"disposable regulators" vs servicing?

[DrWilliam]

After paying for recent (and a couple in the past) service cycles on my 12 year old Atomic Z2x regulators...

Well, after the parts and labor costs (~$450 for my wife's and mine's), I am considering just buying brand new DGX Gears XTRA Streamlines OW reg packages (that include new hoses for $549) every 3 years and selling the old regs every 3 years on EBay . Anyone else taken this approach rather than paying for servicing? I'm having a hard time seeing how this isn't a better route honestly.

 

[rick00001967]

someone is using their head.
it often can be less expensive to do exactly what you are describing rather than continuously paying for servicing. just be very careful when you buy so you know when you are getting a great deal and know you will be able to resell easily.
the other solution for many is to learn how to service your own regs. but that only works with certain types as sometimes you cannot buy parts over the counter.

 

[DrWilliam]

I've heard mixed info on servicing your own. We tend to do ~max 80 dives per service cycle (~2-3 years) and I understand servicing, while somewhat straight forward, isn't exactly a super simple DIY.

 

[Jersey1971]

If you buy DGX, you can get service kits at a very good price. Given the number of regs you’re maintaining, rsingler’s course and tools will pay for themselves very quickly. Servicing isn’t that hard and is kind of fun. Plus, you’ll be able to easily do repairs and adjustments on your regs with your newly acquired skills and tools.

 

[DrWilliam]

Follow up question is, with the smaller dive numbers we do, usually clustered on liveaboards where gear is meticulously cleaned and stored, what is honestly a reasonable "stretched" service interval?

 

[Jersey1971]

I've heard mixed info on servicing your own. We tend to do ~max 80 dives per service cycle (~2-3 years) and I understand servicing, while somewhat straight forward, isn't exactly a super simple DIY.

Someone on another thread made the point that if you can assemble ikea furniture after a bottle of wine, you can service regs.

Maybe half a bottle.

Also, there’s an element of care in removing o rings without scratching the metal. We saw some horror stories of the hamhandedness of professional servicers (I.e., took a seminar at DEMA). I’d rather service my own and know that I was meticulous about pick technique and torque specs.

 

[Johnoly]

I do that on my pony bottle reg. Very often in September I can find NEW regs that a shop needs to sell for one reason or another. It's 2 years on the shelf, an Open box, Overstock, expired warranty period etc etc. But most of the time its the color, like green o2, red,pink yellow and it just isn't selling. I don't care if the reg breathes like junk, I just need a locked up IP and brand new and I'll buy it. My pony isn't for extending a dive, it's only for getting me from 95ft to the surface s.l.o.w.l.y & a safely stop. Plus sometimes I buy 2 of them if it's a good brand. I usually pay in the neighborhood of $125. Then when my current pony reg's IP starts touching 160psi & creeping, I'll literally just throw it in the trash can and install the new old stock reg. On the other hand, my work horse every dive main reg is an Atomic B2 and it gets rebuilt by people I trust as soon as I start to get some 'creep'. All my regs get an IP checked every quarter and at the same time, I pull the valves on my tanks, drop a light, to look inside for water/rust/problems. I try to catch problems before they try to kill me.

 

[DrWilliam]

This forum is so great. You've already convinced me to take up a new hobby of servicing my own and learning more in the process.

 

[DrWilliam]

Can you give a quick and basic response on what checking the IP entails and what is IP creep? I really do appreciate all I learn on this forum.

 

[Bigbella]

Only buy brands that allow for DIY. Take @rsingler('s) online course; get a few elementary tools, some of which you probably already possess.

Once you learn to do it, it is soooo disappointingly simple and you'll rightly wonder that very day why you regularly pissed away 500.00 to some mouth-breathers (trust me, I knew a few at shops), with every regulator servicing -- and didn't throw that cashola toward another trip . . .