Parts-for-Life Program

[Mobulai]

There's an oring on my injectors to keep the oil out or from burning on top of the combustion chamber

Can anyone tell me what is so special that happens to diving regulatiors

Well.. diving regulators have way lower absolute pressures, a diesel DI would have common rail pressure of 2k+ bars and no fuel to eat at and degrade the orings
But engines don’t need to be o2 clean

Compressors OTOH.. that is a bit more intricate than regs and they kinda scare me (not that I have one to service); yet again no rocket science

 

[iain/hsm]

Compressors OTOH.. that is a bit more intricate than regs and they kinda scare me (not that I have one to service); yet again no rocket science

No difference in either a regulator or compressor they are all both simple and easy to service and maintain with the minimum of tools and parts. Maybe ask for a parts or spares price list before you buy might help.
I wrote the Manufacturing Inspection and Test Procedures for the Royal Navy diving regulator so from personal experience and IMHO
The in fleet maintenance service procedure took less than a day to train together with all the other parts in the equipment maintenance procedure list and most could fall asleep at the back of the class and still achieve an acceptable service results.

The problem that you the diver or end user has with this free parts for life fiasco to the recreational scuba diver is not to help the diver (end user) but is simply a mechanism in order to maintain continued annual profit for the scuba shop at no real expense to the manufacturer.

Further recreational diving equipment is in effect sports diving equipment, Its simply a product made for profit. The retail price you pay is nothing like the price the dive shop gets it for and they in turn are supporting the big box movers then the distributors then the importers who also make a margin from your purchase.

Now I understand Price Lists are never published on the forum although I'm not sure if its allowed or not but im not going to publish them until Im told its OK to do so but the list goes like this:

Retail Price List
Trade Price List
Jobber Price List
Distributor
Importer
Special Price List for the favoured few

Either way the labour charge you have to pay on an annual basis is the shops annual bonus for life for that particular brand loyalty and for having to stock there slow selling junk in with the fast moving high profit margin trinkets you all line up to buy. Just saying and IMHO you understand. Iain

 

[Mobulai]

Maybe ask for a parts or spares price list before you buy

Don’t have the money or the space for one (a compressor), but still very educational stuff

My actual considerations would be more on these fronts
- (major concern) how do I manage to clean-room / oxygen clean big components?
it’s much more manageable with reg parts that fit inside the palm of your hand (the same issue would concern me if I had my own o2 tank) — (I know it’s possible just why it stresses me to imagine it)
- (minor concern) after stacking oem service kits (to use for reference as well), i started to buy orings, and sourcing HP/LP seats whixh was the tougher part; orings are easy but other „soft“ parts for a compressor would be where I’d lose the plot

probably by the time I can afford a compressor (time/money/space) I’d be inclined to stick to DIY as well; never say never

 

[iain/hsm]

Don’t have the money or the space for one (a compressor), but still very educational stuff

Who does. And thanks non the less. Although it's not for everyone but the ability to strip down and service your own equipment and have the confidence to use it is frankly priceless.

Imagine if your were a sky diver and had to take you chute back to the shop you bought it from to get it repacked for your next jump only to be told its life support equipment and your not qualified or authorised to repack it yourself. Go figure what would happen.

My actual considerations would be more on these fronts
- (major concern) how do I manage to clean-room / oxygen clean big components?
it’s much more manageable with reg parts that fit inside the palm of your hand (the same issue would concern me if I had my own o2 tank) — (I know it’s possible just why it stresses me to imagine it)

The biggest oxygen compressor I work on is 15 foot tall 400 BHP and jams 600 cfm a minute down a 4 inch diameter pipe into a pure oxygen tank that stands up vertical so tall that an aircraft warning light is fitted on the top of the thing ( I know why wasn't it made horizontal )
But no one on planet earth has an oxygen clean workshop that big or an ultrasonic cleaning bath either and public swimming pools don't count.

The solution is what is known as a Burn in Procedure when nitrogen is use for a start up in a recycle mode and slowly over 3 to 4 hours depending on the client oxygen is slowly entrained into the closed circuit loop until the 100% pure oxygen level is reached this allows any material to oxidise off slowly without causing a flash burn with a kindling effect if you do a main engine start with pure oxygen from the get go. Cheap easy and a practical safe solution.

- (minor concern) after stacking oem service kits (to use for reference as well), i started to buy orings, and sourcing HP/LP seats whixh was the tougher part; orings are easy but other „soft“ parts for a compressor would be where I’d lose the plot

This bit is called read the manual before you buy the product. Parts should be listed with full details and part numbers from the original manufacturer and be available direct to the public if requested. If not then buy another brand.

probably by the time I can afford a compressor (time/money/space) I’d be inclined to stick to DIY as well; never say never

How you start in life is never a problem we all start the same way naked and with nothing.
Its how you finish that counts and if you get to a point you are rich enough to by your own yacht for the compressor you can still finish naked just with younger additional benefits if you catch my drift.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

The other thing is that those parts really aren't free. You pay for them on the front end when you buy the reg at retail price.
And you have to remember, the diver IS NOT Scuba Pro's customer target. The dive shop is their customer. The shop is who is benefiting from the "parts for life" because they are getting your labor money when most regs used by recreational divers doing 50 or fewer dives a year could easily go three years without a service if properly cared for.
Also, every time you walk into the shop, there's a possibility they can talk you into buying something you don't really need.
The parts for life is a sales tactic to generate more profit for the shop. Forcing you to buy a new BC and computer is not only greedy, but to me, immoral and unethical as well if you have a good BC and computer.

 

[scubadada]

I abandoned my free parts for life on all my families Scubapro equipment long ago. The equipment dates as far back as 2002.