Aerox sticky valve

I have the Aerox oxygen tank with the oxysaver cannulas. I've had problems with the little ball sticking at the base of the indicator reservoir, effectively occluding the flow of oxygen. This has happened with both of my cannulas, so I suspect that this is a common problem. I just got off the phone with a gentleman at Aerox who told me he had heard of this happening "once or twice." He said that debris or moisture could cause this to happen and offered to inspect them if I would return them. If you have this system, I would suggest a careful preflight inspection to determine that this valve is operational, especially if you plan to be at an altitude where oxygen is essential. Storing the cannula upside down, so that the ball is not wedged into the base might also be a good idea.

Aerox flow indicator

Also remember to put the valve (and floating ball) somewhere you can see it in flight. It is a visual check that oxygen is indeed flowing. Very foolproof and simple. If it is stuck, tap it. When upright, the flow will keep the ball from settling back down. That is as intended....

flightlogic said:

If it is stuck, tap it.

Click to expand...

The problem is, tapping it repeatedly often will not unstick the ball from the base of the reservoir. It took a good 15 minutes to get the thing unstuck on my last flight. It may be simple, but it's not foolproof.