Your adventures with DIY regulator servicing ...

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

How many of you took the regulator rebuild class and found out that it was not worth your time, effort and money? I would love to hear about your journey into DIY. Thanks.

 

[rhwestfall]

I went into a class already self taught, well read, and somewhat "seasoned". That being said, the interaction with another seasoned individual is always an opportunity to pick up on personal nuances and concepts as well as tricks learned.

Also, it goes both ways...

 

[agilis]

I'm pretty good at servicing the regulators I've had for many years, but know absolutely nothing about any others. Do these classes focus specifically or generally? I know my way around the Scubapro Mk 5 and Mk 10, the 109 and 250 series, and eventually learned to do a decent job tuning my D350. That's about it. I'm not sure why anyone not in business would be interested in regulators they don't own or plan on buying.

 

[divad]

I never took a "class", but bought owner-friendly Zeagles (printable on-line manual, and reasonably priced kits). I'm still wondering what Secret Lore is available if one takes an "official class". I'm now diving double HOG D1 1st stages with Atomic/ Zeagle 2nd stages. Oh yeah "Regulator Savey" was very helpful..... although I don't know where it is now. Must be in the basement.

 

[rhwestfall]

now, as to the access to manuals and materials.....

 

[Andy in Gap]

Servicing my own regs is one of the most rewarding things I've encountered in diving. Deep 6 provides training, service kits, and an excellent manual, and the regulators are extremely high quality. Good coatings and materials make the job easy. Routine service is relatively simple if you can follow instructions and don't mind doing some cleaning and soaking. If i discovered something unusual or abnormal I would call in an expert but I'm confident that the service was done correctly when I'm finished.

 

[Cdncoldwater]

I’ve taken manufacturer training as I work at a LDS as a technician. I found that I learned the most on the first few with differences between diaphragm and piston etc. I would now with some experience would be comfortable doing “other” regulators as long as I had the manuals and specs. One manufacturer I did training with doesn’t provide manuals, just schematics with specs. I would add that some regulators are easier to work on than others, even within the same manufacturer.

 

[Bigbella]

I initially started out, as the low guy on the totem, tasked with running various regulator components through the ultrasonic cleaner, and huffing hempocid, in the back room, of a local dive shop.

A couple of us were then put through a manufacturer's training course -- Poseidon -- in LA, when an old tech suddenly retired, at a time when those regulators were far more common, than they are now. The course was rigorous; and we were expected to disassemble and reassemble all of their then-current models; troubleshoot potential issues in a written test; assemble and successfully tune each regulator, under the auspices of the instructor.

I took a factory refresher a couple of years back, to the tune of US 250.00, for a clip-art certificate; and we briefly futzed around with assembly and dis-assembly. The only thing new was briefly dealing with the Poseidon Seven rebreather mouthpiece -- no big whoop.

There was no individual tuning of regulators to proper and stable IP; nothing whatsoever attached to a tank; no troubleshooting; nor was there any written test. There was simply a demonstration by the instructor at a test bench; and some stale cheese danish and coffee at a Marriott.

During a move a few years back and seriously pressed for time, I, stupidly, had couple of my regulators and a full-face mask, serviced in the San Francisco area, at a local dive shop. They botched all of the servicing (they twice tore the diaphragms of the first stages), including the annual for the Atmosphere FFM, which went into an uncontrollable free-flow, upon pressurization.

No one touches my gear, any longer; and there's never been so much as a hitch with any of the equipment that I have serviced . . .

 

[napDiver]

@Andy in Gap I'm pretty close to selling my Scubapro MK25 / S600 and switching to Deep6. I heard a lot of great things about them and really like the idea of being able to inspect, maintain, and fix my own regulators.

Do you think the transition to learning and working on them was easy? I read the manual, is the class worthwhile? Any other tipbits would be appreciated. Cheers

 

[davehicks]

@Andy in Gap I'm pretty close to selling my Scubapro MK25 / S600 and switching to Deep6. I heard a lot of great things about them and really like the idea of being able to inspect, maintain, and fix my own regulators.

Do you think the transition to learning and working on them was easy? I read the manual, is the class worthwhile? Any other tipbits would be appreciated. Cheers

Just keep your Mk25 / S600 and service those. You can buy kits and the manuals are all easily found online. Those are great regs, and both are very easy to service and tune with a few basic tools.