Reg repair fiasco (RANT)

[whitedragon13]

that's not the worst story I have heard..... I have known shops who lost or given back the wrong regulator or regulators that were returned with different guages attached to them ....... since all of us have different configurations (guages, computers, oct.) a lost or stolen unit can mean a big lost for the shop. Most of the time the stuff dangleing off the 1st stage cost more than the basic regulator to begin with. Take my advice ... write down all numbers and take a picture of your unit.

good advice. I once had a guy from RI bring a reg in, said it was breathing bad, but it had just been serviced. I opened it up and none of the parts had been replaced.

 

[whitedragon13]

As a current tech you cannot tell if the internals of the reg have been replaced just by the quality of cleaning job done to the outside of the reg. Even though that counts too. And i still agree with your story and I am not necessarily saying that they did do it, just that it is a possibility.

Yes, I can tell...you should be able to, as well, if you look closely enough. None, and I mean none of the corrosion was gone. Some of it would've been removed simply by opening up the case, removing the washer/filter, and removing the octo & primary. It was f'n obvious that it hadn't been opened, hence, not repaired. The threads on the yoke still had corrosion, which should've been removed when they opened the case. If you think about it, there are a lot of signs that a reg hasn't been opened up...new zip ties for example.

And let's say for instance, that it somehow HAD been opened without disturbing the corrosion, etc...would you trust a repair tech wouldn't even clean the exterior? Not I.

Do any repair techs not provide the baggie of old parts when they're finished?

 

[rescuediver009]

It was f'n obvious that it hadn't been opened, hence, not repaired....new zip ties for example.

Ok true that. That one is a given.

Do any repair techs not provide the baggie of old parts when they're finished?

I know that I do. With all this support, if I was you I would have a great ole time going back there and remaing the tech and then the owner of the shop. If they are new, their habbits will only get worse.... Ream 'em out.

 

[oxyhacker]

One more good reason for not taking too good care of your regulator - if the thing is covered with green corrosion flowers and muck when you bring it in, then you'll be able to tell in an instant when you pick it up whether they have really done anything.

Just kidding. But most regs will show some signs of use, if you look hard enough, corrosion of the yoke screw or other threads, or discoloration of the filter being the more obvious, and it's worth noting these before and after servicing, to confirm that the reg was really opened.

It was f'n obvious that it hadn't been opened, hence, not repaired. The threads on the yoke still had corrosion, which should've been removed when they opened the case.

 

[rescuediver009]

But most regs will show some signs of use, if you look hard enough, corrosion of the yoke screw or other threads, or discoloration of the filter being the more obvious, and it's worth noting these before and after servicing, to confirm that the reg was really opened.

If I had to take note of some of the features on a regulator to make sure that it was avtually opened for service I think that I would be going elsewhere. think life support. Even if you mail it out somewhere for a better service, what does that add up to ten bucks either way?

 

[dive4funOften]

At least you got all your parts back! Mine were missing!

 

[android]

What's the standard QA procedure for regulator servicing and repair?

When I was in aviation, everything that was safety of flight had to be signed off by at least two people.

 

[whitedragon13]

Ah...the rest of the story. I took my reg back, and went to ANOTHER repair shop. I called first and made sure they had the parts in stock. Yep. "It'll be done Friday." I call Friday "we haven't started it yet, it'll be done Monday." I call Monday, "guy hasn't finished it yet, and he won't be in until Tuesday." I wait until Friday and go back. It's in pieces. The owner is there, but the repair guys aren't. He calls them and chews them out, and promises it will be done that day AND they'll deliver it to the shop nearest me.

I get a call from the repair guy "We need your credit card number, or we won't deliver your reg." I told him he was crazy if he thought he was going to get my cc # before I saw the reg. He hung up. 2 minutes later, the other repair guy calls "what's the problem?" he asks. I tell him that after being jerked around by the first shop for 6 weeks, and his shop for 2 weeks, that I'd have to be nuts to pay without seeing it. He tells me I'm not being jerked around, and that he's "doing his best." I said, "If you were doing your best, I would've had my reg LAST Friday."

Got it back, it was fixed, but no bag of parts. Reg repair here SUCKS.

What's the standard QA procedure for regulator servicing and repair?

When I was in aviation, everything that was safety of flight had to be signed off by at least two people.

None..Usually, if the intermediate isn't flakey, and there's no "hiss," you're good to go.

 

[garyfotodiver]

After reading many posts about service, I begin to think that perhaps it is not always the repair shop's fault. Example, I took my daughter's Mares R2 regulator to my LDS in Florida. The regulator was bought from LP, and the octo and console on eBAY.

NO PROBLEM! No questions, the cost was the same as for my regulator that was bought there, the reg was ready on time.

To paraphrase Will Shakespeare, methinks the diver doth protest too much.

 

[whitedragon13]

After reading many posts about service, I begin to think that perhaps it is not always the repair shop's fault. Example, I took my daughter's Mares R2 regulator to my LDS in Florida. The regulator was bought from LP, and the octo and console on eBAY.

NO PROBLEM! No questions, the cost was the same as for my regulator that was bought there, the reg was ready on time.

To paraphrase Will Shakespeare, methinks the diver doth protest too much.

Not sure what you're trying to say, there, Gary...that because your service was good, I shouldn't complain? That somehow it's my fault that it took two shops 6 weeks to do a 2 hour repair? That I should overlook the fact that last year, a different dive shop performed my service, didn't tighten down the second stage properly which fell off just prior to a dive?