How long have you gone without servicing?

[lexvil]

I service when they need it, I check the IP and judge first stages that way, no longer keep notes but if I think of it on a sealed diaphragm I’ll put a note under the environmental seal. Seconds I just go by performance.

 

[Perryed]

Like has been said. any regulator can fail at any time. That said, it hardly ever happens. I`ve gotten used stuff that hadn`t been serviced for 20 or more years that functioned well and stuff that had just been serviced and didn`t work. I believe that any regulators service life is more dependent on after dive cleaning and storage conditions than use. Most of all I don`t think that even the same regulators are going to fail at the same rate due to diving and use simply because there are way to many variables involved.

 

[Akimbo]

So I am wondering how long have you taken your regulator without servicing? What happened? I’d like to dedicate a dive rite regulator to this experiment and take it for test diving once a month. Has anyone done such test before?

Yes. Bob Hollis, owner of Oceanic, gave me an Omega regulator and said "beat it up". I used it for 27 years before the first stage failed by increasing the IP. I check the IP and test breathe regulators before each dive trip normally. Replacing the mouthpiece and hoses was the only maintenance performed beyond normal soaking in fresh water.

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

This thread interests me.

I have a G-250 MK-20 and a R-190 MK16 that both went 16-17 years without service almost exclusively in fresh water. And the MK-16 has the crappy design original seat in it. All were chugging away fine.

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

Yes. Bob Hollis, owner of Oceanic, gave me an Omega regulator and said "beat it up". I used it for 27 years before the first stage failed by increasing the IP. I check the IP and test breathe regulators before each dive trip normally. Replacing the mouthpiece and hoses was the only maintenance performed beyond normal soaking in fresh water.

Did a service put it back into spec? What failed?

 

[Akimbo]

Did a service put it back into spec? What failed?

Don't know. They sent me a new fist stage because they wanted to keep the original. I couldn't tell it they changed any softgoods in the second stage besides the diaphragm & mushroom valve assembly or not. Still using it as my primary.

 

[buddhasummer]

I buy a lot of old regs (20 years old plus) it has been my experience that although not performing optimally almost always the second stages still work, mostly G250, 156 and Conshelfs. First stages mostly MK10 and 15 are almost always leaking. Conshelf first stages have always been functioning. Older Titan first stages too.

Of course I've no idea when any were last serviced but going on visual inspection and in some cases parts used I'd guess they'd not been touched for many many many years.

With "modern" regs I've owned I've had Apeks regs that I'd not touched save bit of a tune for over 5 years.

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

I buy a lot of old regs (20 years old plus) it has been my experience that although not performing optimally almost always the second stages still work, mostly G250, 156 and Conshelfs. First stages mostly MK10 and 15 are almost always leaking. Conshelf first stages have always been functioning. Older Titan first stages too.

Of course I've no idea when any were last serviced but going on visual inspection and in some cases parts used I'd guess they'd not been touched for many many many years.

With "modern" regs I've owned I've had Apeks regs that I'd not touched save bit of a tune for over 5 years.

Show me an old leaking MK-10 and I will show you a crumbling urethane O-ring!

 

[buddhasummer]

Every one I've bought on auction that I hooked up to a tank have been leaking. Check with @couv as he ends up with them all.

 

[halocline]

In my experience MK10s do not last nearly as long as MK5s before starting to creep. Same seat, go figure. I believe it has to do with the smaller MK10 piston exerting less total force on the HP seat, so the seal is not as long lasting.