I - General Operation
II - SCUBA Breather limitations
III - Safety rules
IV - Maintenance
V - Warning labels
General Operation
I - Find a suitable location for the SCUBA Breather; this should be a
very easy task. Any location near the dive site where the unit is out
of the way as a tripping hazard is suitable. Once a good flat stable
location is found, it is VERY unlikely the unit will get dragged into
the water, as the unit weighs 57 lbs. However, steps should be
taken to assure that the unit does not get dragged into the water
by pulling on the regulator pressure line or tripping over the unit.
Tying the container to a post or unmovable object is recommended.
The storage container lid must be kept open anytime the unit is
in operation. With the lid closed, the compressor may overheat because of a lack of air circulation.
II - The units run on standard 120 volt AC power. Once the unit power is established, simply turn the switch to AUTO. The compressor will start, and you will see the pressure increase immediately by observing the pressure gauge – once the pressure reaches 20 psi (which takes just seconds), the unit is ready for operation. The SCUBA breather will pump up and automatically shut off – it will restart automatically when the pressure drops to a preset setpoint.
Breathe freely through the regulator as normally as possible. The SCUBA Breather regulator will function exactly as a true SCUBA unit regulator. On your inhalations you will experience breathing clean, dry, tasteless air. There is no time limit while underwater with the SCUBA Breather; you could literally breathe underwater all day. The unit will continue to supply breathing quality air continuously.
Using a good quality industrial style 14 gauge extension cord not exceeding 100 feet, for getting the power to the unit is totally acceptable.
IF IN DOUBT - CALL US UP -
WE WILL WALK YOU THROUGH THE ENTIRE PROCESS
III - Transporting
The SCUBA Breather unit weighs
57 lbs., and can usually be lifted by one person.
Leveling: The SCUBA Breather can operate in ANY un-level
or sideways situation. The only position the unit should not be
placed in is upside down - this is to assure good air
circulation. Care should be taken that it is not placed
on such an incline that it moves or slips.
Pre-operation - A trained SCUBA diver knows the value of
testing their regulator before jumping in the water; this is
especially true if your diving into the ocean or lake from
a boat. Take a few good deep breaths to verify that
you are getting a nice flow of air -
if you are, everything is working properly.
SCUBA Breather limitations
The SCUBA Breather is not meant for deep diving. In practically, the
dive units are good for approximately 40 feet deep, and the Dual Unit
SCUBA Breather is good to approximately 40 feet for 1 diver or 25 feet
for 2 divers each. As a diver descends deeper than this, he/she will
experience more labored breathing. This is the indication that the unit is reaching
its operational limit. If a diver is underwater and experiences labored
breathing he/she should re-ascend a few feet until breathing becomes
more comfortable. The SCUBA Breather is extremely dependable and malfunctions are rare, however continued labored breathing may also indicate that the unit has malfunctioned or the power has bee shut off. The diver should then start to make his/her way back to the surface to investigate the problem.
Safety rules
- Underwater diving with the SCUBA Breather or ANY underwater breathing apparatus is a combination of common sense, staying alert, and understanding how this instrument works
and its limitations.
- Keep the lid open when in operation. Close lid when not in use.
- Do not under any circumstance, cut or remove the ground prong from the power cord.
- Do not modify the compressor, regulator, or pressure switch.
- Children should be monitored by an adult in the beginning. However, after seeing how simple the SCUBA breather is to use, constant attention may not be necessary.
Caution!
Do not run the SCUBA Breather with a gasoline or diesel engine operating in close proximity to the unit. Carbon Monoxide inhalation is indeed the greatest hazard when using any kind of breathing air devise. An automobile running next-door will not pose any kind of problem that is meant here. Using a gasoline or diesel generator, with its exhaust upwind and just a few feet away from the SCUBA Breather IS a potential hazard. Carbon Monoxide gas can NOT be filtered out.
Avoid any diving system which utilizes a gasoline engine to run a compressor!
IV - Maintenance
There is not much that needs to be done with the SCUBA Breather after a dive in fresh clean water. - After each dive, turn the machine OFF, shake out any water from the regulator, remove the hose(s) from the unit by using the quick disconnect fittings, and close the lid. Everything will be ready to go for the next dive! After diving in salt water, a gentle rinse with fresh water on the regulator only is recommended.
- Draining out condensate from the storage tank - after each 10 hours of use, or every few weeks, drain the condensate that may have collected in the tank by pressuring the system with air, then opening the condensate drain valve on the steel tank. If there is any water in the tank you will observe it draining out through the clear plastic tube. The condensate drain valve has a tube which extends to the bottom of the steel tank to drain out the liquid.
- Long term storage after a season of use - drain condensate from the tank. Attach the hose(s), start the unit, open the isolation valve(s), and let run for 1 hour with the regulator purge button depressed. The flowing air will evaporate this evaporate all condensate and moisture from the entire system. This will assure that mold does not develop in the manifold, tank, and regulator hose while being stored for the winter. Store unit, hoses and regulator in a warm environment.
- Filter element - replace the filter element every 2 seasons. Filter elements are available through us.
- Oiling the units is never needed or recommended.
Breathing air underwater is nothing new, and attempts to breathe air underwater
go back to the seventeen hundreds. However, it was expensive and hazardous.
Now, the ability to breathe underwater is easy, safe, and inexpensive and
no equipment is carried on the back of the diver .
The SCUBA Breather underwater breathing system, uses a high quality, industrial
medical grade air compressor to pump compressed air through a flexible hose to a
SCUBA regulator. This allows the diver to breathe clean air just as if he/she
was breathing through standard SCUBA equipment with a tank – but at a
fraction of the cost.
The SCUBA Breather provides a continuous inexhaustible supply of air, unlike
the standard SCUBA tank which has a finite amount of air – then it’s back to the SCUBA shop to get it refilled! This indeed is a major time consuming complication that standard SCUBA equipment is faced with .
Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus (SCUBA with air tanks) is expensive, complicated, and exceedingly bulky. The air tanks used must be brought to specialized refilling stations to be refilled with pressurized air after 1 hour of use. To get SCUBA tanks refilled at the refilling station requires one to have a SCUBA CERTIFICATION.
The SCUBA Breather was meant to sit outside the water while in operation, e.g. on a swimming pool deck, inside a boat, or on a raft. The container with its components was not meant to be directly floated in water. Holes drilled in the bottom of the container are for the purpose to prevent the container from filling up with water if the container lid was inadvertently left open during a rain. Actually, our prototype unit went through rigorous testing and was deliberately left out to get rained on. After a good dry-out, the unit started and operated perfectly – this feature however is not part of the units consumer guarantee, it was only part of the testing.
Using a raft to float the SCUBA Breather is an excellent way to use the device - there are many good rafts on the market that are perfect for holding the SCUBA Breather unit and a small portable generator to power it up.
