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It sounds like you got a little misinformation. Old burst discs had fusible
lead fillers, that fragmented when the disc blew. These are no longer "legal"
(more accurately, they don't meet CGA standards). Modern burst valves have a
frangible bronze disc, which pops without shooting shrapnel all over. So the
problem with your valve was a function of the burst disc, not the reserve
mechanism. Those discs are modular and replaceable. Just put a modern disc in
the J valve and it will be safe.
Unfortunately, kids who work in snorkel shops sometimes assume that because a
piece of gear is old and obsolete, it is automatically "unsafe".
Most people use their old J valves with the reserve down (disabled). If you are
using it on a pony without a SPG, you "may" want to use the reserve, but the
pros and cons of that are arguable.
By the way, it is called a J valve because in an early US Divers catalog it was
item "J" on the page. K valves were item "K". The catalog has changed, of
course, but the names stuck.
Andy Cohen
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
This may not be at all relevant but I recently had to retire a J
valve on my old steel 72 because the shop servicing it refused to
fill the tank with that valve on it. Reason being there were some
metal plugs or something in the little holes coming out of the burst
disk. Apparently if the disk blows these fragments are shot around
the room and can cause injury.
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