Scary message written after reg. service

[aabond]

Wow, that gets me thinking about my gear, and I completely baby it.

 

[J75]

I'd be concerned that my reg tech is a jerk, actually.

I've gotta agree with this. I mean the tech has some valid points I am sure, but this type of attitude would definitely have me going to another shop. Constructive criticism is always welcomed, but this tech sounds like an @**.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

I had a tech tell me I wasn't rinsing well enough after diving in salt water. Funny I'd never dove in salt water at the time. Turns out that chlorine from my weekly trips to the pool was the culprit that was corroding my gear.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[devolution365]

Yeah, I'd take the constructive criticism, but get my equipment tech'd elsewhere from now on. It's important that the inspection be thorough and that you get pointers for better upkeep in the future, but there is such a thing called "tact".

 

[dpbishop]

I would think it highly unlikely that you gave mold growing in your regulator. Mold needs something organic to grow on and constant moisture. While there may be some types of mold that will grow on organic rubber, I have not heard of any, and I think most regulators use synthetics these days. I seem to be getting a lot more doom and gloom from LDS people these days then I can remember from my sordid past. There's nothing quite like being chastized by a cute blond LDS employee my daughter's age on my maintainace habits when the tanks in question are older then she is.

 

[Scottri]

I would doubt the mold as well. I've seen some pretty crusty regs come through the door and never seen mold. Some corrosion can look like mold but isn't mold. I would also think the mold would have a taste or smell. Discoloration come with time. All regs will wear as time goes on no matter how well you take care of it. It's just a fact of life. I think the tech was a little harsh but was probably trying to cover his or her *****.

 

[MN Lakeman]

All great replys - thank you. Aside from the liveaboard, I rinsed & soaked both my BC & reg set after each dive, & in the case of my earlier resort trip in Roatan, I would bring my reg set to my room each night & soak it in the tub for a few hours & drip dry overnight over a chair. Great tip on liveaboards - I always have a full Nalgene bottle of fresh water. Pouring that over the valve & 1st stage before removing, blowing & capping makes sense. As for the mold - who knows. I did some fall dives in Lake Superior since my summer liveaboard trip, w/ some challenging factors (cold, deep, etc) & reg performed flawlessly w/ no musty smell (?). What are opionions on the comment about servicing more on a so-many-dives basis? How many? (kinda like oil changes w/ a car "3000 miles or 3 months?!)

 

[lamont]

I've got a dehumidifier (1000 sq ft capacity) that i lock into a closet to dry out my wet stuff overnight that basically dessicates anything in there. I wonder if i should throw my regs in there to really dry them out and kill any mold...

 

[pescador775]

Regulator service is overdone. I used a MK 10 for 10 years before the first service. There wasn't anything wrong with it except the IP was off (165 psi). That's why I took it in, it was honking. After five more years, I took it apart to drill out the tiny holes in the first stage to make it easier to wash out with a hose. It was clean inside and looked near new.There is hardly anything that can go wrong with the things. The newer mods have more O rings and plastic parts which look scary but no more so than the plastic buckles on today's fins and masks. If you are looking for a hazard, start there.

Don't soak regulators. Just rinse them off. If fresh water is not available they can go salty for several weeks with no problem at all. When replacing the dust cap make sure there is no salt water on the cap face. Rotate it and blow off the water. Wipe if necessary before replacing. Honestly, I don't know where all this weirdness comes from. Certainly, single hose regulators don't grow mold, that is prepostrous. In bygone days, it was said that stuff would grow inside the exhalation hose of a two hose regulator. Manufacturers responding by casting hoses made of antiseptic rubber.

 

[Tassie_Rohan]

Sounds like the regs were stored damp for a few months - before storing soak your second stages in fresh water, lightly dunk your first stage, then most importantly after the rinse allow the kit to dry out before storing: leave the dust cap off for 1 day while drying, then put it back on when you store the regs somewhere dry.

The few days on a liveabord aren’t going to hurt your dive gear - just lightly rinse at the end of each day if need be (I normally dont), but do a more thorough rinse and dry at the end of the dive trip.

Cheers,
Rohan.