Edge Hog Service Kits

[gcarter]

I don't want anyone to misinterpret me. Jim is absolutely right, there are many regs these days with a 2 year service interval, but in most cases manufacturers still require an inspection on the off year (especially true if you are dealing with warranty kits). So I always suggest that they be sent in annually to have either of them done. A reputable technician should know how to look up the history or ask the right questions to know what the reg needs. BUT, because a reg works even though it hasn't been serviced in X years doesn't necessarily mean it's a good Idea to dive it. I like to air on the side of caution and stick to what the manufacturer recommends, because for me it comes down to liability.
If a reg is outside of it's service window, please don't ask me to certify it "safe" to dive, because I will not.

If you can't do a quick inspection and bench test of my regs and certify them as safe, I would not want you working on them. The safety has to do with performance and mechanical condition, not tearing pages off of a calendar. If that is your criteria, you don't truly understand what it is you are working on. You are simply checking boxes on a list. And if you DO understand but are taking this stance anyway, you would be knowingly ripping me off by potentially providing service I don't need.

Edit: I picked up a set of Dacor regs for basically nothing, mostly just looking for the gauges. (Parts kits are not readily available, and although some people do manage to piece together workable parts solutions I am not interested in doing so). Before stripping them down, I had a tech at one of the LDSs in the area look at and assess them. He inspected, tested, and adjusted them. We had a frank discussion about their condition.

We have no idea when they were last serviced before I got them. I have had them for 4 years. They breathe fine, hold a steady IP, no leaks, good cracking pressure. They have saved several dives, and remain safe to use. They certainly don't come close to your calendar criteria though.

 

[tbone1004]

erring on the side of caution is fine and dandy, but if the IP locks up and the cracking pressures are within spec, then not sure what else you want to do to it, bench testing takes all of 30 seconds, and in my not so humble opinion should be done at least before every dive trip. You have a mouth, IP gauges are cheap, pop it on the inflator hose and take a few breaths, if it breaths well and the ip sits still, and it isn't visible corroded, then there is no reason to take it to a shop. IP lockup should be checked before every dive trip with how easy it is to check and how cheap the gauges are, you are frankly foolish not to own one and use it. It can save a lot of problems in the water

 

[Jhat]

I guess you are just a stupid person if you take your regs in to be inspected. I, for one, have better things to do with my time and generally leave it in the hands of the professionals out there. If my regulator is acting up, I will grab another one. If that one doesn't act right, I call the dive because I am pretty sure that God doesn't want me in the water that day. I don't know everything, but I have been alive and had fun diving this long.

 

[redacted]

I guess you are just a stupid person if you take your regs in to be inspected. I, for one, have better things to do with my time and generally leave it in the hands of the professionals out there. If my regulator is acting up, I will grab another one. If that one doesn't act right, I call the dive because I am pretty sure that God doesn't want me in the water that day. I don't know everything, but I have been alive and had fun diving this long.

I don't know what makes you say that. If you are unable or unwilling to inspect your own gear; then, by all mean, you need to have someone else do it. Best way to avoid a regulator problem interrupting a dive trip is to have a good spare. If your spare is also a problem, then someone is probably not doing a very good job of inspection. I doubt if god cares whether you dive or not.

 

[Jhat]

I don't know what makes you say that. If you are unable or unwilling to inspect your own gear; then, by all mean, you need to have someone else do it. Best way to avoid a regulator problem interrupting a dive trip is to have a good spare. If your spare is also a problem, then someone is probably not doing a very good job of inspection. I doubt if god cares whether you dive or not.

You have successfully described the process I take. Maybe I just don't take diving as seriously as some people. Again, I have been diving for a while and have never had a serious issue. I am fairly certain that God cares about everything I do, but that is another story all together. Good description of steps that folks may want to take though. Gold star

 

[kwinter]

Bench testing is one thing. Breathing it in water is something else. There have been many, many times that I have seen someone on a boat complain that their reg is not breathing correctly and they "just had it serviced." Immediately after service seems to be the absolute worst time for regs, yet many people get them serviced and then throw them in their suitcase for a trip the next day. A second stage that breathes fine on the bench could still be horrible underwater. Check it wet after it is serviced.

 

[victorzamora]

I, for one, have better things to do with my time and generally leave it in the hands of the professionals out there.

Three things:
1) Do you really have better things to do with your time than to spend 5 minutes verifying your gear is working before a dive trip? I know I don't. That time is worth every second thrice over. Heck, I check my regs briefly before heading to the pool just to make sure I don't have to walk 100 ft back to my house for spares/tools.
2) You would be foolish to not understand how your regs work....even on a basic level. Knowing how regs work makes them a lot less scary and mysterious.
3) You would be properly depressed if you knew what was passing for "professionals" these days in terms of reg repair. The classes are awful, cursory classes that teach little and are predominantly attended by people that don't care and are too hung over to pretend to care. I trust almost nobody else with my regs.

 

[Jhat]

Three things:
1) Do you really have better things to do with your time than to spend 5 minutes verifying your gear is working before a dive trip? I know I don't. That time is worth every second thrice over. Heck, I check my regs briefly before heading to the pool just to make sure I don't have to walk 100 ft back to my house for spares/tools.
2) You would be foolish to not understand how your regs work....even on a basic level. Knowing how regs work makes them a lot less scary and mysterious.
3) You would be properly depressed if you knew what was passing for "professionals" these days in terms of reg repair. The classes are awful, cursory classes that teach little and are predominantly attended by people that don't care and are too hung over to pretend to care. I trust almost nobody else with my regs.

Three things back to you:

1) Yes, I have better things to do with my time because I properly take care of my regulators and have them serviced on a regular schedule. I do know how scary those pool dives can be though.

2) Until you can teach me how to properly service a Kirby Morgan, which I service my own, don't tell me how scary regulators can be. I know they usually have three or four parts, which would intimidate me if I were not already a Commercial Diver.

3) Ever since I got back from the war, the happy pills keep the depression away. I feel sad that your life is consumed with not trusting people with your gear. Maybe you should seek some help to determine what your trust issues stem from. I know a lot of "professionals" that I trust my life to each and every day. Try diving for a living and you might understand. If you do dive for a living and still feel that way, you need a better team.

 

[victorzamora]

Three things back to you:

1) Yes, I have better things to do with my time because I properly take care of my regulators and have them serviced on a regular schedule. I do know how scary those pool dives can be though.

2) Until you can teach me how to properly service a Kirby Morgan, which I service my own, don't tell me how scary regulators can be. I know they usually have three or four parts, which would intimidate me if I were not already a Commercial Diver.

3) Ever since I got back from the war, the happy pills keep the depression away. I feel sad that your life is consumed with not trusting people with your gear. Maybe you should seek some help to determine what your trust issues stem from. I know a lot of "professionals" that I trust my life to each and every day. Try diving for a living and you might understand. If you do dive for a living and still feel that way, you need a better team.

1) Servicing then often does not mean they're serviced well or that they're treated beget than mine. I treat mine well and inspect them before any big trip. As for the pool dives, it's not scary but frustrating to have to walk out of the pool and back to the house. When I'm practicing or tweaking, I want to focus on the stuff I'm there for and not a minor o-ring leak I don't have the wrench to fix.

2) Regs ARE incredibly simple. If you know that, turning three screws and replacing a half dozen o rings shouldn't phase you and you should understand that there is little or no benefit.

3) as for the "professionals".... there's a big difference in commercial and Rec/Tec diving. In the recreational scuba world, I'd be willing to bet that MOST service techs are incompetent on every level. As far as my trust issues, they stem from many things you'd have to charge me $100/HR to hear, but they've got nothing to do with my regs. They're too simple and FAR too easy to check myself to have done bumbling buffoon do it for me or to pay one of the minority competent techs to do it. It takes more time to take my regs to someone than it does for me to fix my own on the rare occasion that they need some love.

However, I highly suggest reading lessons because you keep reading messages that aren't there.

 

[Jhat]

Well it seems that you and I will never be on the same page. Maybe you want to work on your own regs and maybe I just don't care to. I must point this out though, on the one hand you are saying that regulator service is amazingly easy. I agree with you. To me, it is kind of like changing the oil in my car in that there is nothing stopping me from doing it myself but I would rather just pay someone else to have the pain in the ass. On the other hand, you have apparently evaluated each and every person within the diving profession and determined that none of them are worth anything. In either situation, I check my regulators with the tech at the time I pick them up to make sure there are no leaks, ip locks, second stage breathes and overall we each have a good feeling. After all, aren't those the only things you are really looking for?

As far as my reading skills, they are pretty much average I would say. To make a remark back to hurt your feelings, I would say that you should probably get some friends and try meeting a nice lady to do some real diving with. Maybe SCUBA Board is more fun though.