Poll: Regulator failure requiring service during recreation diving

[TSandM]

I had a massive freeflow end a dive, but when I took the reg into the shop, they could find nothing wrong with it. I've had several smaller leaks that required adjustment. Nothing that was catastrophic and nothing that required replacing any parts.

 

[Rich Keller]

OK, I admit I've been a partisan participat in multiple "Regulator A is better than Regulator B" posts. However a common comment I see, goes something like "you should choose a regulator that can be serviced everywhere".

This begs the question, if this a reasonable concern or just another bit of FUD floating about in the universe

I would agree that a regulator should be able to be serviced everywhere but the only way to do that is if you know how to do the service yourself. If my reg fails during my first dive on a charter boat I will be able to fix it in time to do the second dive. There is at least one manufacture that will teach you how to do that now and I think more will follow soon.

 

[mbs]

Absolutely! First time in Roatan. IP creep. High pressure seat needed replacing and they did not have parts for it (mares 1st). Had the high pressure seat go a second time in 2011 in Bonaire and Bruce Bowker replaced it. That was my last straw with my lds...

 

[Oldbear]

The LDS that I bought it from did not properly adjust it during the annual service...I found this out while on a Liveaboard in Thailand and kept running low on gas faster than normal. Since than I have switch LDS who service my gear...and no worries since.

 

[ams511]

If my reg fails during my first dive on a charter boat I will be able to fix it in time to do the second dive.

While I agree with you on being able to service your regulators yourself, my solution is to test the regulators before the trip and always carry a spare set. I would find it too difficult to properly repair and test a regulator on a pitching boat.

 

[ColoDale]

I had my reg serviced (annual) and within a week or two left for a dive trip (international). The first dives, the first stage sounded like a truck with bad brakes with every breath in and worse the deeper I went and the primary second allowed water to enter and was much worse with head down. I had the reg "repaired" locally. All they did was crank up the intermediate pressure (above spec I found after I got back) to try to alleviate the first stage problem and said there was not problem with the second stage. These problems were not evident at the surface.

The next dives the screeching from the first stage was less but still evident on a deep breath and going deeper but better than before. I examined my second stage more closely and while I did not find any visible problems, I removed the exhaust valve (the circular and flexible valve not the hard plastic outer exhaust portion) and re-installed it and the problem mostly went away.

When I got back I took it to the guy who serviced it and he replaced the high pressure seat which he said was the problem and adjusted the intermediate pressure to specs. I had the exhaust valve replaced for good measure and bought an extra for the save a dive kit. I didn't really get a good explanation about the high pressure seat and the recent service and mostly let it go. This guy has serviced our gear for many years without issue and I still have confidence in him. The same reg with the same service from the same guy have functioned perfectly before and after this. So fluke.

None of this was a catastrophic failure of the regulator.

We religiously get our gear serviced annually and if more than a few months have passed between trips, I will take the regs in for an inspection and bench test before a trip.

 

[g1138]

Brand new Sherwood Magnum out of box, never serviced. Dove it for 5 dives, then on the next dive day it started free flowing. Turn on my tank and the reg was already spewing out a small stream of air. Wouldn't stop at all.

The orfice had somehow loosened, which was the cause of the free flow. I wouldn't call this a complete reg failure, but it's still a failure in my definition.
Didn't require parts, but at the time I didn't know how to fix it myself, nor did I know what the problem was. So it was a in-shop fix, that day.

 

[Nemrod]

Most regulators really do not need servicing every year, even every other year. The two primary issues I see with divers and their regulators on trips are:

1. The diver who dives once per year and tosses his/her regulator in the bag until next year. Then is surprised when it does not work correctly.

2. The diver who religiously gets his/her regulator serviced over and over. Then is surprised that it always has a service related issue.

I have generally carried a complete spare regulator, usually either a Titan XL or a Conshelf XIV. I have never needed it nor has my wife but numerous times we have loaned it to divers (1) and (2) above.

N

 

[miketsp]

I had a massive freeflow end a dive, but when I took the reg into the shop, they could find nothing wrong with it. I've had several smaller leaks that required adjustment. Nothing that was catastrophic and nothing that required replacing any parts.

Absolutely! First time in Roatan. IP creep. High pressure seat needed replacing and they did not have parts for it (mares 1st). Had the high pressure seat go a second time in 2011 in Bonaire and Bruce Bowker replaced it. That was my last straw with my lds...

Bonaire a couple of weeks ago, 2nd day of diving, free-flow during second dive, started slowly & gradually got worse to the point I was losing air very fast. Had to abort dive. Took it in to a shop (Bruce Bowker). IP was at 160 (too high) but wouldn't adjust and stay stable. Regulator was recently serviced (last November) and was used on 2 dive trips between service and the Bonaire trip. Regulator was new in 1995, serviced on average every 18 months, in very regular use and never presented any problem whatsoever.

So as not to waste any dives and as Bonaire prices are a lot better that here in Brazil I bought a new reg set instead of waiting for it to be serviced (24 hours) so I could get straight back to the beach. However, if I'd wanted, just about any of the local repair shops could have serviced the 1st stage and got me back diving next day.

My only concern now is that when I got home I put the faulty reg in for service at the shop that did it last November and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. IP is totally stable and easily adjustable. 1st stage (Aqualung/USDivers Cousteau) uses well-known parts. It's a diaphragm model so it's not a question of anything like sand or salt getting in to it and the main adjusting spring is in perfect condition - no corrosion.
So, absolutely no explanation.

 

[drbill]

The only reg issues I've ever had were with my regs that were well out of the suggested service interval and with a rental reg whose service history I did not know. Of course as a solo diver, I dive with a redundant air source so no problem. The two issues with my own regs happened topside before my dive when I turned the valve on so no issues underwater.