was hoping to be able to reuse scrubber medium over the course of a month. Question is, how dry do you want it to get before you plug it, especially considering how long it may take to restart...
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22nd June 2005, 20:20	#24 (permalink)
Andy M Dude Current Rebreather/s: Home Build Other Rebreather/s: Sport Kiss Home Build Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Cambridge, UK Posts: 425	Quote: (Originally Posted by deepseacowboy) The Sport Kiss scrubber comes with plugs for all four ports, and I was hoping to be able to reuse scrubber medium over the course of a month. Question is, how dry do you want it to get before you plug it, especially considering how long it may take to restart... I've saved scrubber in the sport kiss, with the plugs in. Have you opened it up after it has been left in the shed for 2 weeks? It STINKS! I decided I'd rather put a new scrubber load in than risk TB or something... Andy __________________ Know your PO2 at all times
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23rd June 2005, 06:28	#25 (permalink)
Drmike Custom Title Allowed! Current Rebreather/s: MK 15.X Ouroboros Other CCR Home Build Other Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Other CCR Home Build Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 3,328	Quote: (Originally Posted by Martin Parker) Oh wow, I don't believe i am reading these responses. They are not just wrong, they are ridiculously unsafe. Under NO circumstances should you remove the lime, bag it and re-pack it. The partially used scrubber contains used sorb on the inlet side. This leaves you with a reaction front. If you remove the lime, you'll mix up all the used stuff with the unused and you will get premature channeling. Leave it in the scrubber. If you want to isolate it from the rest of the loop, unscrew the inlet hose from the T and connect it directly to the lid. The important issue is that you don't let the lime dry out too much. Obviously, if it is absolutley soaked because you've flooded it then you've got more of a problem - under these circumstances i'd probably chuck it. Storing it in the sealed scrubber is no different to storing it in the canister it is sold in. The important issue is to make sure you put a fill date and hours used label on the scrubber, so when you come back to it you know what that lime has done. Bottom line - if you remove the lime - throw it away. I am surprised to see even some instructors advocating repacking sorb - especially as we have only recently seen a diver die in a pool doing a non 'real dive'
(Offline)

23rd June 2005, 06:46	#26 (permalink)
Pierre Farrugia Custom Title Allowed! Current Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Malta Posts: 636	Quote: (Originally Posted by Drmike) I am surprised to see even some instructors advocating repacking sorb - especially as we have only recently seen a diver die in a pool doing a non 'real dive' Have you read this Quote: (Originally Posted by Decostop) Since I get 12 hours of dive time out of my sorb, it can take 4 weeks to get in the dives. I disassemble the unit, leave the sorb in it's pack (out of the canister) and then put it in next time I dive. Never had a problem. Maybe I'm wrong but there isn't a lot of CO2 to absorb while the thing sits in my store room and it's kept dry with my dehumidifier running. If I need to repack with new sorb for a dive, I pour the partially used sorb into an icecream pail and label with the hours on it already. I have come back to this sorb months later and have still been able to get the hours out of it that I should. I've never had a problem. Reading such posts make me think, altough I don't know which unit is he diving and canister duration, can you get 12hrs out of a scrubber ? And this guys packs it up and in a pale each time!! Are we being too conservative altough I prefer to be on the safe side! __________________ Pierre Farrugia My wife told me " If you don't quit diving I'm going to leave you" My reply " God, I'll miss you" www.atlam.org www.divemed.com
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23rd June 2005, 07:10	#27 (permalink)
Drmike Custom Title Allowed! Current Rebreather/s: MK 15.X Ouroboros Other CCR Home Build Other Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Other CCR Home Build Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 3,328	Quote: (Originally Posted by Pierre Farrugia) Have you read this Reading such posts make me think, altough I don't know which unit is he diving and canister duration, can you get 12hrs out of a scrubber ? And this guys packs it up and in a pale each time!! Are we being too conservative altough I prefer to be on the safe side! Clearly this method has proven to work for him (at least so far) I can understand that if you have a large scrubber and you only have a fraction of its time used up then the risks are less in repacking that sorb than if you have a small scrubber and have used up more of its life before repacking. I guess if you can be 100% sure the dead sorb is fully mixed with the live sorb when you repack the risks are reduced - but how to guarantee that? To me the risks are just too high and I wouldn't be able to relax and enjoy the dive. My unit has a large scrubber, 9Lbs, I keep it in the unit until it has up to 11 hours* on it then change it out. Fortunately I'm diving regular so the longest time its been in the unit has been 3 weeks. When Ive been flying with my unit there has been times that Ive had to bin 9Lbs worth of lime that only had been used for 1/11th of its life! That hurts! But personally I still dont consider repacking- common sense tells me its too risky. *(Warm water & Scooter dives, Min 7 hours max 11 hours, no repeat dive sub 60m after 7 hours)
(Offline)

23rd June 2005, 07:32	#28 (permalink)
*caveseeker7* Who loves ya, baby Current Rebreather/s: Sport Kiss Other Rebreather/s: Prism Topaz Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Too far from Neverland Posts: 5,462	Don't nail me down on it, but I think Pez dives an Inspiration, at least that's what they list on Diablo Adventures' website. Yucatan caves for most part, I gather. I doubt he has a clear understanding of the way absorbants work ... otherwise I doubt he would gamble like that. Certainly not anything I would do, and if my instructor would recommend it I would get my money back and look for another one. __________________ Cheers Stefan "Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.!"
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23rd June 2005, 09:26	#29 (permalink)
Duncan Price Sump Monster Current Rebreather/s: Not Bought Yet Other Rebreather/s: Not Bought Yet Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Wells, Somerset, UK Posts: 335	This year I've only done two dives on one of my sidemount units. I filled it for a dive in January which didn't get done. Put an hour on the scrubber in mid April and then used it again for another 30 mins last week. I'm minded to put some more time on it since it holds 3.3 kg of lime. I guess though if I don't use it again soon I'll dump the sorb. God knows what's living in the loop! I would not repack used sorb though I have filled the scrubber half full of new sorb and topped off with used stuff for pool use. No difference with the half fill adapter for the Draeger IMNSHO.
(Offline)

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