Rant: I spent 2 years cleaning my Kirby Morgan exhaust valves wrong

I always cleaned my exhaust valves by just spraying them with fresh water and calling it good. During a mixed gas dive off a rig near Port Fourchon last month, I got a free flow that nearly ripped my mask off. My tender pointed out the valves were crusted with salt and calcium after I pulled the cover off. Now I soak them in white vinegar for 20 minutes after every deep saltwater job. Anyone else been doing something basic wrong for way too long?

2 comments

2 Comments

ryan_shah388d ago

I'm going to push back on this a little. Running white vinegar through your reg that often might end up doing more damage than salt ever could, especially to the softer rubber parts and o-rings over time. A lot of manufacturers actually recommend against regular vinegar soaks because it can dry out seals and make them brittle. I've been spraying mine down with fresh water and giving them a proper soak maybe once a month for years without any issues, and I dive saltwater almost every weekend. Your free flow could have been from something else like a worn out diaphragm or just bad luck, not necessarily the crust. Might be worth considering that you're overcorrecting here, your mileage may vary.

angela_harris8d ago

What kind of salt crust are you dealing with that a good rinse can't handle?