Dissolving duckbills

[time2dive]

I just opened up two of my regulators for service and found that in both of them the duckbills had dissolved into a gooey mess. They both rotted where the hose meets the can. I washed them in soapy water after diving and rinsed them with fresh water after that. Any suggestions? Anyone had a similar problem?

Tim

[1969ivan1]

how old were they and were they from VDH or NOS? I have seen some orig ones melt like that, but thwere was no telling how old they were.

[time2dive]

The dissolving duckbills were less than 3 months old. I got them from VSS.
Now I will have to get some new ones as well as a couple of spares.

Tim

[Nemrod]

Duckbills are fragile. They were always considered an item to replace very regular. The new ones from VSS and VDH have not given me a problem but I have had the old NOS ones get sticky. Remember the flakey diaphram I reported on, well, it was sticky. I think it could be a bacterial action from leaving the rubber wet. If you do not dive regular, consider removing them and drying them and then putting talc on them--real talc. The scented talc can damage them--did you use scented talc on them--did ya???? it will make them go bye bye. Use only pure talc.

This is not a recomendation, I have been spraying mine with 100% food grade silicone and letting them dry. The put them in a bag with pure talc and shake them and then put them away. Of course, some, I just leave in the regulators and so far so good with this set.

James

[Bryan]

I have seen this occur in the original duckbills but have never heard of it happening to any of the ones I have reproduced.
Typically a good freshwater rinse, drying and some 100% pure unscented talc should preserve them for a long long time.
I know many divers take theirs out after the season, apply talc and put them in a dry place out of the sunlight.
I try to send a small 2cc bottle of unscented talc when you order duckbills from me......I'm sure some of you have several of them! That little bottle should be plenty for a couple of regulators for the season.

You can find 100% pure unscented talc at billiard supply houses.

[Turtleguy9]

I just opened up two of my regulators for service and found that in both of them the duckbills had dissolved into a gooey mess. They both rotted where the hose meets the can. I washed them in soapy water after diving and rinsed them with fresh water after that. Any suggestions? Anyone had a similar problem?

Tim

Aloha
I have had the same problem. I thought it might be a reaction with the new yellow hoses I was using. Ha, perhaps its the warm Hawaii salt water.
Turtleguy9

[treasureman]

I have foiund the duckbill part between the horn and the hose is where it seems to get soft and mushy.

Is there a prescribed method of removing them so they dont tear out?

[JES]

I've had the same problem (in the same location) as well.

I guess that I'll need to start pulling the duckbills out and using the unscented talc like Bryan suggests.

[oldmossback]

I placed this suggested remendy on the other web site, but will offer it here also.

I discovered, messing around with my dacor's, that obtaining a thin English racer bicycle type innertube and cutting approx. 2.25 inchs piece and slipping that down the exhaust horn, caring not to go past the horn into the diaphgram/exhaust chamber and rolling the rest of the innertube over the outside of the horn makes a great foundation for the exhaust duckbill. Just powder up the duckbill, slip in the horn/innertube as normal practice. Makes a great seal, and all you loose is the innertube when doing a major cleaning.

I discovered this when I tried to put a USD hose on a Dacor horn. The Dacor horn is slightly smaller. I used the innertube to make up the difference and discovered that the duckbill does not stick any more.