Regs, to service or not to service

[Damselfish]

Annual service does not make me feel better. It makes me nervous what will go wrong soon after service, which is typically the only time we have issues. Long ago started to get them serviced when they seem to need it, definitely not every year or even 2.

 

[Scuba J7]

I service mine every about every year and a half. Really depends on how much I use them, last service was about 150 hours on them. I do check them once or twice between service. I equate rebuilding reg with regular maintenance such as changing the oil in my car. There is thread on here somewhere where someone claims they haven't serviced their regs for 30 years!

 

[chris kippax]

The hoses were only changed due to switching to Miflex. The originals showed no signs of deteriation.

 

[DogDiver]

My 4 regulator sets I use on every dive get full rebuilds annually. But these regs are used at 110 feet for 90 minutes 1400 feet back in a cave. So my priorities are a little different then your average recreational diver.
Also I have a set of regs that are for salt water only and will never see a cave.
To each their own, it's your choice.

 

[tbone1004]

@Pullnglide the corrosion despite them being sealed is the reason I don't recommend pistons get sealed... If anything gets trapped in there, it just goes wild...

@DogDiver if we're beating our chest, mine are used at 100ft+, for 3+ hours, 5000+ft back in a cave, and still do the maintenance like I do.... If it ain't broke, don't fix it....

 

[TMHeimer]

Early on I had it serviced annually as per the "official" recommendation. Then someone (maybe here on SB) said every 2 years is fine, so that's what I've done since. My knowledge of disassembling a reg. is about as good as that of car repair and anything else mechanical, or technological. I'm not taking ANYTHING apart (well, except for my clarinets).

 

[tbone1004]

Early on I had it serviced annually as per the "official" recommendation. Then someone (maybe here on SB) said every 2 years is fine, so that's what I've done since. My knowledge of disassembling a reg. is about as good as that of car repair and anything else mechanical, or technological. I'm not taking ANYTHING apart (well, except for my clarinets).

as someone who also services my own reed instruments, are you saying you're OK disassembling the keywork on a clarinet, but not a regulator? or just taking the 5 pieces apart to put in the case?

 

[PfcAJ]

I service them when they need it.

 

[DogDiver]

Again, it's your individual choice as to when you feel comfortable with a service schedule. I have my priorities and you have yours.
Safe diving all for the new year.

 

[BoltSnap]

I have Atomic and SP regulators for personal use and I have them serviced every 3 - 5 years depending on availability of service centers. Atomic regulators are very resilient even for the ones I have for dive school use (SP regulators are very close). Other brands we have in dive school's training equipment inventory, need servicing much more frequently but we will be phasing them out soon (Cressi is worst).

In the US when I owned my own dive shop, we serviced training/rental equipment at least once a year because of liability issues in the US.

I'll be servicing my personal regulators more frequently, perhaps every 2 - 3 years, once I have my own service bench setup (it is very difficult to get setup here in Libya).