wrote in message
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Another disagreement my wife and I have is over servicing the
SOSpender inflatable lifejackets we all wear. When we bought them
years ago, the directions said to replace the cartridge every 3 yrs or
so (she insists it was every year). We did this for awhile having the
kids jump in the water every year to get em used to them inflating.
After awhile, it occurred to me that this said nothing about whether
they would work and replacing the arming device did nothing either.
There is no way tell if a cartridge is good short of taking it out and
examining it (which I do) and if the auto-inflate gadget with
dissolvable thing has already dissolved, it woulda inflated. So, I
see no reason to do anything more than simply inspect them. She
insists on replacing the cartridge and auto-inflate dissolving thing.
At roughly $14 each times 5 units gives $75 which seems like a waste
other than the experience of having them inflate to see what it feels
like. Thoughts?


You don't have to replace the CO2 cartridge unless it's either obviously
damaged or corroded. If you're unsure, you could weigh it or just replace it
(might as well be careful). You should inspect the pill that's supposed to
melt when it contacts H2O frequently. It should be replaced every year (and
it's very inexpensive to do so) at a minimum and definitely if is other than
perfect looking. You can test the PFD's ability to float by removing the
pill and manually inflating the vest. Put it under a couch cushion
overnight. If it's still inflated, the PFD is fine.



--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com