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#2594
 Oxygen cleaning regulators
joe_bird - 12/25/2017 3:52 PM
Category: Equipment
Replies: 5
So the time for me to service my regulators is coming up again. I have seen and opted for oxygen cleaning services in the past and heard that if you dive Nitrox at all, even once since the last service, you should have your regs oxygen cleaned. I am skeptical of this as it pertains to recreational scuba diving and regulators, as it seems like a way for some dive shops to get a little more out of our wallets. I could see for technical gear used with higher oxygen contents for deco stops how this may be beneficial, but for recreational mixes, not so much. My question is, is oxygen cleaning my regulators a necessary part of servicing for recreational Nitrox divers?

For context, I may dive Nitrox on very few dives per year (4-6 maximum), typically only when on vacation, and never higher than 36%.

Merry Christmas and safe diving everyone!
#3123
DiverfromBaskingRidge - 12/25/2017 8:12 PM
The short answer is no.

Oxygen clean is recommended for 40% and higher O2 regulators.

Tanks are a bit different in it depends on how you fill your tanks - I add pure 100% O2 at a lower pressure and top off with air - so in this case I need to ensure my tanks are O2 clean. I am told if you fill from banks that have 40% or less you do not need to have the tanks O2 cleaned.

Merry Christmas
#2259
ELLOCODIABLO - 12/26/2017 12:02 AM
No need with mixes at 40% or less on regs. That being said I always o2 clean mine but i also do my own reg rebuilds and the extra step only takes me a few minutes. Tanks are a different story. They should always be o2 cleaned since you may get fills from a shop that uses the pp method. If you fill from a shop that banks nitrox then you would be ok.
#2594
Subscribed
joe_bird - 12/26/2017 10:28 PM
Awesome. Thanks for the help guys.
#948
Subscribed
pmedic73 - 12/26/2017 11:10 PM
Just my 2 cents... I work at a dive shop that does gas blending. I will let you know that if your tank is not O2 cleaned, a dive shop won’t (or shouldn’t) fill it with any Nitrox blend. Your tank will need to have a Nitrox VIP and the sticker to match (should be colored different than a regular VIP). As for the regs, I would make sure that when you have them serviced, they use the proper lube on the seals (most do anyway). The new stuff on the market should be ok for mixes up to 40% as is. It’s always good to make sure though as this IS life-support equipment.
#2245
MDW - 11/01/2018 1:09 PM
CGA, DOT, and OSHA require O2 cleaning for any tank with 23.5% or higher O2 content (yes, NOT 40%).

As for regulators, I would think the same limit should apply, at least to first stages where the same high pressures are present. Maybe I could see a little slack on the second stage where the pressure is lower and the volume and flow is restricted.

That said, I keep everything O2 clean (tank, valve, hose, reg, BC) if it will be used with Nitrox. And that said, it’s not rocket science to O2 clean stuff (BTW, speaking of rocket science, NASA requires O2 cleaning for anything over 21% O2).