rescuediver009
Contributor
compressor:
I am by no means the great DA, but I think that the answer to your question would be the recipricol. The regs, their parts and the service intervals are all designed with the intention of this many dives per year. That way they are playig the conservative side. And anyone who dives less, their regulators will not experience the wear and tear. Hence, this is why a good (and very honest) service centre will turn your regs away and tell you to come back the following year if you don't have a warranty to maintain, and you only have say 25 dives or so.
To answer your question about the parts, most parts are the same and do not deteriorate provided they are properly lubricated (o-rings). Other than that the lp seat I is the only part that remains sealed even without air in the system. This is why Manufacturers like apeks only recommend the service of their second stages every year. and their first stages every other year. Because the first stage components do not 'wear' like the lp seats do when there is no air in the system. There is nothing you can do to prevent this, just rinse rinse rinse, or pay pay pay when it comes time to service.
As for exceptions, atomics does have a seat saving orofice that prevents the lp seat from sitting on the cone when the system is not pressurized, with its obviously downsides.
DA will still give you his final word...
