zappid
Regular Diver
Posts: 19 
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Post by zappid on Jan 31, 2014 12:51:10 GMT -8
As I am still new to forums, I did some searching and couldn't answer my questions. If this has been answered already (my thought, yes), please direct me to the thread. I've been collecting vintage gear for about 9 months or so and finally decided to get a double hose, so I went with an inexpensive Dacor dial-a-breath, I believe to be an R-3 (which has an AWESOME thread on here with a ton of info). Who knows, maybe someone here sold it to me as I purchased it from ebay. Anyways, the thing was filthy, so I took some dish soap and a toothbrush to it to shine it up externally.... I took the bottom off and cleaned the diaphragms. Everything inside appeared to be in very good condition. I didn't want to venture further in fear of messing something up. I hooked it up to a tank with 500 psi and it did not free flow and seemed to breath nicely. Long story short (sorry, I'm wordy), I want to test this in a pool, as I've never actually used any of the vintage gear I have been acquiring. So, to my questions, knowing that it "seems" to function fine, what sort of issues could it have once it hits the water (could I possibly ruin it)? What sort of preventative maintenance could I do to keep it running smoothly (ie greasing the rubber, etc)? Anything else that I could look for before I test it to ensure it will function correctly? I've also heard of the internals being contaminated, is there a way to properly disinfect or clean it before breathing from it (or is that actually not true)? Thanks in advance for your help, please let me know if any pictures would be helpful! |
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Post by nikeajax on Jan 31, 2014 15:40:43 GMT -8
Ahoy mate!  Sounds as if you've done everything right... The only thing I can ad to what you've said is find a nice big bottle-brush, and use that to scrub the inside of the hoses after using it. Evidently, neoprene can have fungi that will grow on it, and silicone doesn't, so I've heard. The thing's that really kill rubber are: sunlight, salt and ozone. Keep yer gear away from things like generators and electric motors, they create ozone, which is O3, three bonded oxygen molecules, or Trioxygen: it will begin to oxidize the ca-ca out of your gear, and the other two I'm sure you already know, although the salt will attack the rubber over time and make it super brittle, which is why the old horse-collar BC's fail. Cheers! Jaybird |
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Post by nikeajax on Jan 31, 2014 15:48:23 GMT -8
Oh, yeah--SHOW US YER GEAR! I always like to see what people have...
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zappid
Regular Diver
Posts: 19
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Post by zappid on Jan 31, 2014 21:30:06 GMT -8
Thank you for the info jaybird! I'll get some pictures uploaded over the weekend. Thanks again!
Chris
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Post by nikeajax on Feb 1, 2014 9:10:53 GMT -8
Oh, I was thinking--yeah, that's the smell... Anyway, find a Dacor tank valve, one with an SPG-port, Healthways had them too. You'll want some way in which to watch your tank pressure!
Jaybird
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Post by SeaRat on Feb 7, 2014 19:46:22 GMT -8
Zappid,
Welcome here, and I hope you will enjoy your Dacor Dial-a-Breath regulator. If it is an R-4, it will breathe quite nicely. Concerning the maintenance, you only need a pair of pliers, a screwdriver, a crescent wrench and a circlip pliers to service this regulator. Dacor double hose regulators were made to be easily serviced.
Jaybird above mentioned getting a bottle brush. This brush is one of those wire brushes that can get into a one-inch diameter opening with bristles that can scrub the convolutions of the inside of the hoses. I've found common dish washing soap will work well to help wash these hoses. Contrary to what Jaybird said above (only a minor correction), fungus can grow on just about any hose inner surface. Some of the later Dacor hoses apparently incorporated a disinfectant in the rubber formula. So keep that in mind, and the fact that bacterium will grow there too. So scrub them out, and it should be good for the pool. I'll have more later.
John
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Post by SeaRat on Feb 7, 2014 21:31:44 GMT -8
Zappid, if the inside of the regulator was as dirty as you state, you might want to completely disassemble it and clean it with white vinegar (acetic acid). Usually, you also will want to replace the sintered filter. It is not hard at all to disassemble. The thread we have on the Dacor Dial-a-Breath shows the regulator disassembled, and what people don't realize is that Dacor's President, Sam Divison, designed the original Dial-a-Breath on his kitchen table, and designed it so anyone could disassemble it with minimum of tools. The circlip pliers are readily available, and by removing the yolk screw and placing a pencil (unsharpened, or eraser end with most eraser used or cut off) or dowl down onto the sintered filter, you can easily remove the circlip and then the filter. The spring and high pressure seat then simply fall out unless there is more corrosion.
I think the assembly has been covered, but if you need help with that then we can discuss it. I have at times re-assembled these Dacor regulators too loose, so that they can leak either air or water. So tighten those screws down tight.
Both the R-3 (original) and the R-4 or Clipper are very easy regulators to work on, and made to be maintained. They are also very rugged regulators.
I usually "qualify" any new-to-me regulator in a pool before taking it to open water. That way, I know its characteristics. When it goes to open water, I then know its capabilities too.
Let us know about the progress, and we do encourage you to post some photos.
John
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Post by starman on Jul 1, 2014 23:19:24 GMT -8
hey Guys how do I get to those threads you spoke of about the Dacor regs. I will have two Dacors as soon as I recivie them, a C 3 and R4 dial-a-breath. so I think that info would be helpful. Thanks Marion Fisk
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Post by regulator68bj on Jul 2, 2014 1:30:45 GMT -8
Welcome zappid Look forward to the pix posting.  
john
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Sounds as if you've done everything right... The only thing I can ad to what you've said is find a nice big bottle-brush, and use that to scrub the inside of the hoses after using it. Evidently, neoprene can have fungi that will grow on it, and silicone doesn't, so I've heard. The thing's that really kill rubber are: sunlight, salt and ozone. Keep yer gear away from things like generators and electric motors, they create ozone, which is O3, three bonded oxygen molecules, or Trioxygen: it will begin to oxidize the ca-ca out of your gear, and the other two I'm sure you already know, although the salt will attack the rubber over time and make it super brittle, which is why the old horse-collar BC's fail.
