The downside of annual servicing

[jar546]

I basically have 2 setups.

An Apeks XTX200 with a HOG as my octo

A HOG cold water setup with a HOG octo.

In order to maintain a lifetime warranty, I get my Apeks serviced each year by the LDS and it only cost me $17 and I don't pay for parts as the rebuild kits are provided by Apeks for free. Before I got my reg serviced this year I asked if they can adjust the pressures to exactly where they were because it was breathing perfectly. I was told they will IF they current settings are within manufacturer's specs, otherwise they cannot release s newly serviced reg out of specs. OK, makes sense.

Problem is now it breathes much harder and I will have to "break it in" again. If I was not required to have it serviced each year, I would not but I like the warranty part so I take it back in. I dive enough that the break in period won't be too long. My HOG stuff, however is perfect right out of the box from Jim Lapenta.

 

[SeaCobra]

So, how do we know that it is within factory specs? I have serviced a lot of Apeks regs and when I am done they breathe like the kiss of an angel. Is it possible that these were tuned to the high end of the scale or is the venturi knob in the "-" position?

 

[redacted]

That does not make real good sense. The HOG 2nd is balanced so performance should be less effected by IP within reason. Do you know the before and after IP measures?

 

[herman]

Odds are unless your IP was way way off, that is not your problem. IP has marginal effect on breathing resistance (within reason) if your second stage is balanced which all Apexs are. More likely, you have a heavy handed tech who set your second stage up to a higher cracking preassure than you are use to- just because it's in spec does not mean it's like you like it. There should be no "break in", IP should stay put unitl the regs needs rebuilding again.

 

[japan-diver]

Or you could have someone show you how to adjust the cracking pressure and tune it the way you like it.

 

[jar546]

I do not know what the pressures were before it went in. I adjusted my venturi with no real improvement. I am suspect that it was tuned up to the higher pressure. I never had a freeflow on the reg ever the way it was.

 

[scubafanatic]

1) take it in to another Apeks LDS and see if they give you the same 'story'.
2) find out the spec range. There is no set single IP or cracking effort from the factory...it's a range, you can ask the regs be tuned with a 'high' IP and a 'low' cracking effort...all still within the factory approved ranges. You can buy a cheap IP-checker (I have one) to confirm the IP whenever you want. The better shops ( like Scubatoys ) will provide you with post-service printouts showing what they set the IP and cracking effort levels to be. Some shops will hook your newly serviced regs to devices where you can see with your own two eyes the 'real' settings before you agree to pay them for their services.

 

[japan-diver]

The IP would have little effect if it is within the range set by the factory. The cracking effort is easy to adjust and will have a much greater effect on the feel of the reg. The best way to get your regs to breath the way you want is to have a in-line adjustment tool and adjust them your self. (This will not take them out of warranty)

 

[tfsails]

If I were getting my reg serviced at an LDS, I would insist on hooking it up and checking it out before I left the shop when picking it up. Any shop worth its salt will allow you to do that. If the shop won't allow you to do that, I wouldn't use them unless I had no other choice.

I've never been Apeks-certified, but I am Zeagle-certified, and Zeagle bought their earlier regs from Apeks, so I have a pretty good idea what Apeks wants: 140 psi for IP, and a cracking pressure of around 1.2" of water. Apeks regs haven't changed a whole lot over the years, and they're good regs. Your reg probably is just adjusted differently from what you're used to. Adjusting the IP requires a gauge which you may or may not have. Adjusting second-stage cracking pressure is just a matter of turning the orifice inside the inlet clockwise to tighten it, CCW to loosen it. Loosen it until it just hisses, then tighten it until the leak just stops. I bet you'll be a lot happier with it. Caution: you do not want the second stage to have a leak with the adjustment knob fully CCW.

Keep in mind that if you mess this up it won't kill the reg, but you'll have to endure being the butt of a reg tech's harangue about customers trying to adjust their own stuff and messing them up. Good luck!

 

[redacted]

I do not know what the pressures were before it went in. I adjusted my venturi with no real improvement. I am suspect that it was tuned up to the higher pressure. I never had a freeflow on the reg ever the way it was.

What did your shop service? I am assuming you took just the 1st stage to the shop for service. If so, you might want to swap your two 2nd stages to help isolate the problem but I suspect the shop may not have done a good job on your Apeks 1st stage.