Regulators & Manufacturers Which I Should Pass on?

[Bubbletrubble]

I think even with good maintenance and storage, 2 years is the outside.

South Jersey (air/water) must be hard on regs. That hasn't been my experience at all here in SoCal, but then again I don't own nearly as many regs as you do.

I find that my regs work just fine at around the 2.5-3 year mark post-overhaul.
Outside the normal parts replaced during an overhaul, I haven't had to change the reg mouthpieces, 2nd stage diaphragms, or exhaust valves in many years (8?). Can't think of anything else that would be prone to dry rot, with the exception of hoses. The hoses I own haven't shown any wear for a number of years. A couple years ago I switched over to a long hose primary setup and had to purchase new hoses of different lengths.

 

[scubafanatic]

My apologies. I don't currently own any reg set. I asked my question to get a better understanding of the why/when a person would purchase a reg setup (e.g.: A Titan) and perhaps advanced to a supposedly more sophisticated one (e.g.: An Atomic).

Rey...

Dude, among my fleet of reg sets are (4) pre 2008 Titan LX's, and (2) Atomics (M1 and T2)...plus half a dozen or so Poseidon Jetstreams (configured for both single and double tanks), ....(2) Apeks XTX 200's.....and a number of older Mares regs......and a number of 'vintage' (rare) twin hose regs....etc. I've tested ALL my regs to 150' +, ...except for my 'vintage' regs.......and actually they have all performed just fine, including my 'low buck' Titan LX's, took them (Titan LX's with balanced 2nd-stages) to 150' in Cozumel numerous times August 2010 for a week of diving (20 dives), and I was prefectly happy with them, performed just fine.

If you pinned me down, my fav regs are a close call between my Atomics and my Apeks regs, but I was surprised at how well my Titan LX's performed, so if $ is an issue, I'm sure a Titan LX (with balanced 2nd stage) will be just fine unless you're going hard core 'techie'.

 

[kwinter]

Can't think of anything else that would be prone to dry rot, with the exception of hoses.

I'll send you some rotted piston o-rings and seats. Telling someone they can go 3 years without service is irresponsible. Do what you want with your regs. I'm done with this.

 

[redacted]

I've seen regs that were not even used that needed service after 2 years from dry rot. I think even with good maintenance and storage, 2 years is the outside. I believe there are a couple of manufacturers that give lifetime parts and require service every 2 years. I have at least 20 regs. Some bought new and some used. Just my opinion based on experience.

So what is it you do for the servicing of those 20 + regulators?

I have a number of regulators that are well over 5 years since the last service and still working great. I have seen some cracking and brittle o-rings but they were probably well past the 20 year point in service.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

I'll send you some rotted piston o-rings and seats. Telling someone they can go 3 years without service is irresponsible. Do what you want with your regs. I'm done with this.

I wouldn't say it's "irresponsible."

I monitor reg performance at periodic intervals and recommend that others do this, regardless of the servicing schedule. I would be happy to service them more frequently if there were a deterioration in performance. FYI, all of my first stages are balanced diaphragms and environmentally sealed. Perhaps piston first stages require more frequent servicing, I don't know.
As for the rotted piston o-rings and seats, there's no need to send them. I believe you. If I didn't, there'd be no way for me to determine how long the parts were in service/storage and whether the reg was maintained properly anyway.

All of the major reg failures (just a handful) that I've witnessed among my circle of dive buddies have occurred shortly after an overhaul by a "certified" reg tech. These experiences compelled me to learn how to DIY service my regs as needed and rely on frequent reg performance monitoring.

 

[herman]

I'll send you some rotted piston o-rings and seats. Telling someone they can go 3 years without service is irresponsible. Do what you want with your regs. I'm done with this.

There is no way the orings in reg go bad in 2 years during normal service or storage. Modern rubber products simply do not rot that fast. Now improperly installed or incorrect lubes can do that but simple dry rot, no way. And seats HP seats again, no way.... most are teflon , which has a shelf life of dozens of years if not decades. As a side hobby I restore old 50s, 60s and 70s regs. With the exception of duckbills and mouthpiece valves in double hose regs which were know for early failure, the vast majority of orings in 20 and 30 yo regs are fine, modern rubbers are even better. My reg routinely go 4 or more years before service, their IP and performance are checked often.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

1+ regarding the points made by awap, bubbletruble, herman, et. al., regarding the longevity of o-rings (and other bits and pieces) in a properly stored regulator.

Dive shops will sell new "old" stock that has sat for that long (or longer) without hesitation. How many shops are really doing a full overhaul on a brand new regulator that sat unsold for a couple years???

Not many.

Careful "once-over" visual inspection, sure. Hook it up to a tank, test the IP, make sure it breathes ok, test for leaks, etc.? Certainly. But tear it down and rebuild it just because it is >2 years old??

Not likely.

Best wishes.