Frequency and cost of regulator service

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....While servicing a reg on a reasonable schedule is a good idea, doing so at a rate that is much more often than is actually needed is not wise, it introduces more problems that it solves and cost unnecessary repair bills, both for the service and for the returns to fix the problems introduced during the “service“. The issue is not should they be serviced but rather how often…..do you base that on actual failure rates or on a manuf model that is obviously designed with a profit in mind.
The user population falls in to two general catagories, users who are just that, users, consumers who use a product and know little about what is inside, that catagory is most of us, then there are the technician user, those who can do there own servicing and know as much about the inside as the factory authorized technician.

I fall into the camp of, the manufacturer has a recomended service schedule, it is conservative and that is fine with me. I service my auto as directed in the owners manual, I drive my cars 180,000 trouble free miles and then sell them 15 or so years later. My SCBUA gear gets serviced on the schedule the manufacturer recommends. O-rings are replaces as per the mfg recomendation, what ever that is. Are the o-rings being replaced too soon? Maybe, but they are cheap. Am I conservative? Yes. Here is how I take care of my gear. April 22, 2006, last dive before going away for a long time (20 months with Uncle Sams travel agency), another diver flooded my 1st stage with salt water (don't ask, I have no idea what he was thinking). I had my gear serviced and put it away until I returned. December 2007, back from my trip I took my gear to be serviced before going out on the first dive (all except the BCD). The BCD of course then proceeded to malfunction on the first dive. Quick fix at nearby dive shop. Overkill? Perhaps, or maybe just a good idea. Beats being the diver in the "Lessons for Life" Article who serviced his gear, dove it a time or two, stored it for a couple of years and then took it diving. Rust inside the 1st stage shrededd the o-ring and he experienced a failure at depth resulting in the divers death. Extream? Yes. But this is an "extream" sport and maintance is cheap, funerals are not. I would rather spend money over serviceing the gear than the alternative. Does servicing introduce a potential failure point? Yes, it could, just as not servicing it could. But if you have a compentent service tech, the greater risk lies in underservicing the gear. Corrosion and water getting where it should not is the biggest enemy.

But that is just me, each of us must find our own path.
 


IMHO Regulators are like airplane engines (another item that getsserviced/inspected regularly on a schedule just to increase the profit marginof the maintenance company and the aircraft manufacturer), I would ratherreplace a part before it breaks in preventative maintenance, than towait until it breaks/malfunction in use. So for me, my gear gets serviced oncea year, or every 100 dives or so, whichever comes. Overkill? Perhaps...but itis a choice I can live with.

Airplane engines are generally serviced, maintained and overhauled by licensed mechanics called A&Ps in this part of the world which stands for Airframe and Powerplant (ratings). It is a FAA issued rating. Their actions are governed by the FARs which are LAW(Code of Federal Regulations) and malpractice or even honest mistakes can result in severe penalties not to mention fatalities for those who trust in our work. There is very little room for error.

SCUBA equipment "techs", however, are not licensed, regulated or anything else and while manufacturers do have schools there is no assurance that the person doing the work knows anything much at all. After having numerous bits of equipment ruined over the years, I learned that there is nothing like doing it myself, especially when I have the knowledge and mechanical aptitude. In other words, I do not trust dive shops to fix or maintain anything for me until I get to know them very well.

Springs and O rings can and do last for many years, certainly more than one year. I would evaluate my equipment service needs based on use, environment and outcome of failure. Open water SCUBA is not the same risk level as cave diving 1/2 mile into an overhead environment. Complete, total failure of a scuba regulator such that it completely stops supplying air and cannot get a diver back to the surface (open water, recreational diving) is so rare as to be in the realm of big foot sightings.

N
 
You are still relaying on the "because they said so" argument which most of us feel is based on profit rather than a any sort of realistic failure model. A model many of us have observed for yourselves by experience over the years, both in dive regulators and other mechanical devices. I check my brakes and tires often but I do not replace them just because a recommendation in a book tells me to. Fact is, my brakes go way longer than the manuf recommends because I drive in a manner that greatly extends their life. Why should I replace them if they are less than half worn.
In your scenario, the diver should have checked his reg before heading off on the dive, just as you should have checked your BC. In both cases, the problem would have been found before any trouble arose had the diver done so. Every diver should check his gear out before a dive, it's part of a good pre dive check routine. As Nem points out, almost all failures of regs, esp. bad orings cause a freeflow, that should never be a life threatening event for even a reasonably well trained diver.
And just to clear up one item, the internals of regs do not "rust". The are mostly 316 SS and chrome plated brass, 316 SS does not rust except under extreme conditions and chrome plated brass corrodes, not rust, so "rust shredding up the orings " inside a reg can not happen.

 
Gee guys. We are talking about a regulator, a simple set of 3 component with a couple of slow moving parts that is used for what 10-50 hours a year for the typical diver. Then comparing it to a jet engine with many 1000's of components used maybe 5000 hours per year at extreme speeds and temperatures. Talk about comparing grapes to watermelons.

Comparing a reg to a car is still a stretch, but if you must its like using quickie lube to do the minor services on you car rather than going to the dealer every few thousands miles. There are some basics everyone needs (keep it clean, check the IP and cracking pressure, just as the car needs lube and oil). Both methods work fine, one just cost more than the other.
 
SP, despite making no improvements to their regs, has recently switched to a two year service interval. This means two things: (1) SP regs have always been fine for (at least) a two year interval; and (2) SP has been knowingly fleecing its customers by forcing them to service those regs twice as often.
The truth is the new 100 dives or two years is still the same # of dives as before 100, yet the Scubapro clients now have a two year period to have the service done and receive Free Parts. If they choose the diver can still have their gear serviced every year and receive Free Parts.

The reason for the change was purely a matter of the economy and economics. The bean counters at Scubapro realized that giving away thousands of dollars in Free Parts was not economical.

The two year program was a compromise.

Yes, the new policy may be a benefit to some customers.
 
The reason for the change was purely a matter of the economy and economics.

I agree, probably because other manufacturers went to 2 years they were loosing market and the free parts for life as being recognized as a racket and pissing off customers for an otherwise decent product.

I do have do give them credit for finally doing the right thing though.
 
You mean requiring that you buy a full package to get PFL? Ohhhhhh such a riteous move....:hm:

Yeah, I forgot about that little trick.

I meant finally admitting every 2 years is OK unless you abuse them or are a heavy duty user. Just think one step at a time.
 
Fact: In order to maintain a benefit of the SP product for which they paid, owners previously had to pay to have their SP reg serviced every 12 months.

Fact: SP made no improvements to their product supporting a 24 month interval before changing that quid pro quo arrangement.

Fact: Neither SP nor its dealers have any means of determining on their own whether a reg has been dove more than 100 times in a 24 month period, making time lapse the only relevant metric.

Fact: the cost to SP of FPL materials is an order of magnitude less than a rounding error, not the basis of a business decision.

Conclusion: For decades SP has been forcing their customers to pay SP dealers to service their regs at least twice as often as necessary. That policy wasn't based on reliability or safety concerns, it was based on getting more money from their customers for their dealers.

The truth is the new 100 dives or two years is still the same # of dives as before 100, yet the Scubapro clients now have a two year period to have the service done and receive Free Parts. If they choose the diver can still have their gear serviced every year and receive Free Parts.

The reason for the change was purely a matter of the economy and economics. The bean counters at Scubapro realized that giving away thousands of dollars in Free Parts was not economical.

The two year program was a compromise.

Yes, the new policy may be a benefit to some customers.
 
I am certain you are correct and that it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that o-rings and seals age, deteriorate and crack,springs also age, adjustments need to be made with time and wear or the need tocheck that no water has found its way inside your 1st stage and started rustingparts inside.

Do you service your car (change the oil etc) on a schedule or wait until it"needs servicing" when it starts to "not functioncorrectly" which we normally call malfunction?

Do you change the hundreds of o-rings, seals, and springs in your car every year?

---------- Post added December 7th, 2012 at 03:05 PM ----------

The user population falls in to two general catagories, users who are just that, users, consumers who use a product and know little about what is inside, that catagory is most of us, then there are the technician user, those who can do there own servicing and know as much about the inside as the factory authorized technician.

But if you have a compentent service tech, the greater risk lies in underservicing the gear.

The first category - users - don't have the means to know if their tech is competent or not. Many divers getting gear serviced never see the actual tech or even know their name. Most reg problems I've seen on boats are regs that "just got serviced".

---------- Post added December 7th, 2012 at 03:10 PM ----------

But think about it this way you're on a 5Kvacation and your regulator goes out on the boat basically it free flowing andyou sit out that dive and low and behold a whale shark cruise through.

I take my backup reg out and make the dive.
 

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