Regulator service: acceptable treatment?

[Hickdive]

From what I have seen, the better shops will replace a few components that are not part of the normal regulator repair kit (usually only includes regulator dynamic o-rings), such as HP spool o-rings and dynamic hose o-rings which are rarely part of the service kit. All other o-rings should be inspected and replaced if a problem. Most of these are static o-rings which may last quite a ling time. (I am still using some that are over 20 years in service.) If the shop wants to charge a fair price for these additional o-rings we would be talking about $.05 per; but no extra charge would probably be a better business move. I have seen shops charge for Christolube used to lubricate o-rings. That can't be good for business.

Most kits come with hose and plug o-rings (certainly Apeks and S'Pro) and they get changed. Since I'm servicing the reg and not the accessories such as SPGs I wouldn't ordinarily touch them unless asked to by the customer. Of course any leaks from the interstage hose or plug seals will be detected in the wet test and, if necessary, I'd replace them anyway without additional charge. The cost is negligible compared to giving the customer a perfect reg back.

With SPG spools, if there was a leak I'd normally just show the customer how to do their own in future whilst swapping out the problem one. They usually end up buying a couple of spools for their spares kit so I get a sale and they go away happy with a little bit of extra knowledge for free.

 

[Sieg@VU]

Our practice is to advise the customer first if there is something found that would require a charge beyond what our customer is expecting. It avoids surprises!

 

[The Chairman]

Since the most common leak seems to be the SPG, I always change the two 004 o-rings without exception. I don't replace the spool unless it's very corroded and won't clean up.

 

[Zung]

The SPG spool O-rings should be 003.

 

[The Chairman]

They are... I saw the mistake right after I hit send, but I had to attend to something else. I was wondering if anyone was actually paying attention! Good job!

 

[ams511]

No, I didn't say that, either. Let's stick to what I said, not what you want to read into it. If regulator (or a cylinder valve, or any piece of equipment that I am asked to work on, for that matter) is corroded to the point that I believe it needs to be cleaned (an uncommon situation), I will tell the customer, in advance, that it needs to be cleaned, and the charge will be $25. They are perfectly free to have the regulator serviced elsewhere if they feel that is too much. I generally use GMC cleaning solution which has been running ~$25 gallon, plus shipping. I use a hydrosonic bath, and that machine costs money to acquire, and time to maintain. I usually brush the heavier corrosion by hand and that takes my time. The customer gets value for what they pay. If someone else chooses to clean regulators for less, while they are doing something else, I have no problem with that. If a customer chooses to simply rinse their regulator thoroughly after diving, so it is in reasonably clean condition when they bring it in for service, I have no problem with that - in fact I will compliment them on it.

I am not a professional regulator technician. However, every book I ever read on the subject and every service manual I read (with the exception of Sherwood) basically lists cleaning as a SOP. Some of the posters in this thread have also mentioned cleaning as SOP. Do your customers know you do not clean the regulator? Yes an ultrasonic cleaner costs money and so do the chemicals but you are also charging money for the service. If you want to nickle and dime customers with cleaning charges and shop fees and whatever else that is your choice. However, I would not patronize a store like that for anything.

I don't think anyone in the thread has come out and said it was fine for the dive shop to replace parts without the client's approval. I am also not sure that the hose is leaking just that it was replaced. If I bring a car in for repair the shop usually gives a written estimate of the costs and will call if the estimate will be exceeded. Dive Shops generally don't do this. They will replace the parts and then bill you as the OP mentioned.

 

[redacted]

Quite frankly, you'd be a nightmare customer for most LDSes. They're quite happy you buy online.

Interesting comment. Just what do you mean by a nightmare customer? And what makes you think I meet your definition?

 

[scubafanatic]

.....

 

[vondo]

I got a long, detailed response to my e-mail from the manager of the shop, the person I usually deal with, thanking me for my feedback. It was long because I sent a long, detailed history of the service, good and bad, I got from them. There was a small leak in my hose, apparently. But the summary of it as it relates to this thread is that their policy is to replace things like hoses and mouthpieces without consulting the customer to make the set diveable out the door. Otherwise it would slow them down. The customer is free to have the items and charges removed.

To me, demanding stuff be removed feels like a conflict with the guy staffing the shop and I don't want that kind of interaction. I'd rather have suspect parts left off the assembled set and let me deal with it when I come into the shop to pick things up. Apparently the majority of their customers would prefer something different.

 

[Diver0001]

I just got back my regs from my LDS for their annual service. In addition to the usual service kits, labor charges, and $15 for "extra cleaning" two parts were replaced on my setup without my knowledge or consent: my BC hose and a mouthpiece. Total charge for the two parts was about $40.

I wasn't contacted prior to doing this, no notice on the service notes was given as to what was "wrong" with things (I could spot a few pin-hole sized holes on the mouthpiece). I made them take the mouthpiece off as it wasn't exactly what I would buy myself.

Last year I told the intake-clerk specifically not to replace the HP transmitter battery, but that was done as well. I flat out refused to pay for that; they declined to take their new one back.

So is this acceptable standard practice? I view this as taking my car in for an oil change and getting it back with a new set of tires or brakes that I didn't ask for. Am I off-base?

"extra cleaning" is a complete farce. You *always* clean a regulator during service. "Extra" cleaning implies that they don't usually "fully" clean the regulator, which is (a) simply untrue and (b) just a vulgar manner of legal pick-pocketing.

Secondly, I don't know how much a LP hose and mouthpiece cost but $40 seems high to me. Some shops may ask you to pay retail for parts but normally I would expect to be charged cost-price for parts. I think you may have paid a lot more than the retail price for parts, which I would find completely unacceptable. Ask the shop how much those parts cost if you buy them over the counter. That is the maximum price they should have charged you.

Finally, the fact in itself that they replaced parts isn't a problem. I recently took my car to the garage for routine maintenance. They called me while they were busy to say that the break shoes on the front needed to be replaced and to ask if it was ok if they put on a new pair of windshield wipers. This is kind of what you expected so the next time you take your reg in for service (no matter where you take it), you must be clear with them what your maximum budget is for service and/or under what conditions you want to be called to give permission for replacing parts.

Personally, I trust my tech. If he replaces a hose because he had some doubts about it, then I'm only happy that I have tech whose eye for detail is good and who has my best interests at heart. After all, that's why I take my regulator in for service.

R..