Rotating Spare Regulators Into Regular Use

[RobPNW]

Multiple people here have advocated using same model primary and backup regulators, and also having a ready spare 1st and 2nd stage for purposes of saving a dive/dive trip.

On my vehicle, I have a full size spare that gets put on a wheel at every tire rotation and one of the active tires becomes the spare. So I'm thinking something like that would be worth considering for regulator spares.

My question is, do you have a system for doing that? Do you rotate the spares into operation every "X" dives or months? And how does that impact your service plan?

 

[BoltSnap]

My main spare is just that, Atomic B2, that doesn't see much action except few dives a year to test it to make sure that all is good with it.

 

[RobPNW]

My main spare is just that, Atomic B2, that doesn't see much action except few dives a year to test it to make sure that all is good with it.

Understood and I'm still thinking through a system that might work for me. I'm hoping to do 2-3 dive trips a year. So maybe I rotate a spare 1st and 2nd stage into use every couple trips, and one of my actives becomes the new spare. Over the course of two years, they all have pretty similar usage and that two year mark might be a good service schedule on all of them.

 

[lexvil]

It was for years standard practice with critical equipment, feed water pumps, fuel oil pumps etc. to rotate them on a regular schedule, what ends up happening is when one has enough hours of use to break, the other is also ready to break.

 

[RobPNW]

It was for years standard practice with critical equipment, feed water pumps, fuel oil pumps etc. to rotate them on a regular schedule, what ends up happening is when one has enough hours of use to break, the other is also ready to break.

So what can be said for the self life of a spare from a service standpoint? Even though it's not in use, I assume parts age and need service. How long would you let a spare sit unused before servicing?

 

[lexvil]

So what can be said for the self life of a spare from a service standpoint? Even though it's not in use, I assume parts age and need service. How long would you let a spare sit unused before servicing?

It’s measured in years, get an ip gauge and check every so often.

 

[James79]

So what can be said for the self life of a spare from a service standpoint? Even though it's not in use, I assume parts age and need service. How long would you let a spare sit unused before servicing?

This is one of the few things where balanced seconds have a huge advantage over unbalanced. An unbalanced second will take a set in the soft seat in roughly the same amount of time whether used or not. Balanced seconds will last longer on the shelf without taking a set. Even at that, my unbalanced seconds with DIY seats (softer than factory and take a set faster) still last 2 to 3 years... Then I just flip or replace the seat.

Respectfully,

James

 

[Bigbella]

My question is, do you have a system for doing that? Do you rotate the spares into operation every "X" dives or months? And how does that impact your service plan?

I have a large number of Poseidon regulators -- most of which get cycled through the course of a year; or at least, I attempt to do so. Since I service them all, and am confident that they remain in working order, it frankly doesn't matter which I choose.

The brand choice was based upon their high performance; a sixty-plus year reputation; and upon ready parts availability -- even for models that were decades-old. On SB, there are frequent enough accounts of either a scarcity or even a manufacturer's embargo on service kits, for far more recent equipment.

Some of the regulators are chosen just for their compactness -- or, more realistically, whatever happens to be on hand, such as a Cyklon or Xstream; some for rougher surf entries, such as a Jetstream which can be ”turned off" by way of a convenient switch; or some others for full-face mask use, for collecting samples in harbors, or other "suspect" waters.

Years ago, I wound up being tapped for the annual maintenance of fourteen or fifteen regulators, for an environmental testing company -- sent for training to Long Bech, since I already had a penchant for futzing with those things, from a misspent youth in a dive shop -- and especially when we regularly faced US 2500.00 bids for annual overhauls.

I generally keep at least one spare regulator behind the seat of my truck, in a dry bag, along with everything needed for a spur-of-the-moment dive, save for a tank -- which can easily be had at a local dive shop. That came in quite handy, the other day, when I had a sudden HP hose failure on a frequently used rig; but I didn't miss a beat. Just swapped out one for the other and didn't even bother to touch a wrench.

It also dIdn't matter, that the spare that day -- a Cyklon 300 -- was over forty years old . . .

 

[Bob DBF]

So what can be said for the self life of a spare from a service standpoint? Even though it's not in use, I assume parts age and need service. How long would you let a spare sit unused before servicing?

I've used regs that for decades, but I don't do that with my backup. Since I carry it on trips, checking both regs Regulator Inspection and Checklist (Rev-8) beforehand. I'll make a local dive with both, if not I would dive the spare early in the trip. Since I tinker with regs I've always got something to grab as a spare that has been recently tested and used.

All that being said, for decades I had one reg set, and never missed a dive due to a reg problem with my Sherwood. Now that I carry a spare, I've not used because of a problem with my primary.

 

[davehicks]

Multiple people here have advocated using same model primary and backup regulators, and also having a ready spare 1st and 2nd stage for purposes of saving a dive/dive trip.

On my vehicle, I have a full size spare that gets put on a wheel at every tire rotation and one of the active tires becomes the spare. So I'm thinking something like that would be worth considering for regulator spares.

My question is, do you have a system for doing that? Do you rotate the spares into operation every "X" dives or months? And how does that impact your service plan?

Are you going to have equally good primary and secondary sets of regulators? If so then it might make some sense to rotate once a year.

Get the other pair serviced when you make the swap. This way you service one set each year on a two year interval. The serviced reg goes to backup or until you need to break glass in case of emergency.

If you don't have two full sets of high quality, or even identical regs, then this does not work. Be sure to keep all hoses and spg's identical to avoid complication when swapping sets.