Regulator annual inspection

[ppatin]

Rent a tank-->go through the http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/regulators/346813-regulator-inspection-checklist-rev-7-a.html--> have your gear serviced only when needed-->save money--> spend it on diving.

Regulator inspections can be done for $10 per stage, the amount of money I'd save by renting a tank and doing my own inspection would be pretty minimal, especially considering the hassle of hauling a scuba tank back home in my car and then returning it to the shop.

Don't get me wrong, I am pro-DIY and people getting to know their equipment better but in this case the effort of renting a tank and doing the inspection seems a little excessive in order to save a few bucks.

---------- Post added August 24th, 2013 at 12:47 PM ----------

Not so fast.... The lack of a cylinder is not a free pass on inspection or service. The need for service due to wear and tear is probably a number of years and 100s of dives away. What you need to be comfortable with is how the equipment has been handled. Has the inlet been exposed to salt water? Have the second stages been crapped up with sand muck etc. A few wrong moves can make a mess in a weekend.

The regulator checklist is a great tool. Are you in the market for a cylinder? Can you just do the inspection before or even after diving? Part 2 is reflection on how you have handled this gear.

Pete

Point taken. I was very careful with my reg though, always kept the first stage opening dry and it was only used in fairly clear, non-mucky water. Its been stored in a cool, dry place. I'm not worried about it having been abused.

I'm definitely not in the market for a cylinder. I live in Maryland and going diving means at the very minimum a trip to Florida. I understand the benefits of being able to attach your gear to a cylinder at home but the expense of buying an air cylinder and the hassle of keeping it in my basement seems a bit much.

Sorry if these all seem like naive questions but I'm not very familiar with what "real-life" maintenance for scuba gear should be. I get that regs need to be periodically serviced but I have no idea if the annual inspection recommendation is excessive for a reg that has been handled gently and used lightly.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

There's a buttload of diving in Maryland and within a couple hours drive in just about any direction.

 

[Couv]

Regulator inspections can be done for $10 per stage, the amount of money I'd save by renting a tank and doing my own inspection would be pretty minimal, especially considering the hassle of hauling a scuba tank back home in my car and then returning it to the shop.......

Hi Ppatin,

The money saved is not realized by inspecting it yourself; it is saved by not having an unneeded overhaul (sometimes an underhaul as the bible calls it) performed. Don't forget, if your regulator is performing well you will only increase the chance of failure by having someone open it up. I also recommend going through our checklist after receiving it back from the shop.

You might consider the Master's advice.

No reason you can not do an adequate inspection before/after any dive you do with the tank that you are using.

 

[ppatin]

The money saved is not realized by inspecting it yourself; it is saved by not having an unneeded overhaul (sometimes an underhaul as the bible calls it) performed. Don't forget, if your regulator is performing well you will only increase the chance of failure by having someone open it up. I also recommend going through our checklist after receiving it back from the shop.

Thanks. I wasn't planning on having it overhauled, just inspected. Even if I use the strict "by the book" rules I won't need an overhaul until next year.

---------- Post added August 24th, 2013 at 02:20 PM ----------

There's a buttload of diving in Maryland and within a couple hours drive in just about any direction.

I hate to sound like a wimp but cold quarries and lakes with a couple feet of visibility have no appeal to me.

 

[spectrum]

ppatin,

I can see what ocean diving is not at your doorstep but I'll cut to the chase because this point means a lot to me. The most effective way to become a safe and competent diver is to dive often and for most the has to include local diving. With less that 10 dives per year based on your profile statistics you are missing out on a lot of fun. Have you even tried these local opportunities? I acknowledge that this thread is not about your skills but your reasons for not owning a single cylinder just do not hold water in my book. With that off of my chest I'll more on.

The brand of regulator you bought has 2 things that set it apart. 1) it's cheap (affordable), 2 The marketing plan makes it easy for the end user to get parts. If you don't want to leverage #2 then a locally serviced rig may be a better choice. I only say this for the benefit of lurking readers.

The final head scratcher for me is the distance. Can you find no other redeeming value in making a 35 mile drive for this infrequent service? My daily commute is nearly that distance and I often go farther for for much more trivial causes, like a nice dive.

Pete

 

[ppatin]

Spectrum:

I'm absolutely willing to make the drive if the consensus is that it's worth taking it to an Edge dealer for an inspection. I simply didn't know if an inspection (as opposed to an overhaul) could be done by any competent shop or only by a place that services/overhauls Edge equipment.

Re: end user getting parts, my understanding was that they only sell Hog parts and they'll only train you to service them if you have some sort of tech diving certification.

Re: local opportunities, I'll check out the mid-Atlantic forum since it's rather off topic.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I can sell the kits to anyone. As far as an inspection a medium flat rate box takes two days tops to get to me from MD. One day to do the inspection and back in the mail the next day. While any competent tech can do an inspection they do need to know what they are looking at and if it's correct.

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2