Outrageous cost to service reg

[GF99/99]

Here is a story to feed the discussion on when to service regulators.

My first regulator was a Mares, and I had it serviced faithfully every year, even though when I was a new diver I only did one week-long trip a year. After a few years, I became a DM and was employed by the shop I used. I learned then that they did not have a qualified Mares technician on staff, so whenever a Mares regulator came in for service, they sent it out to another shop which did. I didn't see anything wrong with that.

Working with the shop meant using the regulator more. I went on a shop-led trip to Thailand, and I had some regulator problems. This was my first diving since having had it serviced a few months before. They made some adjustments on the liveaboard to get me through the week. Back in the USA, the shop sent the regulator back to the guy for another service. It came back, and I took it to Florida for more diving. I had problems again, and a local shop again got me through that weekend.

Feeling that something was up, my shop sent it directly to Mares. When it came back, Mares said there was nothing wrong with the regulator itself. The problem was that it had obviously not been serviced for years--if it ever had been serviced at all.

Eventually we figured out that the guy they had been sending Mares regulators to for servicing was doing nothing more than holding onto it for a couple of weeks and then sending it back untouched. During the time I owned that regulator, it had happened 7 times.

Yep.

A couple years ago, we had a thread in which a former shop technician said he averaged 8 minutes for a regulator service. When I was taught, I was told to put the non-replaced parts in a hypersonic batch for 10 minutes, so he obviously wasn't doing that. If someone is averaging 8 minutes for a service and charging you for an hour or more of work, that is criminal, too.

But I'll be it happens a lot.

This is another reason why I service my own regs and rebreathers.

I am very @nal about how things are done and I don't trust the guy that is getting paid by the job (the more he does the more money he makes) to do it with the detail that I would. Same with the tools that are used. I can't tell you how many times I have seen "service techs" using stainless steel dental type picks to dig o-rings out. Especially the ones on the inside of the female end of LP hoses and DIN o-rings. Or even worse digging reg o-rings out. Or watch them rip out a crusty SPG spool with needle nose pliers throw some new o-rings on it and jam the same now damaged spool back in.

 

[mundo121]

I agree if you are knowledgeable about the reg. setup you have and have access to the parts kits, there is no local shop that will do a more thorough job than yourself on service. They do the minimum time for ultrasound cleaning and just throw it all together because the more regs. they service the more they make.

 

[Still Kicking]

I agree if you are knowledgeable about the reg. setup you have and have access to the parts kits, there is no local shop that will do a more thorough job than yourself on service. They do the minimum time for ultrasound cleaning and just throw it all together because the more regs. they service the more they make.

It's not quite like that. A shop can only service the regs that come through the door. If the tech rushes through the four regs waiting on the bench, the shop doesn't make any more money.

Mostly it's laziness or ignorance I suppose or maybe they are overloaded.

Personally I try to take some pride in my work and would be mortified if a reg was returned because a customer wasn't satisfied.

 

[idadd4]

So you wait until an issues develops at the most inconvenient time to service it?? This is just way too much fish manure. Totally irresponsible. I'd rather service my regulators BEFORE they develop issues when I am on a dive vacation or in the middle of a short dive season. I don't want "issues" to occur when I am diving especially when I am underwater or on an expensive dive vacation.

I can attest to this. I am the one that services my own equipment (yes, I am certified to do this). I just went through and was only halfway through the dive season, about 4 months into it. At the beginning of the season, I knew my regs weren't really used much the prior year so, I put them on the bench, checked IP and H2O flow all was spot on. My 2nd Stage and Octo were cracking at the proper according to Manufacture. Figured I was totally fine to finish out the year and then planned to full service it.

In the middle of a dive my reg started acting a little strange, squeaking and making it real close to freeflow. I was going through air at an unbelievable rate so had to end short.

When I got home, I checked my regs and my IP was well over 255. Supposed to be at 147. Tore it down and found the oring between my piston had ruptured but was still barely hanging in there. What if it had fully ruptured at a bigger depth?

I for one say at a MINIMUM, put that sucker on a Magnahelic and have it tested, leak tested and visually inspected.

Just like a motorcycle helmet - what is the cost of your life to your family? 165.00, 200.00?? I dunno only you can say that

 

[happy-diver]

I can attest to this.

What are you attesting to chief, you've assumed your regs were good and your tests amounted to nothing
So really, we work on percentages and unless we disassemble our regs every dive we work on percentages

My three IP gauges that all read different I have only used once and it shall remain that way, I work by feel
ings

Just like a motorcycle helmet - what is the cost of your life to your family? 165.00, 200.00?? I dunno only you can say that

You know I had a motorcycle helmet, I put what seemed like superficial scratches in when I went down the road
But I could never be sure if it had also sustained impact so there was always that nagging dilemma use it or not

So I did the next smartest thing and haven't ridden since, with the first being not having ridden in the first place

 

[ScubaBunga]

Ok, I tell you what, why don’t you figure out each size (exactly), the material and the durometer of each and every one of those O-rings and buy them somewhere (BTW, you won’t get those at Home Depot), then you’ll need to source the filters somewhere, then source a high pressure seat or have a machine shop make you one. I see some bushings in there too.
Then get back to us with how much time you got into it and how much you spent.

Diving is a very expensive sport that attracts the cheapest sons of bitches in the world.

that's basically what I did for my scubapro regs. I have my own kits and service my regs myself - all's good. Granted if I were closer to my LDS and didn't have multiple bad experiences with other LDS (until I found my current one), I probably would not have ended up servicing my own.

 

[ScubaBunga]

I have a regulator that was serviced (and used twice) before putting it in storage inside in a plastic bag. It looks brand new and seems to work fine topside. Do you think it should be service proactively?
Thanks

depends on how long. A year maybe a couple - it's probably fine. Longer - I'd personally have it serviced. I've purchased regs that look super, then taking them apart the o-rings crumble. Also depends on next use. If you are heading to the pool with the LDS, no worries. If heading off on a week travel, just like insurance, do you want to take the chance of messing up your trip?

 

[buddhasummer]

Did you even read the rest of my post? It wasn't that long.

I still hold that Atomic is taking the piss with its service kit pricing. Really all the manufacturers are to some extent, but Atomic is the worst.

IMO Apeks, AL and SP are well into piss taking territory now. Every time I do an order I'm scared at what new price is gonna be. It's depressing. Increases are become more frequent.