Petrel repaired by Rebreathers, USA

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mruseless

Contributor
Messages
305
Reaction score
35
Location
Denver, Colorado, USA
# of dives
500 - 999
I just wanted to give a shout out to Rebreathers, USA in Everett, WA for the fantastic service on my Shearwater Petrel.

I took out my dive gear recently for a trip, and my Petrel would not turn on. I opened the battery compartment to find a leaking battery. Perhaps it was my mistake for leaving a battery in for several months, but there is nothing in the Petrel manual that says you need to remove the battery for long term storage. Plus, I’ve had a battery in it for as long as I’ve owned it, for months at a time with no issues. Anyway, I cleaned the battery compartment and put in a new battery. Still wouldn’t start.

Shearwater referred me to Rebreathers USA for repairs. They did a fantastic job, not only fixing the battery contacts, but also replacing the battery door, the front clear coverplate (which had a couple deep scratches), and also updated the firmware. Turnaround was only a couple weeks total, and the cost was very reasonable.

As a side note, I’m filing a damage claim with Duracell, since the battery was not past it’s expiration date and the Petrel manual does not advise removing the battery for storage. Good thing I saved the battery. Duracell will probably deny the claim, but it never hurts to ask. Rebreathers USA helped by making sure the cause listed on the repair invoice was a leaking battery.

Thanks again to Rebreathers USA, I highly recommend them for Shearwater repairs!
 
Glad it worked out. Indeed, I didn't see any mention of battery removal for long-term storage in the Petrel manual, but Shearwater does include a warning in the Perdix manual (pg. 79): https://www.shearwater.com/manuals/Perdix-Operating-Intructions-Manual.pdf

"Alkaline batteries are especially prone to leaking corrosive battery acid when completely discharged. Remove discharged batteries immediately, and do not store your Perdix for more than 2 months with an alkaline battery installed."
 
Glad it worked out. Indeed, I didn't see any mention of battery removal for long-term storage in the Petrel manual, but Shearwater does include a warning in the Perdix manual (pg. 79): https://www.shearwater.com/manuals/Perdix-Operating-Intructions-Manual.pdf

"Alkaline batteries are especially prone to leaking corrosive battery acid when completely discharged. Remove discharged batteries immediately, and do not store your Perdix for more than 2 months with an alkaline battery installed."


Good to know, I would have left them in there until they were dead.
 
I ruined a light with Alkalines. They are now promptly removed from my Shearwater , light and everything else for storage.
 
Good points, I didn't see the Perdix manual since I don't have one (yet!). Needless to say, I will be removing the battery from my Shearwaters in the future!
 
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Good points, I didn't see the Perdix manual since I don't have one (yet!). Needless to say, I will be removing the battery from my Shearwaters in the future!

I remove the batteries from everything if I'm not going to be using it in the near future. I lost a few lights due to batteries dying a horrible death inside.
 
It's good to know there's a company that can work on them, thanks for sharing.
I only run a quality lithium battery in my shearwater. As I understand it, they are less likely to leak. I just changed one that I ran for over a year with no problems. Food for thought
 

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