Why Regulators Freeze - Scuba Tech Tips: S16E19

Some divers believe they can buy a regulator that will never freeze and free-flow, wrong! Alec explains why any regulator can freeze and simple ways to minimize it happening.
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[@ergo1291]

As always, thanks Alec for a wonderful and simple explanation to an important topic for everyone diving in cold environments 👏

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

Glad you enjoyed it! A

[@diverdave4056]

my oh my ... my Dacor Pacer 900 with the anti freeze kit from 1979 , never ever freezes up and I was very very lucky to find the address of Aqua Man in Canada . he was able to tune it up for me a few years ago and it is still working Perfect today !

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

Hello and glad to know it's still works and being used. Keep it safe, not may as good as that still in use. A

[@ericvadekro8334]

Well explained!

[@jacquespoirier9071]

very well explained the same adiabatic temperature drop happens in summer in wam water, the only difference is that the surrounding water brings enough heat ( BTU ) to avoid a temperature drop sufficiently to promote freezing. It happened to me that a continuously cycling pneumatic froze in a summer temperaturee ( a crust of ice at the exterior of the caps and of course, channels completely blocked ). What I done is to install aluminum wings at the caps to pick up heat to the surrounding air. that solved the provlem but the cylinder remained cold but not to freezing point. As you say, the only variant that can change things is the dryness of the air contained in your tank. very good topic very good video

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

That's an interesting situation and fix. Good to know. A

[@andreasbrandstetter9221]

i live in austria and in winter we regularly dive in 5C Water. Absolutly normal and standard here to dive with 2 first und 2 second stages. Simply a cold water setup.

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

That's a smart setup. Thanks for sharing. A

[@skippy99999999]

You're a good man. Thank you and Kevin!

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

We both appreciate that. Thanks for watching. A

[@paulbaratta1566]

Another easy to understand video. Thanks and Happy New Year

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

Glad it was helpful! A

[@user-ih4lk4di6q]

Hi Alec, I love the scuba tech tips and watched a lot of then. Till now I use only one first stage. But because redundancy is nice and I want to start with ice diving, I think about buying a second reg (1. + 2. stage). In your clips I could find hints what a reg could have (e.g. sealed is not a bad idea) but no requirements or no goes. Maybe any recommendations about some regs, which work for ice diving not to bad? Thanks

[@HWill-iq9sl]

My partner free flow in saltwater in Mexico he gave me the wrong sign for my second stage obviously it was free flowing great reminder of a conversation

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

That should be worth free drinks for the rest of the trip. A

[@muratakay100]

Thank you for another great video Alec! What’s your take on piston vs diaphragm regulators regarding cold water diving? Even if diaphragm generally seems to be considered less likely prone to freezing, modern Scubapro/Halcyon piston regulators are still very popular here in Sweden among tech divers where we dive 1 degree celsius centigrade waters all the time in the winter.

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

Both will work In cold water, it becomes a matter of preference and gear setup and training. A

[@pricediver]

Happy new year! Can you give some advice on CCRs?

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

Will add it to my ideas list. Thanks for watching. A

[@peterjulianphotos4659]

Good reason to get the driest fill you can find AND some clever cookie needs to use a CNC machine to create a screw in copper heatsink which would provide proper thermal conduction for the first stage. Ideally you could have a HP and an LP Port heat sink and they would use the environmental temperature gradient to avoid first stage freezing.

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

Sounds great but I'm only warm/very warm water diver with these old bones. A

[@richardstratford9419]

I just grab my Poseidon Cyclon and off I GO!

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

Have fun in that cold water. A

[@benheckendorn2696]

I just wonder, here in Switzerland you must have two 1st stages, if it's cold, because of free flow, but I just wonder, how could a secound 1st stage help, yes I may could keep breathing, but the free flow keep going on, so the dive is over. 😯 Sure I could close the tank valve, but so I wouldn't get any air. This is why I would like to know, is there any other benefit, having two 1 st stages, exept ending the dive without free flowing 2nd stage?

[@toadou8127]

To fit two first stages on one cylinder, you need either twin valve or H-valve. Both valves have separate knobs able to turn off individually. One should practice "valve drills", with this configuration , like the twinset divers with manifolds do.

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

The reply from @toadou8127 is right. It is a special configuration that requires regular practice. A

[@benheckendorn2696]

​@@toadou8127 well my tank and all which are available in Switzerland has twin ports to add a secound 1st stage but just one velve. So to be honest to use two sets of 1st and 2 stages are quite useless. 😯

[@giulian0o]

Can you breathe from a frozen, free flowing regulator or will it freeze your mouth and lungs?

[@jensbolte9185]

Yes you can but it not very comfortable and you loose a lot of air. You can simulate a free flowing regulator by pressing the purge button. Try breathing from it. Hold it in front of your mouth and try catching/breathing from the flow of gas.

[@giulian0o]

⁠@@jensbolte9185 yes but I presume that as the temperature of the air keeps going down while the reg is free flowing, at some point it will not be safe to breathe it anymore

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

You can breathe, it's cold air, but won't freeze your lips or lungs because as soon as it happens, dive over, grab buddy and ascent at normal speed plus safety stop. The short video clip shown was Kevin's buddy's free flow at 100', 53F in August after his buddy was breathing super hard and fast. He said that ascended together and passed through two warmer thermoclines going up. At the surface he shut off the tank air. It can happened to anyone anytime. A

[@jensbolte9185]

@@giulian0o No, it does not get so cold. The pressure difference determines the temperature. The greatest drop in temperature is around 180 bar. Then the temperature rises again. Look up Joule Thompson diving.

[@ChrisD624]

Isn’t it dangerous to make your first inhale underwater without testing the regulators first?

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

In normal dives you should test the reg before diving but in ice diving, that one breath from the reg in very cold air (below freezing), can begin the process of free flow. Also in ice diving you are roped to the surface, one divers goes under and takes the first breath u/w. then tugs the line for OK. Second diver descends the same way. Special procedures for ice diving only. A

[@ChrisD624]

@@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter Thanks for the reply. That makes sense as I had forgotten the diver is tied to a rope, etc.

[@toriless]

I already use Blue Driver

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

Good to know. A

[@toriless]

Always below 40 F here

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

I've see free flows it fresh water above 50F, high exertion, overdue service and other factors. The free flow clip was Kevin's dive buddy going to the Arabia, total dive time, 6 minutes. A