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Finally figured out a better way to clear silt from a lift bag valve

Been fighting with slow inflate issues on my lift bags for months. Tried a quick blast of compressed air from a small tank before each dive last week and it cleared the silt right out. Has anyone else found a faster fix for this?
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3 Comments
grantw32
grantw323d ago
...actually, compressed air can push grit deeper into the valve seals if you're not careful. I learned that the hard way when my bag started leaking during a recovery job. A soft rinse with fresh water and a gentle tap on the valve usually works better for me.
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drew_reed62
Fair point, that actually makes a lot of sense.
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patricialee
Got a question about that, @drew_reed62 have you ever tried using a tiny squirt bottle instead of compressed air? I've found that even a gentle tap can sometimes leave grit sitting in there if the valve is really clogged. A few quick bursts from a syringe or a small spray bottle with fresh water seems to clear it out without pushing anything deeper into the seals. Your mileage may vary, but that method saved me from a messy cleanup on a bag that was half-full of fine dust. Just take care to let it dry fully before you close everything back up.
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