Attachment of hoses

[Mr Carcharodon]

Find a new LDS. Seriously you would spend longer getting the tools and and putting them away than doing the work. A torque wrench is more the save you from over tighening than anything. Of course you would feel pretty bad if you did overtighen and strip the threads. Still remember what the goals are. First you want to compress a rubber o-ring, which takes very little torque (and you can tell when the hose stops turning). And second you want the hose tight enough that it does not come off by itself. This again is easy to test just grab it in your hand and if you can not easily unscrew the hose it is tight enough.

Not everyone is inclined to turn a wrench, but honestly this is about as simple as it gets.

 

[Web Monkey]

First, the o-rings on the hoses don't get lubed, so don't take it to whoever was going to grease them for you.

Second, if it was mine, I'd probably take it to a shop and have them take a look at it to make sure everything is OK (check pressures, look for metal filings, etc). The shop shouldn't give you a hard time since they'll be charging you for the service.

Also, you might want to check the manufacturer's web site to make sure there aren't any recalls involving it.

Everything is probably OK, but all new regs should be checked and may need to be adjusted a little, even if you bought it from an authorized dealer.

Terry

Hey all, this is my first post, but I've been a quiet spectator to SB for sometime now. Anyway, my parents were very very generous this past Christmas and got me an Oceanic GT3 CDX5 regulator with an Alpha 7 octo and SPG to go along with it. The trouble is they got it fairly cheap online from an unauthorized dealer, so everything came seperate and I have no warranty card from the manufacturer . I called a LDS which is an Ocean dealer and asked them about assembling everything. They said that without a warranty card they would charge me $75 to attach the octo and SPG to the first stage. Seems a little high to me, personally. I realize that this is life support equipment, but all this is required is a torque wrench and some Christo-Lube or silicone. I got the feeling that the charge is more punitive for not buying from them. (I may just buy the tools and lubricant necessary to do it myself, the regs came with a good owner's manual.)

Sorry for the length of the post. Please let me know what you think.

 

[brianstclair]

First, the o-rings on the hoses don't get lubed...

Don't want to hijack this thread, but... they don't? Then what gets lubed? I've been very lightly lubing those o-rings each time I swap hoses.

Brian

 

[TXaggie_diver]

First, the o-rings on the hoses don't get lubed, so don't take it to whoever was going to grease them for you.

Second, if it was mine, I'd probably take it to a shop and have them take a look at it to make sure everything is OK (check pressures, look for metal filings, etc). The shop shouldn't give you a hard time since they'll be charging you for the service.

Also, you might want to check the manufacturer's web site to make sure there aren't any recalls involving it.

Everything is probably OK, but all new regs should be checked and may need to be adjusted a little, even if you bought it from an authorized dealer.

Terry

Again, everything I had planned to do came from the owner's manual. It recommends putting on Christo-lube or silicone grease (in nitrox will not be used). Wouldn't it be a good idea to lube the o-rings so they don't dry out?

 

[TXaggie_diver]

I just called another LDS that is not an authorized oceanic dealer. They would charge me about $8 to put the hoses on and test it. Sounds like a steal compared to $75. I'll just do that and play it safe for now, since its new and testing it seems like a good idea. Thanks for all your input!

 

[redacted]

Sounds like a shop looking for satisfied customers rather than inflicting punishment. Since warrenty is not an issue, ask them if they can/will service your regs when the time comes. Many can get the parts and provide the service even if they are not an authorized dealer. You may have found a pretty good shop.

 

[SDAnderson]

Test what again? He's asked them to mount them darn hoses, not have a service check on his brand new regs.

It's been my experience that something close to 10% of brand new regulators require some kind of adjustment - either to the IP or the cracking pressure - straight out of the box, especially if you're mixing and matching first and second stages. Additionally, I've found brand new regulators with cracked second stage housings, creased diaphragms, split O-rings and a host of other problems that should be fixed before they are used. There are very few catastophic failures right out of the box but a little look-see and some fiddling from a qualified technician is advisable. Putting a regulator into service without at least inspecting and adjusting it is not something I would do - others obviously think differently.

If all he wants is the hose mounted, then he can probably do it himself. Many people don't use a torque-wrench, including most technicians, but they have hopefully developed a feel for "finger-tight plus a tweak." Some people don't lube the hose O-ring since once it's seated it isn't dynamic but the lube helps ensure that the O-ring doesn't distort or tear as it's being seated. If I recall correctly, the SOP for Oceanic is to lube the O-ring and I would question the credentials of anyone who tells you it shouldn't be done.

The tools to service the regulator will cost hundreds of dollars and a little Christo-Lube isn't cheap at about $30 for a small syringe. Of course, if things go wrong, the most expensive option can be the one that was "free." For $8, I suspect the "test" is a little soapy water used to make sure the fitting isn't leaking. If a shop is willing to disassemble the regulator to check the IP and cracking pressure for that kind of money, more power to them.

When you base your purchasing decisions on price, don't be surprised when you get what you pay for.

 

[redacted]

The tools to service the regulator will cost hundreds of dollars and a little Christo-Lube isn't cheap at about $30 for a small syringe. Of course, if things go wrong, the most expensive option can be the one that was "free." For $8, I suspect the "test" is a little soapy water used to make sure the fitting isn't leaking. If a shop is willing to disassemble the regulator to check the IP and cracking pressure for that kind of money, more power to them.

When you base your purchasing decisions on price, don't be surprised when you get what you pay for.

While I'm sure a tech could easily spend that much and more, the DIYer can do the job for a lot less, especially if you are already doing your cars and such. $8 is a very good price but we are talking something that should take less than 15 minutes and no disassembly required unless IP (on some designs) or cracking pressure needs to be adjusted. LDS tweeking of a reg is a nice service but clearly in the same category as dealer prep on a car. They should come from the factory ready to dive unless you receive one with a defect. May occur, but very infrequently.

Small container (1/4 oz) of O2 compatible lube should run about $10. You don't need the whole tube or syringe for the occasional o-ring replacement.

Paying more doesn't necessarily mean you get more. Especially with Scuba.

 

[TXaggie_diver]

My interest has only been in attaching the hoses. The conversation with the first shop went something like this:

Me: "Hello, how much would it cost to have some hoses mounted onto an Oceanic first stage?"

LDS: "Do you have a warranty? No? $75."

Me: "$75 to mount the hoses?

LDS: "Yes sir."

At no point did they mention anything of testing the IP or cracking pressure, nor did I ask for it. To be fair, I will call them again and see what all they are doing when I only ask them to attach the hoses. But if you were the LDS employee on the phone, wouldn't you explain that you are doing more than attaching hoses for $75 if you actually were going to?

 

[MarcG]

The tools to service the regulator will cost hundreds of dollars....

I agree with everything you say except this. You do not need elaborate equpiment to perform basic servicing of your own regulator. Basic tools and an IP gage can go a long way. I have however seen fancy test fixtures that are pretty pricey. For someone who is interested in basic servicing I recommend the following links:

A good place for tools
http://www.scubatools.com/

A good book on the basics of regulators
http://www.airspeedpress.com/newregbook.html

I want to note that I do not necessarily endorse servicing your own regulators, however, I believe that basic knowledge is a good thing. This isn't black magic.