Stearns Recreational 4430 - Manual (Page 5)

5
2. Examine the inflation mechanism status indicators.
The indicator will tell you if the inflation mechanism is properly
ARMED/REARMED and ready for activation. If the indicator shows
RED, the mechanism is not ready to fire, and you must rearm the
mechanism to set the indicator to GREEN. Refer to rearming
instructions on Pages 11 and 12, and on the PFD chamber.
3. Examine Your CO
2
Cylinder
The CO
2
cylinder contains the gas charge that will inflate your
PFD when the inflation mechanism is fired. You must verify that
the CO
2
cylinder installed is of the correct size and has not been
previously fired. There are no indicators to show that the CO
2
cylinder is full. See the Product Specifications section on Page 2
of this manual for the proper size cylinder. The size includes both
thread size and gram weight. To examine the cylinder, you must
unscrew it and visually examine the flat surface of the threaded
end. If the cylinder cap is punctured or damaged in any way,
discard it and install a new, undamaged cylinder in the
mechanism. If the cylinder is OK, you must properly screw it back
into the mechanism.
4. Cylinder Tightness
When screwing the cylinder back into the PFD, make sure it is
snug. Over tightening can damage the inflator seal, but if not
snug the cylinder can unscrew during use and may leak or not be
punctured when the “Jerk to Inflate” lanyard is pulled.
Additional Notes on CO
2
Cylinders :
a. FAILURE to properly rearm the inflation mechanism prior to
installing the CO
2
cylinder will result in a premature activation
of the cylinder. Follow the rearming steps exactly. See Pages
11 and 12.
b. CO
2
cylinders are good for o n e inflation and cannot be
recharged.
c. CO
2
cylinders are made with a protective coating that may
wear off after a period of use or exposure to the environment.
When this coating is worn off, the CO
2
cylinder may start to
show some signs of rusting. If this occurs, replace the CO
2
cylinder.
d. If a gram scale (such as postal scale) is available, it is
recommended to weigh the cylinder to verify that it meets the
minimum weight listed on the cylinder.