Aqua Lung Recalls Scuba Regulators and Adapters Due to Drowning Hazard (9/10/2008)

[mike_s]

from Aqua Lung Recalls Scuba Regulators and Adapters Due to Drowning Hazard

released TODAY, Sept 10th, 2008.

NEWS from CPSC
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207​

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 10, 2008
Release #08-393 Firm's Recall Hotline: (877) 253-3483
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908



Aqua Lung Recalls Scuba Regulators and Adapters Due to Drowning Hazard
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Titan DIN 1st Stage Scuba Regulators and Titan/Conshelf DIN Scuba Adaptors

Units: About 6,000

Manufacturer: Aqua Lung USA, of Vista, Calif.

Hazard: Over-tightening of the DIN retainer by a technician during installation can result in the retainer breaking under pressure, a rapid escape of air from the scuba cylinder, and the regulator detaching from the scuba cylinder. This poses a drowning hazard to divers.

Incidents/Injuries: The firm has received one report of a DIN retainer breaking under pressure. No injuries have been reported.

Description: The recalled regulators have a brass DIN retainer manufactured prior to June 2006. The recalled Aqua Lung Titan Din 1st Stage regulators have serial numbers lower than 6062501 stamped on the side of the regulator’s body. Recalled Titan/Conshelf DIN adaptors are marked “300 BAR MAX” on the side of the part. DIN adaptors marked “300 BAR MAXI” are not included in this recall.

Sold at: Authorized Aqua Lung dealers nationwide from January 1997 through September 2008 for about $300 to $450 for the scuba regulators or $70 for DIN adaptors sold separately.

Manufactured in: France

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled diving regulators and DIN adaptors and return them to any authorized Aqua Lung dealer for a free replacement DIN retainer.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Aqua Lung toll-free at (877) 253-3483 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at Aqua Lung - Professional Diving Equipment

 

[Carlos Carvalho]

Aqua Lung America Recalls Apeks Scuba Diving Regulators Due to Drowning Hazard

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 17, 2008
Release #08-402

Firm's Recall Hotline: (877) 253-3483
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908


Aqua Lung America Recalls Apeks Scuba Diving Regulators Due to Drowning Hazard
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Apeks Second Stage Scuba Regulators

Units: About 25,000

Distributor: Aqua Lung America of Vista, Calif.

Manufacturer: Apeks Marine Equipment Ltd., of Blackburn, England

Hazard: These regulators can be missing the diaphragm cover which can cause the diaphragm to become displaced during a dive, allowing water to enter the scuba regulator. This poses a drowning hazard to divers.

Incidents/Injuries: None.

Description: This recall involves Apeks TX, ATX, and XTX second stage regulators that have never been serviced. Apeks and TX, ATX, or XTX is printed on the regulator.

Sold at: Authorized Apeks dealers nationwide from February 2000 through June 2008 for between $420 and $1,450.

Manufactured in: England

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop diving with these regulators and visit an authorized Apeks dealer for a free inspection and free installation of a diaphragm cover, if the cover is missing.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Aqua Lung toll-free at (877) 253-3483 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visit the company’s Web site at Aqua Lung - Professional Diving Equipment

 

[h90]

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08402.html

Sold at: Authorized Apeks dealers nationwide from February 2000 through June 2008 for between $420 and $1,450.

:shocked2::shocked2:
what a price difference

 

[In10se]

Thanks for the heads-up Carlos. I'm sure all is well with my reg's as often as I dive them, but they'll go to my LDS this afternoon for a checkup. I already called my dealer and I even get some free loners of equal quality.

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:shocked2::shocked2:
what a price difference

The single XTX-?? reg's go for $420 vs the Tek-3 pac with dual din valves and two XTX-50s' (I swaped out my XTX-50 primary with an XTX-200 and I'm loving this combo) with a 7'lp hose for $1500 (I paid much less from my LDS).

It's not as bad as it looked ...

 

[tfsails]

At the risk of sounding really, really stupid, who would dive a regulator with its diaphragm cover missing?? And what dive shop would sell one?

 

[PhilEllis]

At the risk of sounding really, really stupid, who would dive a regulator with its diaphragm cover missing?? And what dive shop would sell one?

I think they are talking about the inner cover, not the purge cover. I dive store would not be able to spot that visually, and at set-up, the regulator would perform normally.

In fact, if someone of limited skill and knowledge removed the purge cover, they might not even recognize that the part was missing unless they have seen quite a few of these inside.

Phil Ellis

 

[In10se]

Especially on the XTX200's since the diaphragm cover is a black poly-carbonate looking material that you cannot see through the purge cover. On the XTX50's it appears to be a stainless material. I'm not a bench tech, but this gave me the excuse to open my regs. I also needed to reverse my XTX50 octo for a left hand configuration so it was just perfect timing. After 25 dives on these regs as deep as 120ffw I already knew they were okay ... but any justifiable excuse to take stuff apart works for me.

After having had them apart I can see how this could get someone in trouble. I took mine apart and removed the diaphragm cover, then reassembled the unit sans that cover. The purge cover holds the diaphragm in place just spiffy without the diaphragm cover and breathes beautifully. You can actually still seat the purge cover onto the diaphragm and get it to hold the diaphragm in place with no damage at all to the diaphragm ... getting a perfect seal. Who'd a thunk it?!?!? I'd imagine this screwed up diaphragm coverless assembly will hold long enough to get some depth, or maybe even a few dives, before it'll get blown out and become the source of some unscheduled skill drills after a catastrophic reg failure. Good times indeed.

Either way you cannot see the issue without opening the regs up and looking for it ... so do NOT just trust your eyes or the fact that you've dove them a few times. This is a serious screw up with these regs and without getting them to your LDS for a quick look over it could kill ya. It will only take the service tech a minute to crack open your Apeks and have a peek and then close them back up. Well, okay literally 45 seconds.

 

[SparticleBrane]

On the XTX50's it appears to be a stainless material.

Plastic painted to look like it is metal.

This is a serious screw up with these regs and without getting them to your LDS for a quick look over it could kill ya.

You've got to be kidding me.

 

[In10se]

Plastic painted to look like it is metal.

You've got to be kidding me.

Have you some service experience on these regs maybe? The plastic cover on the XTX200 was very obviously made of some kind of plastic, but the XTX50 was non-flexible.

Anyway, just for the record I took these units apart at the LDS with a trained service tech peeking over my shoulder as I went.

BTW SparticleBrane my bold type was intended to be half jest and half serious. Don't take unprovoked pot-shots at non-trolls. It's bad for the board.

 

[John_B]

I posted this a month ago with a picture to show what the issue is.

The diaphragm cover is part number (5) in this diagram of an XTX100/200 second stage: