Northwest Dive Club

After a "malfunction" of my balanced pee valve, I'm ripping that f#%€ing thing out and going unbalanced.

Anyone have a recommendation for what tubing to get and a good source?

spatman wrote:After a "malfunction" of my balanced pee valve, I'm ripping that f#%€ing thing out and going unbalanced.

Anyone have a recommendation for what tubing to get and a good source?

McMaster & Carr

Product detail...

51075K292
Durable Norprene Rubber/Plastic Tubing 1/4" ID, 1/2" OD, 1/8" Wall, Black, $2.24 per foot.


(but you can also get fuel line hose at local auto parts or true value)

I use the blue tubing from Camelbaks. Not as rigid as the norprene stuff that comes stock. REI, etc sell replacement tubing at a reasonable price.

Thanks, Laura and Brian!

What brand P-Valve is that, Matt? did it have one of those T-Pieces as a balancer? Or is it a Halcyon or other brand with duckbill based balancer?

I did the same on both my suits after a few similar incidents.

What I ended up doing is re-using the neoprene fuel hose that came with it and the check valves so I at least prevent cold sea water from coming up the tube.

The check valves are also standard automotive mini check valves and user replaceable in a few seconds.

I'm not sure of the brand, but it looks like this:



I'm still not 100% sure where the actually failure was, but I think it was the check valve getting stuck closed. Not sure I ever want to risk that happening again.

Just take off both check valves, they cause more hassles than good IMHO.

spatman wrote:I'm not sure of the brand, but it looks like this...

Did you pee yourself or did you have back pressure?

I have the same on both my suits and ripped out the T-Piece and kept the check valve to prevent sea water from coming in.

Know lots of folks who have just a straight trough and it doesnt bother them.

I make a point of doing a quick little "prime" of the lines before the dive and its been without hassle for a year or so.

kdupreez wrote:

spatman wrote:I'm not sure of the brand, but it looks like this...

Did you pee yourself or did you have back pressure?

Back pressure, and it was painful. I was in the process of priming it when it happened, thankfully. That would have been pretty awful if it had happened in the water.

CaptnJack wrote:Just take off both check valves, they cause more hassles than good IMHO.

That's the plan. I don't ever want to experience that again.

spatman wrote:

CaptnJack wrote:Just take off both check valves, they cause more hassles than good IMHO.

That's the plan. I don't ever want to experience that again.

The "in rush" of cold water is not bad honestly. I have found the straight tube stays clean without any hassles at all. Esp. if you open it near the end of the dive and leave it open until the next dive. It will drain naturally and there's nothing for bugs to grow in.

Matt I think its important and somewhat of a Mods obligation to tell the story so that others can learn.



and.....


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Norris wrote:Matt I think its important and somewhat of a Mods obligation to tell the story so that others can learn.



and.....


begin

Norris wrote:Matt I think its important and somewhat of a Mods obligation to tell the story so that others can learn.



and.....


begin

The valve was plugged up and the urine backed up the tube and into my ding dong. Kind of stretched my urethra to the its limits and a few drops of blood came out after I finally got the damn thing off. Its still a bit sore today, but doesn't seem to have gotten infected. Probably could have been a lot worse.

I wasn't even using a Wideband, just the Pop-On, and that adhesive was stuck good. The one time I needed a blowout...

CaptnJack wrote:The "in rush" of cold water is not bad honestly. I have found the straight tube stays clean without any hassles at all. Esp. if you open it near the end of the dive and leave it open until the next dive. It will drain naturally and there's nothing for bugs to grow in.

So you open and close it as needed? I thought you just prime it predive and leave it open.

spatman wrote:

CaptnJack wrote:The "in rush" of cold water is not bad honestly. I have found the straight tube stays clean without any hassles at all. Esp. if you open it near the end of the dive and leave it open until the next dive. It will drain naturally and there's nothing for bugs to grow in.

So you open and close it as needed? I thought you just prime it predive and leave it open.

If I am plumbed up I basically just leave it open. The only time I close mine is if I am not plumbed in or I suspect there's a leak. Without any type of valve its pretty hard to "prime" it anyway. If you are standing in water it flows in, if you aren't standing all the way in the water almost everything drains out. Although, I route the hose up over the top of my long undies. So there's a little loop there which can trap air, water, or pee depending on the situation. I certainly don't worry about priming.

spatman wrote:

Norris wrote:Matt I think its important and somewhat of a Mods obligation to tell the story so that others can learn.



and.....


begin

The valve was plugged up and the urine backed up the tube and into my ding dong. Kind of stretched my urethra to the its limits and a few drops of blood came out after I finally got the damn thing off. Its still a bit sore today, but doesn't seem to have gotten infected. Probably could have been a lot worse.

I wasn't even using a Wideband, just the Pop-On, and that adhesive was stuck good. The one time I needed a blowout...

OMFG I can see where that would be an experience you do not want to have more than once. I went with unbalanced when I had mine put in and you just validated that decision. YIKES

spatman wrote:

Norris wrote:Matt I think its important and somewhat of a Mods obligation to tell the story so that others can learn.



and.....


begin

The valve was plugged up and the urine backed up the tube and into my ding dong. Kind of stretched my urethra to the its limits and a few drops of blood came out after I finally got the damn thing off. Its still a bit sore today, but doesn't seem to have gotten infected. Probably could have been a lot worse.

I wasn't even using a Wideband, just the Pop-On, and that adhesive was stuck good. The one time I needed a blowout...

*CRINGE* That sounds freaking awful.

Rofl.

That said, I've use balanced and unbalanced. I haven't had issues either way. I open and drain 'em like Richard said. If you go closed, just pre-charge the line. You can leave it open, but I prefer not to rick any critters coming up the line.

I also have the hose long enough, so it loops up, and then down my draws. I recommend that method. 1) It's a good distance to avoid said critters, and two, when you fire off, it warms up your skin (where the hose lays across) for a second. Not a damn thing wrong with that.

D

CaptnJack wrote:

spatman wrote:

CaptnJack wrote:Just take off both check valves, they cause more hassles than good IMHO.

That's the plan. I don't ever want to experience that again.

The "in rush" of cold water is not bad honestly. I have found the straight tube stays clean without any hassles at all. Esp. if you open it near the end of the dive and leave it open until the next dive. It will drain naturally and there's nothing for bugs to grow in.

So you removed the mushroom valve so the tube is open to the water when the cap is unscrewed?

I guess you have not had any urinary track problems with the water and critters coming in yet?

loanwolf wrote: So you removed the mushroom valve so the tube is open to the water when the cap is unscrewed?

I guess you have not had any urinary track problems with the water and critters coming in yet?

People swim in Puget Sound all they time without routine infections. Not all p valves even have mushroom valves anyway and as Spatty discovered, they don't always work. People tend to get UTIs from bugs growing in a poorly draining hose, and the valves actually created crevices for gunk to collected and fester. My hose is flushed clean constantly + drains & dries completely when the suit's in the garage. So after 8 years and maybe 500 plumbed dives without a UTI, almost never even rinsing the hose with alcohol or vinegar, I must be doing something ok.

Cool

Some friends and myself have had issues before. Sometimes the cathador will hold the urethra open so water can get in is what we have had happen. Glad to here you have not had that unpleasantness yet.

CaptnJack wrote:... So after 8 years and maybe 500 plumbed dives without a UTI

You best knock on some wood bro.. dont jinx yourself now!

Agreed, straight trough is simplest and easiest..

I kinda like the one valve in there as a critter barrier and squirt 50/50 of vinegar and Alcohol in there with a food grade squeeze bottle (ketchup squeeze bottle) to make sure its operating and not plugged before every dive.. and that disinfects it too. Have also never had an issue in the past 2 years.

kdupreez wrote:

CaptnJack wrote:... So after 8 years and maybe 500 plumbed dives without a UTI

You best knock on some wood bro.. dont jinx yourself now!

Hey now I'm at work, no wood here to be knocking on