Servicing Xstreams at home - Tips and Tricks?

[tbone1004]

I reached out to Poseidon UK and unfortunately, they do not offer training to anyone who is a not a professional technician at a service center
Was worth a shot though..

must be country specific then, come stateside and we will teach you here!

 

[MBaadsgaard]

must be country specific then, come stateside and we will teach you here!

Will keep that in mind! Cheers!

 

[Bigbella]

Do you reckon Vance's approach is adequate, then?
It's not quite on par with the Poseidon manual's requirements.

Also to clarify/summarize from the thread:

• I started out thinking I needed to do "O2 clean" service of the Poseidon regs for the sake of using nitrox <40.
• The Poseidon's won't see more than that.
• I wanted to use this as an opportunity to get a service routine in that I then afterwards could apply to another reg which would be used as a deco stage.
• This other reg is not necessarily going to be a Poseidon.

Sorry to hear about the Poseidon UK rules; they're quite different in the States. I would consider @rsingler and his courses, who will soon offer an SB "Regulator Geeks" episode on Poseidon.

Harlow was just a good baseline and was about the only source for enriched O2 preparation or even regulator repair, outside of a shop setting, twenty or more years ago; but I would still cleave, as closely as possible, to Appendix D in the Xstream manual, "Cleanroom and oxygen cleaning requirements."

If anything, protocols have been made more stringent, after accidents and the usual influx of lawyers, and far closer to that of the manuals.

Before his books, only poorly mimeographed articles, presumably from him (judging from the language) and a few others, had circulated for some years.

Out of curiosity, just how old are your used Xstream regulators and how were they put to use, since Poseidon had been distributing gear, already prepared to EAN40, for the last eight years? You may just be making more work for yourself than necessary:

"Starting with serial number 1500001 Xstream Deep is manufactured to be nitrox-ready out of the box. This means that all nitrile o-rings have been replaced with EPDN and/or viton o-rings and only oxygen compatible lubricants have been used during manufacturing. If the nitrox ready status is to be maintained after servicing, only service kit marked with EAN40 and oxygen compatible lubricant may be used . . ."

Also, are you in need of any manuals?

 

[p_kos]

must be country specific then, come stateside and we will teach you here!

FYI, when a Canadian friend tried to come down south to take the course he was denied (Canadian distributor blocked all that). My friend was originally accepted to take the course in Vegas at DEMA then later received an email saying he was not eligible because of his address.

 

[MBaadsgaard]

Sorry to hear about the Poseidon UK rules; they're quite different in the States. I would consider @rsingler and his courses, who will soon offer an SB "Regulator Geeks" episode on Poseidon.

Harlow was just a good baseline and was about the only source for enriched O2 preparation or even regulator repair, outside of a shop setting, twenty or more years ago; but I would still cleave, as closely as possible, to Appendix D in the Xstream manual, "Cleanroom and oxygen cleaning requirements."

If anything, protocols have been made more stringent, after accidents and the usual influx of lawyers, and far closer to that of the manuals.

Before his books, only poorly mimeographed articles, presumably from him (judging from the language) and a few others, had circulated for some years.

Out of curiosity, just how old are your used Xstream regulators and how were they put to use, since Poseidon had been distributing gear, already prepared to EAN40, for the last eight years? You may just be making more work for yourself than necessary:

"Starting with serial number 1500001 Xstream Deep is manufactured to be nitrox-ready out of the box. This means that all nitrile o-rings have been replaced with EPDN and/or viton o-rings and only oxygen compatible lubricants have been used during manufacturing. If the nitrox ready status is to be maintained after servicing, only service kit marked with EAN40 and oxygen compatible lubricant may be used . . ."

Also, are you in need of any manuals?

Theyre very different. One has serial 1300xxx range and the other 200xxx so old and very different ages.
The last guy had them serviced for EAN40 and mostly dived nitrox 32. Last service was November.

So it's a good question, no idea what I'll find inside.

I got the Xstream service manual version 2.9. If you have newer then that would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Bigbella]

Theyre very different. One has serial 1300xxx range and the other 200xxx so old and very different ages.
The last guy had them serviced for EAN40 and mostly dived nitrox 32. Last service was November.

So it's a good question, no idea what I'll find inside.

I got the Xstream service manual version 2.9. If you have newer then that would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I think that 2.9 is already the most current version.

So, 2013 and 2020 serial numbers -- but both already cleaned to EAN40 specs? That's a bit different from having to remove old flammable silicone lubricants and engage in some heavy cleansing -- and you already have those pricier service kits?

Why even bother to service them and jump through hoops, if their previous rebuild was only last November? It's now a two-year interim with Poseidon . . .

 

[MBaadsgaard]

I think that 2.9 is already the most current version.

So, 2013 and 2020 serial numbers -- but both already cleaned to EAN40 specs? That's a bit different from having to remove old flammable silicone lubricants and engage in some heavy cleansing -- and you already have those pricier service kits?

Why even bother to service them and jump through hoops, if their previous rebuild was only last November? It's now a two-year interim with Poseidon . . .

I debated this with myself, too.
He says they haven't even been dived post service. But it's standard to service second hand regs and he has that as a note in the ad, too.
I take it he has that to avoid any blame should setting not go right and not because he is lying. For the price he could have just said they weren't serviced.

 

[Bigbella]

You could always just check the IP and see that it is steady, correct, and that the cracking effort is within specs -- or just to your personal tastes; all very simple with a gauge and cheap-o hemostat.

If they were previously cleaned, as claimed, to EAN40 and not afterwards put to use, are you reasonably assured that you can get them any cleaner, having never attempting it?

 

[MBaadsgaard]

You could always just check the IP and see that it is steady, correct, and that the cracking effort is within specs -- or just to your personal tastes; all very simple with a gauge and cheap-o hemostat.

If they were previously cleaned, as claimed, to EAN40 and not afterwards put to use, are you reasonably assured that you can get them any cleaner, having never attempting it?

I guess it's the question of trust in the seller.. but no I can't reasonably outperform a pro service tech. Unless they do like the job you showed earlier of course.
It would give me a year to prep more for service.

The long term goal is still to be capable of independently servicing my equipment so it'll happen sooner or later.

 

[Bigbella]

The long term goal is still to be capable of independently servicing my equipment so it'll happen sooner or later.

That's a laudable goal, considering the quality of some low-ball tech service, at least in the US. I encourage most to do so, if they have even the slightest inclination -- and know of no one who ever went back to techs, after doing it themselves.

My advice would simply be to get your tools together; determine whether your regulators are already up to snuff; and to work upon them when and if actually necessary.

The Xstream is surprising simple to service when the time comes; and the manual walks you through most every step; and there are plenty of other resources on SB to help that effort along.

Good luck . . .