Last year I bought my first reg and used it for 30 dives.
My question is; Should I get my reg serviced now or at the end of 100 dives??
(My LDS had told me,it should get serviced at the end of 100 dives but I know that it should get serviced annually)
Confused and need help..
Hello Hamsiss,
Service frequency is an issue that comes up from time to time and like all other issues on this board it will be debated ad nauseam. So brace your self. Here are my two cents that I have cut and pasted from a previous thread.
If you are determined to keep the useless and expensive warrantee intact, you must follow the manufactures suggested service interval. However, even if keeping the useless and expensive warrantee intact is not an issue, learning to check your equipment yourself is very important and will help YOU determine if your equipment needs service. The following checks should be done even if there has been a fresh service done by a reputable repair shop and of course before any dive trip.
Regulator inspection:
There are a few checks that everyone is capable of doing. One is the intermediate pressure check. Get a simple 300 psi pressure gage from Ace Hardware (I like the helpful hardware man better that the giant store types) and adapt it to your quick disconnect
SCUBA Hoses and Adapters..Variety of Lengths, Colors, Fittings
Find out the what the IP range should be for your regulator (most are ~ 135 +/- 10 psi .)
The intermediate pressure should remain steady after stabilizing within the acceptable range. If it tends to climb (creep) that indicates there is a problem with the first stage that must be corrected.
Another check is the cracking pressure of each second stage. Partially fill your kitchen sink and immerse the regulator with the mouth piece up. Air should begin to flow before the diaphragm gets more than a 1 1/2 of inches deep. You may have to put plastic tubing in place of the mouth
piece to do this, but usually not. If you want to get fancy (there is no reason to get fancy) make a simple manometer from plastic tubing and a yard stick
* » * » Manometer
and you can check the cracking pressure with a good deal of accuracy. If you want to get REAL fancy, buy a Magnehelic gage from eBay, but again no reason to do that.
Next, a water tight check is also very easy to perform and checks the integrity of the second stage housing. Hook
the first stage up to a tank and without turning on the air (or if you have a good tight dust cap you can use that instead) draw a breath on the second stage until you hear the diaphragm retract. Do not draw too hard as it will collapse the exhaust valves and cause a leak. Does the regulator hold
vacuum? If so, it is probably water tight.
These simple checks can be done by anyone. They should be done often, not to mention when new out of the box or after shop service.
Check early, check often.
couv
