BrianS
Contributor
^^^^ agree
Slow Leak From New Regulator
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ScubaSarus
Guest
Ye Ip on first stage may be too high or second stage may be too loose ? Needs a shop adjusting.
CaptainJeff
Guest
If you got it from dealer, they are suppose to have it adj. and ready to go before it leaves the store. You did try the adj. knob if it is a LX model? This is suppose to be the advantage of buying from a dealer and not over the net. I sure wouldn't try to fix it myself and give them an excuse to void any warr.
This is not necessarily a "defect". In fact it is very likely not a defect. Regulators are like Guitars, they need a "set up" by a competent technician before they are sold. And may need minor touch-up adjustments in the first few days/weeks after the sale.pants!:
R
redacted
Guest
pants!:
Do you really think that is reasonable? If you drive out of the dealership with you new Harley and a couple miles down the road notice that the odometer is not working correctly, do you think money back or a refund is the answer? A leaking regulator is not uncommon and is usually readily repairable. Here's a free tank rental for your inconvenience.
oxyhacker
Guest
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You should of course take it back to where you bought it and give them an offer to make good. However, if they cannot fix it on the spot or give you a replacement you should not have to wait for them to service it, and you are almost certainly entitled to a refund if you prefer. There is a legal concept, called an "implied warantee of merchandisablity" or similar names, in many states, which says basically that if you buy something that isn't able to do the job it was represented as doing, then the sale hasn't really been consumated, and you are entitled to a refund if you want. So the rules for returning a defective-from-the-start item are often different from one that you have owned a while, and it is reasonable to expect immediate replacement or refund rather than having to send it in and wait days or weeks for it to be serviced. A call to your local attorney generals office or consumer protection agency might find more.
Odds are your reg just needs a tweak of a screw to compensate for the LP seat taking a set. However any decent scuba shop should have done a performance check and tune up before letting it out of the shop, or at the very least, hooked it up to a tank and made sure it was working. If the shop doesn't, then the customer should, before taking accepting the reg.
Odds are your reg just needs a tweak of a screw to compensate for the LP seat taking a set. However any decent scuba shop should have done a performance check and tune up before letting it out of the shop, or at the very least, hooked it up to a tank and made sure it was working. If the shop doesn't, then the customer should, before taking accepting the reg.
halocline
Contributor
Have a look at the date of this thread....betcha he either fixed it or quit diving!
R
redacted
Guest
mattboy:
CaptainJeff, the resurrector, got me.:shakehead
It is a really old thread but there appears to be some interest so for general ed purposes:
1. The soft seat in the second stages of most regulator designs will develop a seating groove over time as they sit in the warehouse or on the shop shelf. This will result in a slight freeflow.
2. In light of this, the shop should have a tech re-tune and flow test the reg when it is purchased and before it leaves the shop and/or should retune the regs in shop waiting to be sold after they are a couple months old per the manufacture date on the box.
3. The few models of regs that do not have constant pressure on the seat will develop a seating groove after a few to several hours of in water use and often will need to be brought in for readjustment to eliminate a slight and continuous freeflow. It is not a bad idea for a shop to more or less schedule a mid season tune up for the owner when the purchase is made.
4. Adjustable regulators are less picky in this regard as the adjustment knob can be used to add the extra spring pressure needed, although for peak performance and maximum range of adjustment, adjusting the orifice is preferred.
5. What precedes the freeflow is very important.
A. If the freeflow in the second stage is a slight hiss that is present from the time the reg is pressurized, the problem is either the second stage needing adjustment due to break in of the seat or
B. An issue with the intermediate pressure (IP) being set too high in the first stage and/or the high pressure (HP) seat and orifice in the first stage not properly locking up to acheive a stable IP.
C. Alternatively, if the freeflow begins several seconds to a few minutes after the reg is pressurized as it just sits there, it is almost certainly a case of the HP seat leaking and is again a first stage problem, not a second stage or adjustment issue.
6. ANY proper diagnosis of a second stage freeflow problem must begin with a check of the Intermediate Pressure and lock up characteristics of the FIRST stage. Second stage adjustments should only be made once a first stage problem is ruled out.
7. Small leaks almost always turn into bigger leaks over time and this can often occur over the course of only 1 to 3 dives. So any leak or freeflow should be dealt with promptly before it becomes a serious safety issue.
1. The soft seat in the second stages of most regulator designs will develop a seating groove over time as they sit in the warehouse or on the shop shelf. This will result in a slight freeflow.
2. In light of this, the shop should have a tech re-tune and flow test the reg when it is purchased and before it leaves the shop and/or should retune the regs in shop waiting to be sold after they are a couple months old per the manufacture date on the box.
3. The few models of regs that do not have constant pressure on the seat will develop a seating groove after a few to several hours of in water use and often will need to be brought in for readjustment to eliminate a slight and continuous freeflow. It is not a bad idea for a shop to more or less schedule a mid season tune up for the owner when the purchase is made.
4. Adjustable regulators are less picky in this regard as the adjustment knob can be used to add the extra spring pressure needed, although for peak performance and maximum range of adjustment, adjusting the orifice is preferred.
5. What precedes the freeflow is very important.
A. If the freeflow in the second stage is a slight hiss that is present from the time the reg is pressurized, the problem is either the second stage needing adjustment due to break in of the seat or
B. An issue with the intermediate pressure (IP) being set too high in the first stage and/or the high pressure (HP) seat and orifice in the first stage not properly locking up to acheive a stable IP.
C. Alternatively, if the freeflow begins several seconds to a few minutes after the reg is pressurized as it just sits there, it is almost certainly a case of the HP seat leaking and is again a first stage problem, not a second stage or adjustment issue.
6. ANY proper diagnosis of a second stage freeflow problem must begin with a check of the Intermediate Pressure and lock up characteristics of the FIRST stage. Second stage adjustments should only be made once a first stage problem is ruled out.
7. Small leaks almost always turn into bigger leaks over time and this can often occur over the course of only 1 to 3 dives. So any leak or freeflow should be dealt with promptly before it becomes a serious safety issue.
Excellent post! Have you ever thought about collecting your posts into a stickie in the Reg forum?
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