Servicing your reg

[DeepScuba]

Good to see we have such smart guys. you all must be in the house building business.
Ya see what I mean Conn? They still don't get it.

Lets stick to scuba, boys it's obviously your best suit.

I digress. Thanks for the info RE Warr on S/Pro products.

So now I ask a question. This re-instating warranty thingy with S/P.

So some guys buys his kit from Leisure pro.

What's the bottom line on annuals? No poop, just the bottom line, and don't guess, unless you're saying you're guessing.

P.S. I sometimes "pay the man" as I'm too busy (or lazy) to DIY, and that's coming from a DIY'r.

My time is money too. I don't think "the man" is getting rich off of annuals (But he is making a living.)

 

[DA Aquamaster]

To reinstate a warranty on an SP reg, you have to show that you were the original purchaser and that the reg was bought from a legitimate SP dealer. A sales receipt works as does the little green slip you get when you had the reg previously serviced by an SP dealer. The dealer should also be able to verify the original purchase if the warranty was properly acitivated either by mail or on line.

The bad news is that sales through leisure pro or other grey market or offshore sources do not qualify for the Scubapro warranty.

The annual service period required to keep the warranty current is normally 12 months plus or minus a couple but the dealer has a lot of latitude here as SP does not actually track the service performed on individual regs. The dealer does it with the shops records and with the store or customer copies of the little service slips.

My dad used was a contractor, so house building is in the blood. But I do agree, sometimes you have more time than money and it just makes more sense to shorten the honey do list by hiring someone else to do it.

 

[oceancrest67]

Deepscuba:

I understand your point regarding learning as you go by doing it yourself...no debate there (hence, taking the classes, reading the book AND doing it)...but, with regulators and with other sophisticated, environmentally sensitive diving equipment...learning to work on them properly and correctly would be prudent.

My point is that paying the man is fine...but, I have to wonder how conscientious is he, and how good is his technical ability?

 

[Genesis]

Regs are not complicated. That is a myth promulgated by the LDSs to "fear and shame" you into not learning how to fix them.

Seriously - if you can replace a ballcock in your toilet or a faucet and not flood the house doing either, you can probably do an annual on a regulator.

If you need to clean it for O2 service, then you need an ultrasonic machine to do it right - but if not, then even that is not required to do a very servicable job of it.

You DO need a couple of special tools to do it without marring things up and making a mess, but they're not expensive. They ARE specific to the regs you have though in some cases (particularly firsts.) You ALSO need a source for the parts.

 

[DFC5343]

I got my USD now Aqualung tech repair cert years ago. Honestly the only advantage is that I can buy normally the "restricted" parts direct. It all boils down to how much you want to get involved with the repair process. The specialized tools are expensive. I find that for some applications letting someone else do is sometimes faster. Besides the flow bench is a plus. I for one have no use for that boat anchor unless I was into it for a biz.

 

[DeepScuba]

I'm not sure what my ball-cock is in relation to my toilet, but I can tune my regs

I clean and use mine (OK 1 of 5) regs for O2 use and I haven't got an ultrasonic machine. I take forever because I clean stuff so well, and through many steps, but I've got all night to do it.

Sure I've mared, slightly, a reg or two. No biggies. No worse than a few I've seen in the shop.

I stop short of squishing one in a vise though.

It's tough to squish the piston to the same shape as you squished the body.


Somehow my post to OC67 got lost, so I'll sum it up quick. I can't take the training, therefore I can't officially buy the parts or fix the stuff. This would be the prudent way, but since I can't, I go forth boldly, and stumble into uncharted territory, with finger crossed.

I know too well that any mistake I may make will show it's head during bench testing long before it ever sees the water.

Yeah, ya get used to it. And before you know it, you know your regs as well as anyone.
You have become a quasi pro on your own regs. Sorry no official plaque or stickers, and ya still can't buy parts with the ease you should be able to.

 

[Tygh]

While OE tends to be very pricey for gear, their charges for repairs and services seem above board. If you talk to the service tech, he may cut you a little slack on some items. There have been a few times they have helped me out for free.