Regulator Advice (Beuchat)

[idocsteve]

Reg service error failures are the type of failures that can make a regulator fail completely (as in stop delivering gas to the mouthpiece of your 2nd stage) and force you to resort to your emergency plans. Failing to service a reg until it shows some performance indication of a need for service is quite unlikely to create a serious failure.

You are advocating to not have your regs serviced until they show a serious problem because the technician might screw up when servicing them and the regulator is more likely to fail as a result?

Now I've heard everything.

I'll continue trust my licensed Dive Shop and it's owner to properly service my regs on an annual basis before a serious problem arises, thanks anyway.

 

[widget]

Beuchat made, and still do make, great regs, its very sad they have such poor representation globally.

The parts are still available in europe if you feel like importing a few spares, but if not, all is not lost, to me, it sounds like the very old VX10 system (ie) the one with the silver metal knurled flow restriction adjuster on the second stage (this was sold as a factory matched set around 1993-1995) - this reg was based on APEKS parts and if you can source the relevant Apeks kit the seats etc all work, there may just be a few o-rings etc which are differant and not in the kit, but the main parts are interchangeable.

The more modern Beuchat reg models were changed somewhat and the spares for them are Beuchat specific, however they (The modern regs) all have referances like VXT 10 - to differentuate them - if your second stage just refers VX - you can be fairly sure its an older model.

If you feel like it and can post a pic, I can tell you for sure though.

 

[widget]

I'm diving with a Beuchat for several years now. I bought it on Ebay when saving a few bucks was more important than my life.

Turns out it was money well spent, it's a great regulator, my dive shop told me when they initially serviced it that it was equivalent to a $400 reg...it's even got that adjustment to make it less likely to freeflow.

However parts are no longer available. They can still service it to some extent, and replace some of the more universal parts such as O-rings but this past year they told me it's days are numbered.

It doesn't owe me anything.

Is that a VX or a VS model idocsteve?

The VS models are just simple units and generic spares are availble everywhere, the VX units though are the bug bear - but as I said above the reg was originally designed around the APEKS parts, although later models were changed a bit and the spares became more specific.

 

[redacted]

You are advocating to not have your regs serviced until they show a serious problem because the technician might screw up when servicing them and the regulator is more likely to fail as a result?

Now I've heard everything.

I'll continue trust my licensed Dive Shop and it's owner to properly service my regs on an annual basis before a serious problem arises, thanks anyway.

I advocate servicing your regs when you experience ANY indication of a problem. And I advocate that you perform a thorough inspection of your regulators frequently including monitering IP. I do not suggest you wait until it becomes serious. I also do not advocate fixing something that is not broken as it is so easy to do more harm than good.

Your dive shop tech does not have a license. He might only have a day of training if he is even an authorized tech.

If you consider the reliability of a regulator over time and selected event (like servicing), the reliability of a regulator fall off immediately after service. To be fair, two things come into play there. First, if you service periodically, then you tend to be servicing a perfectly fine regulator. So it can come out of such service either still perfectly fine or with a problem (likely service induced). Secondly, there are usually only two prerequisites for becoming and "authorized" technician. One is you attend a 1 or 2 day manufacturer course on reg servicing. The other is that you work in an LDS. There are some very good and experienced tech out there. Perhaps you have found one. And there are techs that would have a hard time assembling a model car. I found a few I would not trust when I first started out.

 

[halocline]

I'll continue trust my licensed Dive Shop and it's owner to properly service my regs on an annual basis before a serious problem arises, thanks anyway.

What license is that? License to sell, that's what!

How would you feel if anyone could take a one-day, no fail seminar and hang up a shingle as an eye doctor? Would you recommend annual exams? How about lasik?

There simply is no licensing and peer-reviewed evaluation process for scuba techs; you just work at a dive shop and that's it. Which, of course, does not mean that all dive shop techs are incompetent, probably most are not.

Most importantly, though, we have to get past this absurd practice of equating the dive gear industry's mantra of "annual service or else" with dive safety. If the industry was really concerned about the 'dangers' of recreational scuba, maybe they'd consider a certification course that lasted more than 3 days.

The fact is that scuba is a very safe activity, and even the most basic of recreational training courses teach divers to have contingency plans for equipment failure. If you really feel that a reg failure is cause for "extreme danger of injury or death" I'd say you have failed to grasp the most fundamental concepts of safe diving.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

I advocate servicing your regs when you experience ANY indication of a problem. And I advocate that you perform a thorough inspection of your regulators frequently including monitering IP. I do not suggest you wait until it becomes serious. I also do not advocate fixing something that is not broken as it is so easy to do more harm than good.

Your dive shop tech does not have a license. He might only have a day of training if he is even an authorized tech.

If you consider the reliability of a regulator over time and selected event (like servicing), the reliability of a regulator fall off immediately after service. To be fair, two things come into play there. First, if you service periodically, then you tend to be servicing a perfectly fine regulator. So it can come out of such service either still perfectly fine or with a problem (likely service induced). Secondly, there are usually only two prerequisites for becoming and "authorized" technician. One is you attend a 1 or 2 day manufacturer course on reg servicing. The other is that you work in an LDS. There are some very good and experienced tech out there. Perhaps you have found one. And there are techs that would have a hard time assembling a model car. I found a few I would not trust when I first started out.

The highlighted statement above is the one that most folks don't understand when we get into these "discussions" regarding annual service, warranties, "Life Support", etc.

There are some great techs out there, "authorized" and "unauthorized", working in shops or independantly. But you cannot automatically assume the guy (or gal) who services your reg during annual is uniquely qualified to do so because they've completed the "automatic-pass" 1-day course offered by the manufacturer.

For some "then versus now" perspective:

When I started diving in 1976, I asked the owner/instructor/service tech of my LDS as he handed me my brand new regulator how often I should bring the regulator in for maintenance. He raised an eyebrow, and when he saw that I was serious, told me "When it needs it, you'll know."

He then took the time to explain a little bit about how regulators worked, what to watch for, etc. He basically did for me what this thread now does for folks reading this board:

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/4320058-post14.html

All regulators will need to be serviced. Some sooner, some later. I do not believe today's regs are so much less reliable than my mid-level reg from the '70's that they require annual service or they will fail. I do think regs should be inspected (by the diver) much more frequently than once a year, but a full service should not by required annually in most cases. Again, refer to the link above regarding inspections that any diver can perform.

Best wishes.

 

[Squirm88]

Thanks for the advice thus far. I think I may give repairing the regulator a shot. In its day it was consider a top end regulator that met the Navy class A requirements. I was very satisfied with it in the less than 50 dives that I used it. I thought it breathed great although I never used it below 120' and don't intend to now.

Here's a picture of the regulator in question:

The 2nd stage reads "VX 10". Not VS or VXT.

 

[redacted]

The 2nd stage reads "VX 10". Not VS or VXT.

If you speak french, this should be good documentation.

http://www.frogkick.dk/manuals/beuchat/

 

[rstofer]

You are advocating to not have your regs serviced until they show a serious problem because the technician might screw up when servicing them and the regulator is more likely to fail as a result?

I sent in 3 reg sets for service and within minutes of use, all 3 free-flowed. Now, I realize that a free-flow isn't a life-threatening condition but if the simple things aren't done, what else is set to fail? Sure, they were readjusted for free but that's not the point.

I absolutely believe that the regulator I used yesterday is safer than the one I got back from the shop today. I would be willing to dive a regulator that hasn't been serviced in years and years if it would breathe well on the surface. But I am always skeptical of recently repaired regs.

I feel the same way about ALL mechanical systems. I would always rather use the one that worked the last time I used it than something that is new or recently serviced. And that specifically includes automobiles.

We had the FRONT brakes repaired on our truck. It was time... So we took it to the dealer and when they drove it out for us to pick up, there was brake fluid POURING from the REAR brakes. Their response? "Well, it's an old truck!" Now, I used to work for a dealership and I know darn well they forgot to close the bleeder valves. They actually thought we would be interested in buying new cylinders!

It is not in my nature to trust others.

Richard

 

[nordiques]

i realize that you are from orlando but there is shop i Montreal Quebec that just recently started selling Beuchat Equipment. They are very competent people and they must have some knowledge about your reg and the parts it needs. Give them a call or send them an e-mail! The shops name is Total Diving. I don't know the # by heart but off google you should find their website very easily.

Good luck