Cleaning and Rinsing - General Considerations
(11) Cleaning and rinsing of the components should be done using clean, fresh water. If available,
distilled water is recommended to maintain oxygen cleanliness.
(12) Only use degreasers that leave no organic residue (e.g. Simple Green Free & Clear, Blue Gold
Cleaner, or any clear liquid dish soap that does not contain scents or dyes).
(13) To deal with corrosion, use a 50/50 vinegar/water solution and nylon brushes.
(14) Allow parts to air dry without the use of cloths that may leave fibers. For regulators that are going
to be used with oxygen percentages above 40%, a UV light is strongly recommended to check for
organic contamination.
(15) Once all service procedures have been completed and bench testing done, in-water testing in a
confined environment such as a swimming pool is recommended to confirm proper function before
taking the regulator on an actual dive.
Cleaning of Regulator Parts
(16) Cleaning of the parts that are going to be reused is one of the most critical steps in servicing the
regulator. As was stated earlier, use the proper solutions for the job at hand. Vinegar and water are not
as useful for removing lubricating grease as one of the detergents that were noted. By the same token,
those detergents are not as efficient as the vinegar/water mix in dealing with corrosive buildup.
(17) Therefore, where you have a buildup of corrosion, you may also have lubricant on the surface of
the part. Before dealing with the corrosion, use hot soapy water and a soft brush to remove the
lubricant. Then use the acidic solution to deal with the corrosion.
(18) Once the corrosion has been dealt with, wash the parts using a fresh soap and water solution while
wearing nitrile gloves to reduce the risk of contaminating the parts with skin oils. Rinse the parts with
clean running water, distilled is preferred, that can drain freely. A plastic pasta colander is excellent for
this. For very small parts, a mesh strainer for sink drains works well. Often sold as a set, they are
inexpensive and can be used for many types of regulator components. See the photographs of each in
the tool section.
(19) After washing and rinsing the regulator parts, allow them to air dry. Using a drying rack will aid in
this, as well as having the air in the room circulating. Do not lay the parts on a paper or cloth towel.
Doing so runs the risk of having fibers stick to them that will cause issues with sealing. In addition to
this, fibers can be a hazard when using the regulator with high oxygen content mixes.
(20) Once the parts have dried completely, lay them out in order of assembly on the pad used on the
work surface. A rubber or silicone mat of suitable size that is clean and free of contaminants works
well for this. You can also use small clean containers to keep the parts organized. Once the parts have
been cleaned and dried, they need to be inspected before starting the assembly process.
Summary of Contents for DGX Gears XTRA
Page 1: ...DGX Gears XTRA First Stage Service Manual...
Page 32: ......
