Dry suit exhaust valve

[json]

Anyone on here have any experience with si-tech. Dump valves? Don't know if i should clean rebuild or replace my valve. My suit will keep a fairly large bubble in my suit during accent. I keep mine set all the way open and only use air to ward of the squeeze. It will only exhaust a little bit of air until I break surface then all the air is exhausted. Any gear techs got any words of advice?

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[fmerkel]

Doesn't sound normal. Mine if anything is too sensitive, which seems to be the norm. I need to crank it down a smidgen to keep it from leaking, also the norm.
Take it out, soak in hot water for awhile, and see if it's better.
You should be able to blow out through it easily (literally-stick it in your mouth) when fully open (unscrewed) and not be able to suck back at all.
As you crank it down (screw it more closed) blowing out should get harder and harder until you can't do it anymore and need to press it open to relieve the pressure, just like underwater.

[json]

I will try that.

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[CaptnJack]

They are not really servicable (I have never seen a parts kit), when they crap out the best thing is just to replace it. Bob Thiry has the Sitec's. Despite the old skool website he's a recommended source for stuff like this
http://comdive.com/parts.html

[renoun]

There's a good photo-essay and set of instructions for servicing exhaust valves on Dive Matrix, if somebody else doesn't link to it I'll find it when I'm not posting from my phone. They can be disassembled and cleaning out crud/salt can be helpful.

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[LCF]

http://www.divematrix.com/showthread.ph ... ght=SiTech

I've been able to salvage the ones that won't dump. It's the ones that begin to leak worse and worse that aren't worth taking apart. I think the spring fatigues. Bob Thiery is definitely the man when it comes to buying them.

[Bric Martin]

http://www.divematrix.com/showthread.ph ... ght=SiTech

Very cool, that is one of the best DIY demos I have seen! Now you need to do one for the intake valve.

[json]

http://www.divematrix.com/showthread.ph ... ght=SiTech

I've been able to salvage the ones that won't dump. It's the ones that begin to leak worse and worse that aren't worth taking apart. I think the spring fatigues. Bob Thiery is definitely the man when it comes to buying them.

Great instructions. I cleaned it out so lets see how it works next dive. If it still acts up guess its time to replace it. Out of curiosity what is the average life spans? My is at about 200 dives.

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[renoun]

Here is the link to the DMX thread on servicing the inflator valves, they are much easier to service.

http://www.divematrix.com/showthread.ph ... isassembly

[CaptnJack]

http://www.divematrix.com/showthread.ph ... ght=SiTech

I've been able to salvage the ones that won't dump. It's the ones that begin to leak worse and worse that aren't worth taking apart. I think the spring fatigues. Bob Thiery is definitely the man when it comes to buying them.

Great instructions. I cleaned it out so lets see how it works next dive. If it still acts up guess its time to replace it. Out of curiosity what is the average life spans? My is at about 200 dives.

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<200 dives :p

[LCF]

Interestingly, mine have probably gotten about 200 dives or so. Bob Thiery says he's had them go ten years without needing replacement. I think Cove 2 eats plastic parts.

[json]

Everything looked OK on the inside hopefully I get another 200 our or it

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[fmerkel]

Mine, and my wife's, are 8+ old with 500-700+ dives and they work fine. They both had an incident when we got knocked down by a tanker wave we didn't see coming while exiting an other wise calm night dive. We got washed in surf awhile and they got completely graveled up. Couldn't even turn them. Once pulled apart and rinsed they were fine. Preetty stout gear in my book.

I have bigger problems with the inlet getting sticky. I wish they wouldn't put the hex key under the sticker and that stupid monster nut is really hard to get hold of. Otherwise they are easy to service. Looking at the link above there appear to be variations on the construction. The one in the link is much easier.

[diverden]

I have bigger problems with the inlet getting sticky. I wish they wouldn't put the hex key under the sticker and that stupid monster nut is really hard to get hold of.

DMX has a thread about that too. I unscrewed the lp hose connection and put 4-5 drops of seal saver in there and worked it in with the button. Miraculous results!

[DFessler]

Sometimes, its not the valve at all, but the undergarment getting sucked up into the valve opening. Although some of these valves have guards they don't always work well, especially with loose stuffing undergarments like the Weasel and certain fleeces. I've seen divers do different things. Some wrap duct tape around the arm of the undergarment where the valve is (loosely of course). I have seen others make plastic discs and glue them to the exhaust valve underside. Just a few ideas if in fact it might be that.

[Lonestar]

+++++ On Bob