How old of regs would you use?

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Bowers

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Scuba Instructor
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I know that many regs can be serviced and used for decades as personal regs, but what about professional use? Our dive team regs are 20 year old aqualung glacia’s. They can still be serviced so we still use them. They have the larger diameter primary reg lp port and seem to have problems needing replacement pieces more than i would expect out of my newer personal regs. Is anyone aware of a standard or just have advise on when it’s time for a professional department to consider new regs? Is there a timeframe in years, or just when they are too busted to reasonably service?
 
I would definitely not use a regulator made before 1950.

Sounds like you might be talking about a fire department or other professional dive team. If so, I'd replace them if you can't get the parts from the manufacturer or their resellers. If you're having to chase down parts from third party manufacturers then you could run into a whole host of problems.

Some regulators are inexpensive enough that they barely cost more than service kits + labor. I think that's why you see so many HOG regulators on the used market. Not saying they're bad, but if it's only a few dollars more to just get a new one then why pay for service at all?
 
Public safety dive team? Yeah, sounds like you guys need new regs.
 
Provided that the equipment is well-maintained and that the manufacturer still offers spare parts and service kits, the lifespan of most any regulator is open-ended.

Our oldest regulators, still pressed into regular use, actually date from 1975-6; and we service everything in-house . . .
 
My 2005 regs (Scubapro MK25 / S600) is still working fine. I had them serviced every 2 years with average cost ~ $200 / service.
 
I've been diving my regs for about 27 years. They will probably be my last set too.

That said, I'm not on a rescue team. If team members have lost faith in their regs, they should check the teams budget to see what can be done.
 
Provided that the equipment is well-maintained and that the manufacturer still offers spare parts and service kits, the lifespan of most any regulator is open-ended.

Our oldest regulators, still pressed into regular use, date from 1975-6; and we service everything in-house . . .
^-- This

Simple mechanical devices. If there are spares, lifetime unlimited.
That said, most are chromed brass - lifetime not unlimited. You can only polish a knife edge so many times. Seawater is not kind to brass.

The test? @couv 's Regulator Checklist
Regulator Inspection and Checklist (Rev-8)
 
.. for a professional department to consider new regs? ...
My question would be " Why are you not using full face with surface communication " to be the a Safe Professional Department ??
 
I used my regulator from 1968 up until last year when I retired it for parts and bought a few lightly used like it on Ebay; serviced, upgraded/retro fitted all of them. All are fine breathing reliable regulators, IMO proven by time, divers and being copied by almost everyone in the business to be among the best ever made. They are solid navy brass and still have a lot of the chrome on them. There have been only minor free flows fix by turning the adjusting knob in a bit, during the 50+ years on the original regulator which doesn't happen anymore since I started servicing my own. The kits are made with modern materials like silicone and nitrox friendly O-rings. The external looks old but the internals are up to date.

If I get the time to teach my Grandson how to service these regulators and he can still get parts 30 years from now I think those bad boys will still be working.

That being said IMO you all should get upgraded/new and improved gear every 5 years and not just SCUBA gear, whatever it takes to do your gig as well as possible. After all job 1 of any municipality is the protection of it's citizens, or it was until recently.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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