Disinfection Frequency

[oya]

As it so often does, it starts with laziness.

I just wasn't in the mood to go through ALLL the trouble of dissolving a couple of tablets in some water. So I just rinsed the loop hoses and CLs with tap water and hung them to dry. I was a little surprised to have not gotten a horking cough.

Now, for the past few months, that's been my habit. I haven't disinfected for... a while. I don't remember. March, maybe.

During trips I've been breaking down, rinsing, and drying each night. But I'm guessing that's going to be the next boundary pushed and just leaving the whole thing together until the end of a week's diving. THEN rinsing it with tap water and hanging it to dry.

So the question is: how long until I do get a chest infection and have to pop open one of the bottles of Mexican amoxicillin?

 

[Captain Starfish]

I'm pretty religious about at least rinsing the loop and lungs each day when the facilities are there to do it. I figure if it doesn't get the chance to start, it shouldn't need any more. Sterilise once every few months, when it starts to taste a bit funny or when the loop has bad breath worse than my own.

That said, it's pretty dry here or pretty cold depending on the time of year - so mold is generally not a big issue anyway where I live. In the tropics I'd be sterilising weekly at a minimum.

 

[Michael Thornton]

You will get a wide variety of answers here. But as with most good questions "It Depends" if you are somewhere that dries quickly that will help, also how nasty did it get, was it just wet or did it get gunk in there. Not getting sick one day doesn't mean you won't get sick the next day. It's like a cereal bowl. You could probably get away with just cleaning it with water for a long time especially if you do it right after you finish using it before the old cereal hardens onto it. Eventually you will want to wash it for real.


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[SoCalCCR]

Typical for me is a single day of diving here in Southern California, 2 to 3 dives for the day. Then, it's come home at the end of the day, and a stringent fresh water rinse, then dry. Besides the rebreather, there's also a DSLR camera rig to meticulously rinse, dis-assemble, as well. I will then sterilize the pertinent components in the next day or 2. I do this everytime.

 

[Ben Field]

I voted rinse each night because you didn't give the option of- Empty lung butter every diver, rinse with every sorb change and disinfect at every full breakdown, be that after the trip or after 2-3 short trips or if a long gap between dives is due.

Should be noted that in Northern Europe we can probably disinfect less as the temp inhibits bug growth that would eat your unit/lungs in the tropics!


A biologist CCR diving friend never disinfects but insists on properly drying the loop- says that's all that necessary... I'll stick to abit of disinfectant as I suspect getting the loop "properly" dry in UK is almost impossible

 

[Captain Starfish]

For me, emptying lung butter between two dives on a boat is a no-no. Once I've done my build checks including +ve and -ve, I strongly prefer to maintain the loop integrity until I can get it home, break it down and so on without being on a pitching boat with crap everywhere. For a day out on the boat, if I start with fresh sorb and full tanks, I hit my CNS limit for the day at the same(ish) time as my gas levels get iffy at the same time as my sorb is done. So it works out pretty nicely.

 

[wedivebc]

the problem with your poll is it does not allow multiple choices so I didn't cast a vote but I rinse after a day of diving, I disinfect after a trip or if I know I won't be using the rebreather again for a couple weeks after a day of diving.

 

[matt]

This is pretty simple - is depends on your level of risk taking. I go with that nothing bad will happen during a trip when everything is wet and in use. I have no clue about afterwards - but I notice if I leave a pot of tea on the side it grows mould. So I clean the unit after every trip before I put it away.

If I dived everyday I would do it weekly.

I'd rather not have a lung infection for the sake of 5p's worth of Chemgene and 20 mins waiting time.

Matt.

 

[DSix36]

My belief is that it really depends on how dry your loop will get. When I was diving an Optima the lungs would still have moisture after a week of hanging so they got disinfected after every dive. When I moved to the rEvo the lungs dried completely in just a couple of hours and I have gotten real lazy about disinfecting.

This does NOT mean it is a good example to follow since when I did my mushroom valve check during my build for this weekends dive, I noticed a not no nice taste and smell from the loop hoses again. 2 days after the dive I was sick for 3 days and ruined the rest of my long weekend.

Disinfect or take your chances.

 

[PeterN]

For the past couple of years I have not bothered to treat my loop with anything but lots of warm water. However, a few days ago I decided to service my dsv. It was rather scuzzy in there!

So I am thinking of a new strategy. I am going to try to fix up some way of drying out my loop. Also, I think I may begin rincing it when I assemble it. As this is usually the night before diving, I expect that the mildly chlorinated water here will do what I need done.

I am no quite sure how to dry my loop, but I expect that some arrangement of pumps and levers should suffice.

Peter

 

[Vanny]

I answered "after a trip". This is true or after a few one off days. With the inspo BMCL they don't ever seem to dry out completely which I don't like a lot. The hoses I'm quite fastidious about drying, usually removing the DSV following a wash so they all dry completely. If not they remain damp forever. I spoke to AP about it and they suggested re disinfecting if the unit stood too long.

 

[Jeff Pack]

For the past couple of years I have not bothered to treat my loop with anything but lots of warm water. However, a few days ago I decided to service my dsv. It was rather scuzzy in there!

So I am thinking of a new strategy. I am going to try to fix up some way of drying out my loop. Also, I think I may begin rincing it when I assemble it. As this is usually the night before diving, I expect that the mildly chlorinated water here will do what I need done.

I am no quite sure how to dry my loop, but I expect that some arrangement of pumps and levers should suffice.

Peter

I've been thinking to use a Peets boot drier for the meg loop, the slight heat output plumbed into the counterlung connection.

 

[Mr.Dave]

Never used disinfectant - I strip my Meg, dunk all bits in my pool (lucky git I know) then hang out to dry Always hot out here in the Med.

 

[Dave1w]

I'll disinfect after every trip, before I put it away. On things like the JJ and Inspo, it's not nice to eventually take the hoses off the mouthpiece and find nasty gunk in there, as they don't dry too easily, so just rinsing isn't a good idea I think. If I've had a bit of a gurgle., I'll take off the breathing hose between dives and drain it, or after pretty long dives I'll rinse the hoses between dives.


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[Andy Del]

Start with a clean loop - it is sterile to you and your germs. You have them anyways.

Rinse with water and let dry, none of your lovelies are going to survive.

Repeat. 10, 11 (?) years of diving CCR like this and never an issue.

cheers

Andy

 

[Aaen]

I tend to follow the rinse after use group sterilize once a month or so, and I completely break it down and take the giant pipe cleaners and disinfectant to the loop and lungs to get that puppy clean. I'm pretty anal about my gear being clean.

I'd like to have a fan or something I can attach to my t-pieces though to blow air into the loop/lungs to facilitate drying. Instead of the old stuff paper towel or cloth I to the lungs to absorb the water.


Regards

Steve