Need To Flush Out Pressure Regulator

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I picked this regulator up at a surplus store decades ago and it has served me well over the years.


Two days ago I accidentally introduced water into the regulator. I ran air through it afterwards trying to dry it out but it still has water inside. What is the best way to dry it up? I don't want to take it apart since I don't have any replacement gaskets/o-rings. WD40 might affect rubber parts/ diaphragm inside. How effective would it be to run some rubbing alcohol through the regulator? Would that get rid of the water and not damage internal components?
 
Happened to me before, I simply cranked it all the way open to ensure that the valve stem was open in the pressure chamber. Stuck it in a gallon sized ziplock with a few heaping handfuls of dried rice for a few days. Haven't had a problem since.
 
Put it in a fan forced oven for a couple of hours on the lowest setting. Rice is barely a dessicant. If you really want to do that get some dry-rite or calcium chloride.

Personally I'd just open it up. They are not complex and they don't use one-time gaskets or seals. Pop it open, dry it out and put it back together again.
 
I took it apart, cleaned it up and dried it. There was quite a bit of moisture inside and it would have rusted up the steel components had it been left inside. The chamber above the diaphragm communicates with the rest of the body through a tiny hole and neither dessicants, warm ovens or hot sunshine would have removed the moisture in there.

I am glad I took Brad_C's advice and not punisher's. If you replace tools and equipment frequently then some rust is not a big issue but I like keep existing stuff working for a long time and not have to replace them.
 
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