Gear returned from servicing with issue

[apedai]

When a LDS left the 2nd stage diaphragm out after overhauling and "certifying " my reg, I said never again and learned to repair my own.

Regs coming back from servicing with issues is why I learned to service my own.

Please tell me if the volcano damaged how to fix it? I prepare service reg my self and this is common reason of IP creep, thx
(and a IP gauge is enough?)

 

[Ayisha]

My inflator hose fell off in the water right after BCD service 20 years ago. The hose was caught, but the gasket fell into the silty bottom. I had the gasket replaced and bought a couple of extra ones to keep.

I had my mouthpiece fall off u/w on the first dive after routine reg maintenance 18 years ago. I took it back to the LDS and they did an overhaul, and the mouthpiece fell off again on the first dive. A DM on the boat cinched the finger-tightened zip tie.
When it came time to service my regs, I took them elsewhere.

Also 18 years ago, my inflator hose fell off again after BCD service. The instructor I was with caught it intact with the gasket and screwed it back on. He told me that issues often happen after service and "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".

I told the LDS that the inflator hose fell off during the first dive after service again, and the owner said that I should always make sure the valves are finger tight before diving.
I try to remember to do that before dives to this day.

Fast forward 10 years to a different technician at the 2nd shop, and I started inhaling water from my secondary reg when donating during an S-drill after service. I switched back to my primary. The diaphragm in the secondary reg was folded.
I started trying to remember to do a negative pressure test before diving.

Fast forward to last year, and my 2nd shop was closed weekends, so I took my regs to a 3rd shop. My mouthpiece fell off again u/w on the first dive, this time at 75 feet. I took the (new) mouthpiece out of my mouth and switched to my secondary reg.

I became a firm believer in not getting service more often than necessary and when I do, to try and check what I can.

 

[Scuba Lawyer]

Please tell me if the volcano damaged how to fix it? I prepare service reg my self and this is common reason of IP creep, thx
(and a IP gauge is enough?)

That looks pretty deep. For very slight scratches I use some #0000 Steel Wool wrapped around the eraser end of a pencil and twirl it over the volcano orifice. For slightly deeper scratches I'll cut out a round dot shape from some very fine wet/dry emory cloth and glue it to the end of a pencil eraser.

I doubt either would work on your orifice. Is your orifice replaceable? If so, that would be the only fix I am aware of. If not, I'd say it was FUBAR. Loved to be proved wrong

 

[stretchthepenn]

What is the percentage of shops that screw up gear as opposed to shops that consistently do a great job,
Anybody know?
All we ever hear about are the times somebody got screwed or a shop screwed up a service.
It makes it sound like most shops are incompetent imbeciles, but I’ll bet there are more good shops than bad shops.

I think the problem with incompetent service jobs is more about individual techs than about the shops who employ them. A few years ago, I had some not-so-good service done on my regs at a shop, but the responsible service tech is long gone, and the techs who work at that shop now are top-notch.

 

[happy-diver]

Reminds me of that time, a dude on his pushbike riding with the traffic, following all the road rules
done it every day for ages so the light goes green and off he rides right under the wheels of a truck

Pretty bad, broken this, ruptured that, some stuff hanging off, so he's in the ambulance about to go

and then he screams "BUT I WAS IN THE RIGHT."


So if you insist on surrounding yourself with steel and glass boxes moving not necessarily in unison
you should always check your drysuit valve, I do

I descended to 8 m, went to adjust my dump valve and it came unscrewed in my hand.

Moral of the story - check your gear after servicing - especially if you are about to head out on a trip.

I've never seen anyone check that their valves are screwed on tightly before each dive.

Hey
Landau, sell your pushbike

 

[apedai]

That looks pretty deep. For very slight scratches I use some #0000 Steel Wool wrapped around the eraser end of a pencil and twirl it over the volcano orifice. For slightly deeper scratches I'll cut out a round dot shape from some very fine wet/dry emory cloth and glue it to the end of a pencil eraser.

I doubt either would work on your orifice. Is your orifice replaceable? If so, that would be the only fix I am aware of. If not, I'd say it was FUBAR. Loved to be proved wrong

Luckily it is not my regulator hahaha, just curious the method

 

[SlugLife]

First, your are assuming that "they" never "re-tightened the valve which isn't fair. Second, it is your job to check your equipment BEFORE going in the water, not them. You are really the person to blame for the issue that occurred underwater with the valve.

I'm going to split two concepts:

1. You are always the #1 person responsible for your own safety always; and depending on someone else to look out for your safety is a real good way to end up injured or dead.
2. From a liability, blame, and "I paid for a service" perspective, it is 100.0% the responsibility of the person servicing equipment to do it properly. That specifically includes any issues of safety and things which might put the diver at risk. Perhaps there's an extent to which one can't check literally everything, but there are some basic common checks that absolutely should be part of any standard servicing protocol, and not doing them would easily qualify as neglect.

So (1) always check your gear, because you can't spend any sweet lawsuit money when youre dead, but (2) in a lawsuit, as a juror, I'd almost certainly rule against the shop, not that the shop is likely to have much money to collect in a judgement.

 

[SlugLife]

I disagree. Scuba equipment service should live up to the same level as car service. How many check that the nuts on your car's wheels are tight after taking it in for brake service?

Since "It is part of basic training", can you provide an excerpt from any of the major agencies text books on how to check your drysuit valve tightness? I check that I can inflate, that the inflator doesn't continue to inflate, and that I can deflate before each dive, but I've never seen anyone check that their valves are screwed on tightly before each dive.

All the work done for me by my LDS has been top notch. In this case the drysuit went back to the manufacturer.

Agreed. If you get an oil-change, you shouldn't have to also check their work. I pay them to do the job, so I don't have to. I know how to change the oil myself, swap brake-pads, and a bunch of other things. But I also don't quite have the same level of tools, experience, indoor work-garage, lift, etc.

That said, I often do check auto-shop's work, just because I've been screwed before, and have some basic knowledge how to double-check the work. Maybe the oil is low, or they didn't replace the filter, etc. But the average person might now know how or what to check. (and for some jobs, it might surpass my knowledge).

I don't think your average scuba-diver straight out of OW knows how to check recently serviced gear. I didn't.

There is a difference between median mechanical intelligence and median theoretical intelligence.

The point is, I’d rather have an auto mechanic working on my regs instead of a software developer, because to me the mechanic is better suited and more intelligent for that job.

I'm perhaps nit-picking and agree with your overall post. I understand your analogy, but some software engineers are mechanically smart. Hell, some software engineers are even good artists, even if somewhat rare.

It depends on the software engineer. I know guys whom I'd trust more than any mechanic as they are incredibly meticulous and they build all sorts of stuff with their hands. You'd be surprised that some software geeks are incredibly mechanically inclined.

"Mechanical" stuff is often how I take a break from staring at a computer screen. It can take a variety of forms, even cooking, or various forms of DIY. I'm sure I'd be a lot better at mechanical tasks if I had the training, time, and focus or did it as a job. But servicing regulators isn't exactly "rocket science" when it comes to mechanics.

I trust myself more than an LDS, not because I'm better than them at servicing regulators, but rather because I care more about ensuring I do it right, and don't have a pile of 50+ customer regulators to churn through.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Please tell me if the volcano damaged how to fix it? I prepare service reg my self and this is common reason of IP creep, thx
(and a IP gauge is enough?)

@rsingler has posted on repairs like this in the DIY forum. You may want to search there.

 

[BoltSnap]

So (1) always check your gear, because you can't spend any sweet lawsuit money when youre dead, but (2) in a lawsuit, as a juror, I'd almost certainly rule against the shop, not that the shop is likely to have much money to collect in a judgement.

Exactly, we can always expect the LDS, or technician or the expert, to do their respective jobs properly but at the end it is the user/diver who will get hurt or die because of somebody else's incompetence or neglect. It doesn't do the dead or permanently disabled diver any good if they or their heirs win the lawsuit after they die or are seriously hurt. Checking the regulator, BC, Dive Computer, Drysuit isn't complicated or too involved. We aren't talking about disassembly or breakdown of the equipment, simple hose/port inspection, IP check, connections and air leak/free flow checks aren't too much too ask for here. We do the checks before every single dive even if the equipment wasn't serviced recently. It is part of proper pre-dive preparation that is taught by the training agencies I know and is part of a check list we use for all courses starting from the entry level course in scuba diving. It isn't my invention, it is in the books. This includes proper drysuit check we teach in a drysuit course.

There is a sticky here on SB for equipment/regulator check that is very comprehensive and detailed for the novice diver to do. There is no reason not to put the regulator on a Tank at the LDS when picking it up to test everything and do a check similar to the pre-dive check we do before the dive.

Some People who may disagree are doing it just for the sake of disagreeing. One has to take responsibility and control of their safety and not lay the blame on others. When the diver is hurt, they are hurt not the LDS.