1st Stage failed service

[SlugLife]

It honestly wouldn't surprise me if the shop you took it to for service, themselves were the ones who cracked the first-stage by over-torqueing the din/yoke connection. Afterall, the regulator probably wasn't having any leaking or other issues when it was brought in for service.

 

[rsingler]

DIY!

 

[SlugLife]

DIY!

I hear there's a scuba-board member who periodically has classes for how to service regulators.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

There is not a shop within 400 miles of me that I would trust with my regs.

I feel the same.. a shop, any shop, is only as strong as it's weakest link. Was it the new guy they just hired? Was anyone even around when he did it? So now you and the shop are just as perplexed because new guy didn't say anything, lol. It almost always felt like hocus pocus black magic leaving anything at a shop... thank goodness for DIY!

 

[SlugLife]

I feel the same.. a shop, any shop, is only as strong as it's weakest link. Was it the new guy they just hired? Was anyone even around when he did it? So now you and the shop are just as perplexed because new guy didn't say anything, lol. It almost always felt like hocus pocus black magic leaving anything at a shop... thank goodness for DIY!

Another story of a "weakest link" and why to not trust dive-shops.

I dropped at tank off, and the VIP "technician" condemned one of my tanks, because of it's manufacture year and no other reason, and the dive-shop gave me no choice but to scrap the tank. Without going through the laundry-list, the brief story is that's never a reason to condemn a tank, and VIP technicians aren't supposed to condemn tanks.

Anyway, one way or another I'm done with using scuba-shops for VIP "service" which is really a scam anyway.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

Another story of a "weakest link" and why to not trust dive-shops.

I dropped at tank off, and the VIP "technician" condemned one of my tanks, because of it's manufacture year and no other reason, and the dive-shop gave me no choice but to scrap the tank. Without going through the laundry-list, the brief story is that's never a reason to condemn a tank, and VIP technicians aren't supposed to condemn tanks.

Anyway, one way or another I'm done with using scuba-shops for VIP "service" which is really a scam anyway.

I bought a compressor and have never looked back... no services, reg rebuilds, or silly valve rebuilds for astonishing amounts of money that I never agreed to. And best of all no short fills, no outrageous amounts of money for a little squirt if O2 in the tank.

It's just my experience... I'm sure there are honest shops out there, but not around me!! There's just not enough competition for them to be good. Instead of the shop conforming to what's good for the people and diving I see people that conform to the shops "way"... they say "that's just the way it is"... I say BS! Lol...

 

[halocline]

For example, one of the ScubaPro regulators (Mk20? Someone here will know) where it was prone to cracking and exploding..

This is not accurate. The issue with the MK20 was some technicians grossly overtorqueing yoke retainers, I mean really cranking them down, and a few-out of thousands- cracked as a result. The fix was an idiot-proof retainer that has a physical barrier to prevent it being forced further into the body by heavy handed techs. The regulators themselves never changed. I've seen several of the older retainers, and as long as they are torqued somewhere near spec, they're fine. Kind of similar to the old brass turret retainers; also no problems as long as they were not overly torqued on installation. But the SS retainers are simply more resistant to eager beavers with a big wrench.

 

[halocline]

I just received a call from my dive shop that my Dive Rite RG1205 1st stage failed during a performance test. It had been serviced only 18 months prior and had 28 dives between the service and it failing. The shop called and said that it had cracks in the body. Not sure when the cracks appeared but I hadn't ever had any issues with the regulator in the time I owned it. It had been regularly serviced and had never had any concerns brought up. The shop called Dive Rite and I think I will be trading in the failed stage for the newer modern stage they offer but I haven't decided yet.

The shop should arrange for dive rite to give you a new regulator. This whole story smells pretty bad to me. Either the regulator was cracked on arrival to the shop, in which case dive rite will certainly replace it, or the dive shop did something to crack it, which means they are responsible, or it's not cracked and they're just trying to sell you a new regulator. One of those three things has to be true, right? Or am I missing something.

Just another of many, many stories that make me very glad I service my own regulators.

 

[Jay Young]

I have only failed two 1st stages in all the regs I have service. There was an XTX50 which was full of water, sat for a long time, and the HP seat had corroded. I tried to save it, but it simply wouldn't seal any longer. Second was an instructor reg that they let someone borrow. Tank hit the floor, bent the yoke connector, and smashed the whole 1st stage body out of round - can't fix that. Sometimes there is cosmetic damage to the chrome when I have to take a hammer to the 1st stage because of all the salt corrosion, but I always inform the customer first before doing anything. I take pride in my service, and want everyone to be informed and happy.

But actual cracks in the brass? Sure, I guess it could happen. I'm not sure how. Sure if you want to do the work yourself, its not really difficult. I agree with the rest - I would want to see the cracks, and that needs to be a warranty replacement. And definitely, perhaps, find a different tech?

 

[Marie13]

The shop should arrange for dive rite to give you a new regulator. This whole story smells pretty bad to me. Either the regulator was cracked on arrival to the shop, in which case dive rite will certainly replace it, or the dive shop did something to crack it, which means they are responsible, or it's not cracked and they're just trying to sell you a new regulator. One of those three things has to be true, right? Or am I missing something.

Just another of many, many stories that make me very glad I service my own regulators.

Why should DR replace that reg? Isn’t it an older, retired model?