Servicing your own regulators

[The Chairman]

Reg servicing isn't rocket science.

It's submarine science.

Assuming they did it right the hardest part seems to be making sure you install the right oring into the right spot.

The best thing you can do as you disassemble a reg for the first time is to take copious amounts of pictures. Wear that button out. You can always delete them later. As for orings, there are just a few sizes used, and the difference is so large that it's hard to make a mistake. However, it's important to learn to discern which o-rings are static (tiny lube), which are dynamic (a bit more lube), and which require a lot of lube (spools on SPGs).

Let me amend this a bit. There are a few things that many shops don't do that help you accomplish a great rebuild. Check your IP and cracking pressure before you open that reg. Take a pic of the first stage with all the hoses attached.

 

[Centrals]

I watched a couple you tube videos. Assuming they did it right the hardest part seems to be making sure you install the right oring into the right spot.

How much are apeks and aqualung service kits?

Never have such a problem with Apeks reg.
Apeks service kits are NOT that expensive if you can get it.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

I've taken the D6 course with @cerich and liked it a lot. Between the tools and the class it was $500+. It may never "pay" for itself, but I work on my own cars, take care of my own pool, water heater, furnace, etc.

@cerich was great, class was informative. I took tons of pictures. We ate pizza, I met some people. Good day.

It's inevitable for those of us that enjoy figuring out what makes the world tick will have a reg torn apart on the kitchen table at some point. I own 4 D6 1sts and 6 2nds, so maybe it will pay itself off one day.

My first experience getting a reg serviced cost me $150 even though I was quoted $75.... when asked they responded it was $25 / stage + all the parts.

 

[lexvil]

Access to parts from said manufacturers after taking a class would make it worth it. I don’t get weird about I only trust me to work on my “life support”, I mostly buy used stuff and evaluate it when I get it, if a first stage performs properly I see no need to open it even though I don’t know who last worked on it, they are pretty simple devices and an IP gauge will tell you what you need to know.

a second stage will more often need a bit of work/adjustment.

a wide majority of divers are afraid to even switch hoses around let alone replace one so, in my opinion, offering parts to customers who have taken a course will have little effect on their bottom like or that of the LDS, I would pick up my kits from the LDS rather than my network of world wide middlemen.

 

[lowwall]

I'd take a class simply because I like to learn stuff. It might not make the most financial sense, but hobbies rarely do. Also I live in an apartment building which means I can't do woodworking or work on my cars anymore, this would let me do something with my hands that doesn't take much space.

Actually it might even make financial sense. We've got three divers in the family now and the fourth is only a few years away. That's a lot of servicing costs.

 

[RIHappyDiver]

Much like @lowwall I would like to take a class just to learn, and so I can better troubleshoot. Otherwise, I have 2 reg sets, and do about 25 dives a year, so I don’t know that buying all the tools to do my own service makes a lot of sense.

 

[Tug]

I watched a couple you tube videos. Assuming they did it right the hardest part seems to be making sure you install the right oring into the right spot.

How much are apeks and aqualung service kits?

Apeks kits are low to mid $20’s for the 2nd stage and about $10 more for the first stage. I know @buddhasummer might be doing another order shortly.

 

[formernuke]

Apeks kits are low to mid $20’s for the 2nd stage and about $10 more for the first stage. I know @buddhasummer might be doing another order shortly.

I'm very much in the I would take it for convenience and to learn something new and useful. Money wise makes zero sense.

LDS charges 25 for second stage and 30 for first. Mine are still under warranty so I don't pay for the kits. So really very little savings each time. I would still take the class though.

 

[rhwestfall]

I have taken both the Deep6 and HOG classes, and I am self taught on my USD/VDH & Voit double hoses and on my ScubaPro regulators. I have had years of good service by shops, and also crap work done on my regulators. Now I am the one responsible. There are still times I will use a shop, but I am sure to review their work, and hold them accountable. I also wouldn't rely on a service just prior to a trip (there are exceptions with people like @Jim Lapenta who actually pool tested my regs before returning them)....

Hard to answer your poll with just yes/no. The one on one (actually, there were just two of us as students) classes I had were really nice. You might not have as many experiences to discuss, but you also won't have just a "part swap" session because of time constraints or the chaos of a dozen or more people..

YMMV

 

[Jeremy Williams]

Would you travel and pay $500 for a two-day course...

Yes. But this is the biggest problem with the entire SCUBA industry. We have, in general, devalued training beyond the point where it is reasonable to provide good training. I think this is true up and down the chain, with perhaps GUE being the exception that proves my point.

But yes, good quality specialized training in ANYTHING takes $250/day to execute unless, as is often the case in SCUBA, the instructor is basically doing it for no more than the joy of helping others.