Should I get my reg serviced?

[SeaHound]

you could Opt for an inspection and tuning from your Atomic Authorized dealer, they can inspect it for you without doing a full service.

Unlike many other companies, you will not void your warranty by not servicing it "regularly".

25 Dives in 2 years... I did more than that in one week in Bonaire, you should be ashamed

Yes! I am so ashamed man One of the disadvantages of living in Virginia. No diving closeby

 

[Kunundrum]

Land lock, sorry to hear it man. Just meant it as a joke.

your regs should be good for a while longer.

 

[H2O 70]

Yes! I am so ashamed man One of the disadvantages of living in Virginia. No diving closeby

Millbrook Quarry if you live in Northern Va. I've heard of guys diving in the New River that live in Roanoke. Smith Mountain Lake for the Roanoke area as well. North Carolina is a lot closer for you than me! There is Lake Rawlings in the middle of VA. A lot of folks dive out of Virginia Beach. You could volunteer at the Virginia Aquarium and get wet there!

There is always diving nearby. It may not be warm. It may not be clear. But there is always diving. Just got to look for it.

 

[halocline]

Assuming you have rinsed the reg well (soaked) after each salt water dive, it's probably fine. 1st stages do not wear sitting in the closet; the valve is open when the reg is not pressurized. 2nd stages do typically wear, although I'm fairly certain that the atomic has a seat saver feature that takes the spring pressure off the seat when the reg is not pressurized. So, unless there's salt water corrosion in the ambient chamber or other part of the reg, it should be able to go a very long time.

I have a good friend with a MK25/D400; he's an occasional diver, and soaks/rinses the reg well after each dive. I think his reg is going on four years since being serviced, and last time I checked it, everything was perfect.

It really depends on how well the reg is rinsed/soaked/stored.

 

[Dive Right In Scuba]

It really depends on how well the reg is rinsed/soaked/stored.

BINGO....we have seen regs, only one year old and about 25 dives come back for service and be almost trashed. They were put away wet....Salt water does like to paint the inside of your reg green....that corrosion will cause pitting. Regulators rely on a clean sealing surface to "lock up". With severe pitting, you can quickly ruin your regulator body. I have seen regs cost alot more money after 2-3 years of non service than it would have just cost to have it done each year. Sometimes, it comes to the same amount, but now they have a reg that is in much worse shape.

There is no grand scheme for Dive Shops to just take your money for foolish service. Some regs don't need service, some really do.....it all depends on how well you take care of your equipment. Your car doesn't always need an oil change either...how far do you push that before damage?

We have seen all sorts this last few weeks. This is the busy time, everyone has regs they need serviced ASAP for a trip....most are really beat up this year My tech can't grab a break and get an easy one.

Take care of your equipment, get it serviced and let it last in beautiful shape for a lifetime. It's a small price to pay(we charge under $50 in labor) to not have to buy another reg in a few years....unless that is your goal

 

[PvtStash]

the annual servicing most reg manufactureres recommend (if you want to keep your warranty) is Overkill and after just a few years can add up to the cost of another brand new reg.

Ridiculous.

I am of the "dont fix it if it aint broke" mindset... (yes yes I'm going to die...blah blah blah)

If I can detect no discernible change in my regs operation I will Not be paying my LDS $50 to tell me "its ok"...

your experience/mindset may differ... and thats ok.

 

[Dive Right In Scuba]

the annual servicing most reg manufactureres recommend (if you want to keep your warranty) is Overkill and after just a few years can add up to the cost of another brand new reg.

Ridiculous.

I am of the "dont fix it if it aint broke" mindset... (yes yes I'm going to die...blah blah blah)

If I can detect no discernible change in my regs operation I will Not be paying my LDS $50 to tell me "its ok"...

your experience/mindset may differ... and thats ok.

Not sure where you go that they charge you $50 to tell you its OK....we do full annuals. All annual parts get replaced, metalic parts ultrasonically cleaned, re-lubed with tribolube, assembled, bench tested on the flow bench, water tested....old parts come back to you so you know service was done (condensed version repair steps). Reg comes back in new condition except for any battle wounds experienced while diving

You may take care of your regs, but not everyone does...you would be surprised

And NO, I don't think you will die...but your regulator may prematurely die

 

[diversteve]

Here's what Atomic says about it:

This warranty is not contingent upon obtaining annual service, and will maintain in effect for the lifetime of the original owner. It is recommended however that maintenance include an annual safety inspection to be performed by an authorized Atomic Aquatics dealer or by the factory. Factory or authorized dealer servicing is required at intervals of 300 dive hours or 2 years, whichever occurs first. This service will include disassembly, cleaning, replacement and lubrication of all o-rings and seals, and safety check.

LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY

You decide who to believe - the manufacturer or your friend...

What's the required service interval for the Aqualung Octo?

 

[Zung]

I have some pretty good metrics. My twin kids were born in '98, and that's when we last dived, until last year when they were certified. Gear wise, here's what gives after 10 years in a closet:

• My Scubapro MK20/G250: works like a charm, the IP (intermediate pressure) is rock steady. I decide to put off servicing another year.
• The wife's Scubapro MK10/M5 (G200): some IP creep, I just serviced it, now works good. This rig will be replaced, but only because I want to standardize.
• My backup Aqualung Supra/XL: works like a charm, IP is rock steady. I decide to put off servicing another few years

Bottom line: if you take reasonably good care of your rig, and if you do 20-30 dives a year, yearly maintenance is overkill. I think the consensus of this board is about 100 dives between services, which is pretty conservative.

Of course, an inspection every year or before a dive trip is a very good idea, and you can do it yourself: just look up couv's post.

 

[TRIBOLUBE71]

Over the years I listened to problems that occur concerning regulators. The Tribolube® EPO₂ Protectant was designed to stop the corrosion of the brass parts inside regulators. Tribolube® EPO₂ accomplishes this with surface pacification. It puts a light coating of PFPE material on the surface and blocks the elements contaminants (solids, liquids, and gasses). Tribolube® EPO₂ stops corrosion on the surface if applied properly. This corrosion reaction is called Electrophoresis. Electrophoresis is the loss of electrons and is the natural state of decay or corrosion of metals. Tribolube® EPO₂ is dielectric. Tribolube® EPO₂ is not miscible in water, so it will not dissolve, be diluted, or wash off with water. Tribolube® KO₂ solvent removes Tribolube® EPO₂ completely, if for some reason it became necessary. Use Tribolube® EPO₂ on inflator mechanisms’ and fix problem areas that exist with BC’s and BCD’s. Properly treatment will stop corrosion and sticking issues during deployment, inflation, and deflation. We recommend using Tribolube®71 grease for connectors, spring caps, and environmental seal caps. There is no need to heavily coat parts with Tribolube®71, normally all you need is a thin film of grease. Always follow the lubrication requirements as directed by the original equipment manufacturer. One of the biggest issues divers deal with is oxidation and corrosion. Welding of metallic parts often results from galvanic corrosion, where contact is made between two dissimilar metals. The most common pairings represented are: brass & aluminum, stainless & aluminum, and nickel/chrome plated brass and aluminum. Solidified salt is caustic and can cause a weld like appearance; however it is more likely a cathodic reaction where one metal is sacrificially corroded. Galvanic corrosion forms quickly and causes expansion of one the metals in threaded assemblies, and valves. In cases where maintenance is overdue corrosion will fuse parts together as if welded or Super Glued. This makes it extremely difficult to disassemble your equipment. A protective coating of Tribolube® EPO₂, if properly applied completely stops corrosion. Even if the parts are being flushed with fresh water, galvanic corrosion is still an issue and builds up over time. Reapply or request a protective coating of Tribolube® EPO₂ during annual maintenance at your local dive shop. You can safely reapply Tribolube® EPO₂ in common problem areas and on parts more frequently.
Tribolube® EPO₂ was the only thing that resolved an ongoing problem during assembly, for one of our customers. Tribolube® EPO₂ stopped the cyanoacrylate (SuperGlue) from fusing small internal moving parts together. Cyanoacrylate is the generic name for fast-acting adhesives such as methyl 2-cyanoacrylate and ethyl-2-cyanoacrylate (commonly sold under trade names like SuperGlue and Krazy Glue. For this application Tribolube® EPO₂ must be properly applied on the surface to achieve desired results. There are standard operating procedures we recommend to give you the best results. Shake the bottle a few times prior to using. Keep the container closed when not in use. Do not leave the bottle open in an area that that is hot. Heat will increase the potential for evaporative loss. Try to store Tribolube® EPO₂ in an area that remains cool. For the best results we recommend storing Tribolube® EPO₂ in a freezer. When spraying Tribolube® EPO₂ on a surface or part, a fine mist will achieve an optimal protective coating. Make sure to completely coat all the surfaces that require protection, and consider all angles to minimize unprotected areas and maximize the protection.

BINGO....we have seen regs, only one year old and about 25 dives come back for service and be almost trashed. They were put away wet....Salt water does like to paint the inside of your reg green....that corrosion will cause pitting. Regulators rely on a clean sealing surface to "lock up". With severe pitting, you can quickly ruin your regulator body. I have seen regs cost alot more money after 2-3 years of non service than it would have just cost to have it done each year. Sometimes, it comes to the same amount, but now they have a reg that is in much worse shape.

There is no grand scheme for Dive Shops to just take your money for foolish service. Some regs don't need service, some really do.....it all depends on how well you take care of your equipment. Your car doesn't always need an oil change either...how far do you push that before damage?

We have seen all sorts this last few weeks. This is the busy time, everyone has regs they need serviced ASAP for a trip....most are really beat up this year My tech can't grab a break and get an easy one.

Take care of your equipment, get it serviced and let it last in beautiful shape for a lifetime. It's a small price to pay(we charge under $50 in labor) to not have to buy another reg in a few years....unless that is your goal