regulator questions

[Garth]

history: I don't service regulators nor do I know much about how to mess with them

question: how does one tune their regulator? what does this all mean?

further information: i will not be using your information to go and tune my regulator...

 

[snowflake4727]

Tuning a regulator involves setting the intermediate pressure on the first stage, usually between 135-145 psi. Then setting the cracking pressure (the ease of inhaling) in the second stages by tightening or loosing the hard seat against the spring pressure, which holds the soft seat. Often times when a person brings their reg back to a dive shop after service and complains about leaking, the pressure against the spring is not quite strong enough. The hard seat (knife edge) develops a seat similar to how your toes develop a seat in your shoes. This just needs to be snugged up abit.

 

[herman]

history: I don't service regulators nor do I know much about how to mess with them

question: how does one tune their regulator? what does this all mean?

further information: i will not be using your information to go and tune my regulator...

Basically it means setting up the regulator to perform the way the diver wishes. It's a balancing act between adjustments (both first and second stage) that will make the regulator breath at it's best but at the same time not freeflow or in the case of an octo, maybe setting it to breath a little harder but at the same time making it less prone to freeflow. How hard a reg breathes is partly design and partly skill/desire of the tech. The best designed reg made if adjusted or "tuned" wrong will be hard to breath from and a lesser design skillfully adjusted can breath nicely. Sometimes it just takes some careful adjusting and other times it can involve swapping or modifying parts to increase performance, most shops will not do the latter as it takes time. It will likely meet factory specs and will make 90% of all divers happy but some of us prefer our regs to be perform better than "meets specs", guess it's the old hot rodder in me.

 

[emoe1973]

There is no need to match first and second stages in modern regs. With the exception of one or 2 brands every other manuf uses between 135 and 145 psi as the IP. As long as the second stage is tuned to whatever the first is set at, brand and model do not matter.

You contradicted yourself there! I never said anything about BRANDS!

There IS a need to match the first and second stage! You said it above. AS LONG AS THE SECOND STAGE IS TUNED TO WHATEVER THE FIRST STAGE IS
Therefore they have to match.

Secondly, in modern regs there are PLENTY of models that use differing interstage pressures! regardless of that, if you send in MISMATCHED regulators for service, they will come back in pieces as the Service center wont put them together for liability reasons!

 

[herman]

My mistake, by match I assumed....and you know what that does you ment match brands. On that point we agree.

Other than Poseidon what brand uses an IP outside of the 135 to 145 range? I am unaware of any except some very old regs. As for a service center sending them back unassembled...depends on the shop and brands. I don't have a single reg that is all one brand but doing my own service that is not an issue.

 

[emoe1973]

No problem herman,

Here in the UK we do have some brands that are produced in the EU that have different specs than USA.

Theres been some issues with the AQUALUNG and OCEANIC being incompatible. So far as they are out of range on the Inter stage.

Theres a couple of others, ill check with our Equip guy tomorrow.

The rest are kinda ok to put together, just means you cant get them back in one piece if you send them in for service.
Now thats not a MAJOR problem, if the person in question is competent enough to use a little grease and be able to attach the hose to the first stage properly. (remembering if theyre using NITROX to use O2 safe grease!)

I personally dont find much benefit in having a different 2st stage to the 2nd stages, but then thats me!