Regulator Service "Inspection"

[vinsanity]

I'm mechanically inclined, so the idea of servicing my regulators is tempting, but I'm not ready to dive in and call up rsingler just yet.

However, when I review the documentation from my annual services by my LDS, only every other year is a rebuild. The other years say "inspection." After some casual digging into rebuilding regulators, it looks like some o-rings and such are recommended never to be reused. This makes me suspicious that the inspection does not involve disassembling my gear. If that's the case, or if it's just 1/2 disassembling the 2nd stage, then I'd like to do that myself, and take it to my LDS for rebuilds.

I found the list of easy items in the Regulator Inspection sticky: Regulator Inspection and Checklist (Rev-8)

Anyone know what else they may be doing to determine that it's fine to keep using for another year until rebuilding?

 

[tbone1004]

only other thing involved in an inspection is adjustment of the cracking pressure of the second stages to make sure they're in spec.

 

[vinsanity]

only other thing involved in an inspection is adjustment of the cracking pressure of the second stages to make sure they're in spec.

Yeah, a detailed visual inspection (perhaps including inside the 2nd stage), verify the IP is correct and stable, and making sure the 2nd stage cracking pressure was still right was really all I could think of.

 

[tmassey]

Two things:

One, don’t wait. Dive into regulator repair. Check out @rsingler ’s class. I’ve written a couple of reviews of my experience. For the cost of a couple of regulator rebuilds, you’ll know way, way more about all of the details, and unless your regular technician is uncommonly conscientious, you’ll do a better job, too.

Two, check out @couv ’s checklist of regulator examination here on scuba board. That checklist is going to be at least as thorough as anything you’re going to get from a manufacturer. Cool thing is: once you get good at it, you can do it every time you take your regs out: it takes like 10 minutes to do.

ETA: ‘dive into it’: boy, that’s a terrible and unintended pun… Please forgive me.

 

[tursiops]

Two, check out @couv ’s checklist of regulator examination here on scuba board.

That's the link he gave in the OP.

 

[tmassey]

That's the link he gave in the OP.

Way short term memory loss!

 

[rsingler]

Maybe next up? A short YouTube video on how to measure cracking effort with a bowl of water and a ruler.
Anybody want to do it and beat me to the punch, go right ahead!

My wife almost aborted her OW Dive #3 on the shared air ascent, which would have failed the class (or required "remedial learning").
She was used to pool training and her initial open water dives on my regs.
The octo her instructor handed her was so stiff and out of tune, she thought something was wrong and almost bolted for "lack of air".

Fortunately she stuck it out and passed. Now she's a stickler for a properly tuned second.

 

[tmassey]

Fortunately she stuck it out and passed. Now she's a stickler for a properly tuned second.

Off-topic, but that’s why I am always a stickler for high-quality octo’s. I see no reason to escalate what is already a high stress situation just because you’re too cheap to spend more than $49 for the octo.

Of course, it didn’t hurt that my most consistent dive buddy was also my daughter. And now that I do primary donate, you can bet that they’re both high-quality!

 

[vinsanity]

Maybe next up? A short YouTube video on how to measure cracking effort with a bowl of water and a ruler.
Anybody want to do it and beat me to the punch, go right ahead!

That would be cool. Closest I got is,

Alec Peirce showing how to use a Magnehelic:

And a DIY thread here for making a Slanted U-Tube Manometer from a fish tank hose & some wood:
DIY Magnehelic Gauge

 

[tmassey]

OK, if you’re digging up resources like this and are comfortable with them: take the darn class.