Scubapro G250 freshly serviced but messing up!!!!

[HamTrainChickenLaser]

Well this is the worst possible time. I just finished my Rescue Diver course, but I couldn't do the last day of dives with my own gear so I used gear from the school. I noticed after the previous dive that the knurled scubapro-specific nut was loosening from the nut beside it, and was leaking air. Well I screwed them back together hand-tight and thought it was all good, jumped in the water for the next dive and lots of bubbles. Sometimes it depends on how much pressure on the hose from different angles whether it's a tiny leak or a big one.

Really bummed that I paid for service and then this happened just a few dives into the trip!! Might this be something simple like an o-ring, or any conjecture on what is going on? I don't think there is authorized service for Scubapro on Utila, true? Is there a competent technician here that someone recommends? I am going into the deep diver course and don't want to use this if it's not right, and don't want to lose my AI either- as I had to do for the last of the rescue diver course since I used the house regs.

 

[Nemrod]

Always pool check or dive locally a freshly serviced regulator before taking an important once in a lifetime trips.

"Messing up" is just not enough description for me to trouble shoot. Bubbles from where?

1) Remove the hose at the regulator second stage if you can. Tighten the knurled section up to the housing as tight as you can by hand. Reinstall hose and snug down, see what happens then?

2) If still bubbling turn the adjustment knob on the left side inward a turn at a time and see what happens then?

 

[Mobulai]

All what Nemrod said

and don't want to lose my AI either

Umm, just move the transmitter to the rental regs if it comes to that

 

[rhwestfall]

Need a lot more description and/or pictures of where this leak is... My brain went to the o-ring in the connection of the reg to the hose, but I'm just guessing with the less than thorough description...​

 

[HamTrainChickenLaser]

OK this pic marks the point of separation with the red arrow (it wasn't fully separated it was just loose and I had to hand-tighten it in the water while I was bobbing in the current to try to fix it) and the blue arrow marks where I think (not sure) most of the bubbles were coming from when it was leaking. It would leak a little or a lot depending on the pressure on the hose. If you wiggled the hose back and forth it would leak, and if you held it one way it would leak- sometimes a lot of air.

As luck would have it, I was walking past The Bay Islands College of Diving on the way to dinner with my cousin and stopped in there and asked if there was a Scubapro technician on the island and yes there is, and her name is Gabriella and she lives right next door to them. So the nice gal at the desk walked me over there and I have an appointment right now to take it in.

Why did it come loose- was it not tightened enough?? If I am right and it is leaking at the blue arrow, is it just an o-ring? How would an o-ring go bad in 6-8 dives??? I just had this whole thing serviced- first stage and this G250 and the G200B that is my octo.

I will report back on the fix and what Gabriella tells me. Any feedback is most welcome!!

 

[Mobulai]

That sounds like a hose oring issue (the dynamic -011 in the hose swivel) not the reg itself, try switching hoses
How old is that hose and has it been serviced as well?

 

[Jcp2]

I had this happen after a service and took it back to the shop, suggesting that they should have replaced the hose o ring as part of the service. They took it back and returned it in fifteen minutes, saying to try it again. No more bubbles, but they never said what they did to fix it. I could have changed it myself but since I paid for service, I want service.

 

[rhwestfall]

A proper service includes both o-rings in the hose ends...

 

[Nemrod]

I doubt the O-ring is bad, the hose was simply loose and had backed off enough that the air pressure could bypass the O-ring seal. The hose needs to be tightened back to the second stage. If it is still leaking, then it is the O-ring internal in the hose end fitting needs replacement. I think we are making a mountain out of a mole hill.

I carry a spare hose set, spare O-rings of various sorts, a few tools/wrenches and a spare second stage and a spg spool just for all of this sort of thing. I also pool test dive any regulator that has been serviced before taking it for a dive trip. If that O-ring is bad, get your Swiss Army knife toothpick out or get a toothpick(s) from a restaurant, get the O-ring out and replace it and snug the hose on. It needs only little more than hand tight. Careful there, unless you have the tool to hold the case jam nut (in a pinch, pliers wrapped with duct tape or a rag can work), you could spin the assembly in the housing. Barely little more than finger tight is all that is needed on the hose fitting anyways. But if you smoke it on there without holding the jam nut you can bust your housing.

I do my own work just for these reasons. There are only about three people on planet earth I would allow to work on my regs. Two of them are often on this forum. The other one is me. Actually, there were four, but one has passed on and is very much missed.

 

[rhwestfall]

I've experienced more crusty o-rings at the regulator side. They are tricky buggers to do... Not visible.