Really disappointed in my regs right now

[Scott M]

I am diving Apeks, ATX200 primary w/ATX50 back-up. These regs are a little over 4 years old, have had only 51 dives on them, have been very well cared for and were rebuilt a little over a year ago.

Now my primary is seeping and nothing I do will stop it and back-up is breathing very wet. When I see people in the pool diving really old LDS crap that have had thousands and thousands of dives on them and are thrown around like old luggage it really gets to me that my top end regs barely made it 50 dives before having problems.

I guess I have to send them out for service which I hate to do because I have a new dry suit sitting here I really wanted to get wet.

 

[james croft]

You hit the nail on the head. I have a gnarly old set of rental regs that don't leak or breath wet and look like crap. I say a swap is in order and I will take those Apeks regs off your hands...

 

[fisherdvm]

Might check your mouthpiece to see if it is torn. Shine a light into the exhaust valve and see if the flapper valve is torn or have crud stuck on it. If the cap can easily be removed, check and see if the diaphram is seated properly, and not torn.

There are not too many places I can think that seepage can occur. Some one else can add.

 

[Scott M]

You hit the nail on the head. I have a gnarly old set of rental regs that don't leak or breath wet and look like crap. I say a swap is in order and I will take those Apeks regs off your hands...

If you had been at the edge of the pool last night when I first got out ?I probably would have taken you up on that. I have had some time to cool down. I can't blame you for trying though.

 

[Scott M]

Might check your mouthpiece to see if it is torn. Shine a light into the exhaust valve and see if the flapper valve is torn or have crud stuck on it. If the cap can easily be removed, check and see if the diaphram is seated properly, and not torn.

There are not too many places I can think that seepage can occur. Some one else can add.

We were with an LDS owner (not an apeks dealer) so he took them with him last night to have a look at them. It's just odd that two regs go at once. I dove these regs in PDC just a month ago and they were great.

Thanks for the tips.

 

[james croft]

Put the regs on the tank valve with the air off or with the dust cap on and try to draw in a breath with a light but firm draw. It you get air it is most likey from the exhaust valve which may have debris on it which prevents it from sealing. Remove the box cover and make sure your diaphram is not torn and seated properly. Check to see if your mouthpiece is not ripped. Probably a simple fix for a wet breathing reg.

 

[spectrum]

Scott M,

If you think about it toy problem isn't so much with air delivery as it is breathing chamber integrity.

Loose or damaged mouthpiece
Debris in the exhaust valves
Cracked case(s)

Why two? Did they start behaving wet at the same time? If so did your last dive include an exit through turbid surf where sand and crud may have gotten in both? What is your cleaning routine like?

Did the problems start after the rebuild?

Did something nest in them?:11:

There is a probably an easy solution and I'd start by making these an opportunity to understand your regulators a little more.

Case cracks, exhaust valve and mouthpiece inspections are all "save a dive 101" things to look for. If resetting/replacing the mouthpiece and flushing the exhaust does not help have it looked at.

As for reliability, I don't think Apex has a lock on anything special. I have seen more dives called for the few APEX regulators seen around here than all the others combined.

Pete

 

[Scott M]

Scott M,

If you think about it toy problem isn't so much with air delivery as it is breathing chamber integrity.

Loose or damaged mouthpiece
Debris in the exhaust valves
Cracked case(s)

Why two? Did they start behaving wet at the same time?

They both started acting up at the same time.

If so did your last dive include an exit through turbid surf where sand and crud may have gotten in both? What is your cleaning routine like?

My last dives where in PDC we did four days of ocean diving, nothing out of the ordinary and the last day we did two cenotes dives which is nice crystal clear fresh water.

Did the problems start after the rebuild?

It has been a over a year since the rebuild and they have dove fine. I did not like the way they came back to me (Scratched) but they were working fine.

Did something nest in them?:11:

It's only been a month or so since I last used them and I keep them in a reg bag so I doubt it but you never know.

There is a probably an easy solution and I'd start by making these an opportunity to understand your regulators a little more.

Case cracks, exhaust valve and mouthpiece inspections are all "save a dive 101" things to look for. If resetting/replacing the mouthpiece and flushing the exhaust does not help have it looked at.

As for reliability, I don't think Apex has a lock on anything special. I have seen more dives called for the few APEX regulators seen around here than all the others combined.

Pete

Pete, great advise and thanks for the help. I really y do not like anyone touching any of my stuff. I do my own service and work on everything I own. This is about the only item I send out for servvice. A basic understanding of them and being able to at least hit some of the simple problems is the least I should know. Time to get more aquainted with my regs.

 

[Scott M]

Put the regs on the tank valve with the air off or with the dust cap on and try to draw in a breath with a light but firm draw. It you get air it is most likey from the exhaust valve which may have debris on it which prevents it from sealing. Remove the box cover and make sure your diaphram is not torn and seated properly. Check to see if your mouthpiece is not ripped. Probably a simple fix for a wet breathing reg.

James, I now wish I had held onto them instead of giving them to the LDS I was with. I would have liked to gone through some of this stuff and seen if I could determine what was wrong at least on the basic things that could be going wrong.

 

[The Chairman]

I always carry an IP gauge with me... it makes diagnosis easier. Diaphragm reg IPs change over time as the diaphragm deforms. A slightly elevated IP can cause that seepage (I assume you mean air).