Regulator Repair time?

[LeadTurn_SD]

I have no doubt that a good, experienced tech seeing the same make and model reg every day can indeed perform the work of a "routine" annual service quickly and well, and have a small "return" percentage. They can do the annual "parts-swap dance" with their eyes closed, and quickly recognize the occasional reg in for annual service that actually NEEDS servicing, and spends a little more time.

If you are still learning, and have not seen "everything" there is to see dozens of times, a slower pace would certainly seem "prudent".

My pace when servicing a regulator set is measured with a calendar, not a clock

Best wishes.

 

[halocline]

It really depends on what you are including as "service". When I buy a used reg, it's usually quite old and has a completely unknown history, so I completely disassemble it, clean and inspect it VERY thoroughly, and usually replace all the o-rings (not just the few that are replaced at annual service) and the seats, re-assemble, test and adjust. That's usually an hour or two, but sometimes quite a bit longer. One of the first MK20s with that horrible brass-tipped piston took me maybe six hours because it took a few tries of polishing the piston edge with micromesh to get rid of the IP creep. I've happily wasted a few hours monkeying around with the annoying diaphragm clip on the pilot/air 1, spent half an hour going over threads on a questionable MK5 turret bolt with a jeweler's loupe, stuff like that.

Supposedly, we do this because we like it, and want it to be done RIGHT. Who cares how long it takes? You'll get faster with experience.

Oh, I almost forgot. Occasionally I'll buy a reg that was advertised as "professionally serviced". Usually these are dirty regs with new rebuild kits. Not exactly what I'd call "professional."

 

[Hallmac]

I have no doubt that a good, experienced tech seeing the same make and model reg every day can indeed perform the work of a "routine" annual service quickly and well, and have a small "return" percentage. They can do the annual "parts-swap dance" with their eyes closed, and quickly recognize the occasional reg in for annual service that actually NEEDS servicing, and spends a little more time.

If you are still learning, and have not seen "everything" there is to see dozens of times, a slower pace would certainly seem "prudent".

Best wishes.

Now there is a well written post, even has advanced information, and unspoken truths hidden in the open. I like it. Nice job!

 

[tfsails]

I spend as much time as necessary on each stage I do. I was trained as an aircraft electronics technician, and am stubborn enough to not let anything go that I'm not convinced is really fixed. I do not depend on my regulator-servicing job for my livelihood, so I'm not under any pressure to turn things out. I'd like to think that our shop enjoys a good reputation about its service department.

Having said all that, I can turn out one complete reg a day if it's an uncomplicated rebuild, including paperwork. We do strip down everything we service down to bare parts and replace almost all o-rings; the only ones we don't replace are those odd-sized ones that aren't included in the service kit and we don't keep in stock, the book says don't need to be replaced, AND we deem still serviceable. If we see a problem with an o-ring, we replace it, regardless of the book recommendations. It's cheap insurance.

I have no qualms at all about taking a whole day on one stage if that's what it takes to get it right. Also, I won't turn out a reg unless I would dive it myself, or let a family member dive it. I might add, that a "day" to me lasts about four to five hours. It's really nice being retired and working when you WANT to...

 

[japan-diver]

After doing this and teaching others for many years I have found that most new reg techs or occasional techs waste time working on the regs by not having a well set up bench or not knowing what exact tools or parts are needed. This is a natural learning curve one complete set in an hour is a good goal- but sometimes will not always work as some regs can be tricky or require a little extra tweaking to get right. I have had a reg set take as little as 30 minutes to over a couple hours. Our rental regs which are simple piston regs that I have done hundreds of times I can do very quickly working on three or four stages at the same time. Also as the first stage is in the ultrasonic cleaner I break down the second stage and other time saving steps. Being quick comes with time and practice but having a well set up bench with all tools - needed parts - testing equipment easily within reach will cut down your time per stage more than anything. Remember its not a race and quality is more important than speed in repairs and overhauls.