Mares reg repair question

[Mel.B]

Hi,

Are there any Mares experts out there that can help me. I just got my regs back from repair and the guy on the phone wasn't really clear when he was telling me what was wrong with them.

Background info
Mares V16/Proton regs, 13months old. First serviced in April 2004 (6months old). Serviced again in September 2004 after taking a long bath without the dust cap on (it wasn't screwed on tight enough). First dive after the most recent service I notice that the primary is constantly delivering a stream of air, however it would stop momentarily if I breathed in or if I inflated my BC. Took it back to the shop I got it serviced from and they sent it back for repairs.

The repair guy said that something was collapsed?? The only part I got back is a small round silver metal circle/disc that has an even smaller circle in the middle. There is a indentation all around the disc where a small o-ring is and on the underneath side (I assume it's the underside) is a white circle (looks plastic) part that sits in the silver circle and is pretty much flush with the top of the silver circle. Sorry for the really vauge description.

Can anyone tell me what this part is and why it would have been replaced and what was probably wrong with my regs.

Thanks heaps for any help you can give,

mel

 

[mossym]

constant stream sounds like high intermediate pressure, but i'm a novice to this too so could be wrong, i heard the guy in my shop say that the mares regs had a problems with the seals leaking, i have the same reg as you and i was getting a constant stream from my octo

 

[Mel.B]

constant stream sounds like high intermediate pressure, but i'm a novice to this too so could be wrong, i heard the guy in my shop say that the mares regs had a problems with the seals leaking, i have the same reg as you and i was getting a constant stream from my octo

That was one of the problems I had with my octo too, but the second service seems to have fixed that problem. I was told that it had been 'set' too high.

Mel

 

[mossym]

well when i had the problem we hooked my first stage up to a pressure guage, the intermediate pressure started to creep very high after a few minutes..the pressure was right for a minute or two when you turned it on, then started to creep, and breathing on the reg or inflating dropped it again...

 

[SDAnderson]

but I have worked in the V16/Proton and have seen the problem you describe. The part you got back sounds like the high pressure seat, though it might be part of the balance assembly. Whatever it is, the problem you describe is called intermediate pressure creep and it's usually caused by a small imperfection in the surface of any one of several parts inside the first stage. A ting nick in an o-ring or scratch in any of the finished surfaces is enought to allow a little air to sneak past the seals. After replacing the defective part the regulator needs to be tuned and you should be fine. No biggie.

 

[rescuediver009]

Whatever it is, the problem you describe is called intermediate pressure creep and it's usually caused by a small imperfection in the surface of any one of several parts inside the first stage.

Not necessarily.
If you are experiencing this on one second stage only, then no it is just that stage that needs to be adjusted. If it is both it is either the ip that is set too high or there is a creep. You need an IP gauge to figure this one out properly. It could be one of two things.
The seat could not be sealing against the cone properly and the air just builds in the second stage until the spring pressure is not enough to hold it back.
The second, is that the IP could just be set too high to begin with and the reg just needs to be turned down a bit.

Either way I would just sendit back and tell him to get it right (more politely of course)

 

[Mako Mark]

IP creep is a common sign of a damaged HP seat, something that MARES regs were famous for for a number of years, that is why they came out with the RUBY seat, however we only use the MARES piston regs now so we dont have the same seat problem.

 

[oxyhacker]

If you hook them up alternately, and one leaks always but the other doesn't ever, then yes.

Otherwise, if you have two 2nds attached at the same time, and creeping IP, odds are, since they are both unlikely to be tuned exactly the same, that one the one tuned the loosest will always open first, and by opening, spare the other one from any obligation to. So even if only one is venting, it doesn't rule out HP seat problems.

Like you say, it needs an IP gauge to be sure.

There was reg many years ago, the Demone Mk2, that had TWO demand valves - like building two second stages in one case - on the theory that it would deliver twice as much air. What actually happened was that one valve would always open first, and the other hardly ever.

Not necessarily.
If you are experiencing this on one second stage only, then no it is just that stage that needs to be adjusted. If it is both it is either the ip that is set too high or there is a creep. You need an IP gauge to figure this one out properly. It could be one of two things.

 

[rescuediver009]

IP creep is a common sign of a damaged HP seat, something that MARES regs were famous for for a number of years, that is why they came out with the RUBY seat, however we only use the MARES piston regs now so we dont have the same seat problem.

They are also using the conical hp seat (like zeagle) that does not damage nearly as easily. I believe that you can upgrade to this seat with any Mares rig, for about $50.