To rebuild or replace?

[bluebubble1995]

That is the question! I have Tekna/Ocean Edge diaphragm regs that are 10 years old now. I've been on 30 or so trouble free Caribbean dives over that time period and I think it's probably time to have them rebuilt. My question is should I pay $65 + parts or just toss them and buy one of the many $85 regs available like these:
Ocean C400 - $84.29 (Balanced Piston)
Ocean C 70 NR - $84.29 (Balanced Diaphragm)

EDIT: If I can find a rebuild kit is it just a matter of swapping parts or are there test gauges etc. needed to do this right?

 

[NorthWoodsDiver]

If you have not worked on regs before its probably smarter to either do some studying or pay someone else to do it.

To do things right you need to tear the reg down which often requires special tools, clean it (usually) like in an ultrasonic cleaner, replace the components, and make adjustments which require some other special tools.

I'm not familiar with your reg but I dive scubapro and am just getting into reg servicing which has proved to be expensive.

If a reg lasts 10 years between services I would just buy another, I own something like 12 regulators all for personal use and all scubapro but last year I paid to have them serviced and it was well over $400 to service them all and many had free parts coverage.

 

[bluebubble1995]

Thanks for the advice NWD. It appears a few o-rings or seals and a new diaphragm is about all you can do to these...I could be wrong. I just can't see paying $65 labor for 10 minutes work.

 

[oly5050user]

That is the question! I have Tekna/Ocean Edge diaphragm regs that are 10 years old now. I've been on 30 or so trouble free Caribbean dives over that time period and I think it's probably time to have them rebuilt. My question is should I pay $65 + parts or just toss them and buy one of the many $85 regs available like these:
Ocean C400 - $84.29 (Balanced Piston)
Ocean C 70 NR - $84.29 (Balanced Diaphragm)

EDIT: If I can find a rebuild kit is it just a matter of swapping parts or are there test gauges etc. needed to do this right?

if you can find someone with the parts to rebuild that regulator go for it.But if you can purchase a regulator for the prices you quoted at $85..better off that way.I do not know what you can get for $85.Most decent regulators cost anywhere from $300. and up.It takes longer than 10 minutes to rebuild a tekna regulator,closer to 1 hr or more when all said and done.

 

[NorthWoodsDiver]

You can get a scubapro MK2+ right now on scubastore.com for about $80, thats a great reg for the price. I dont and wont dive anything besides scubapro's so I am biased. you will have much more than 10 minutes into a rebuild especially the first time around.

you should service the second stage(S) as well and check all the hoses and replace the O-rings on your pressure gauge/computer/console

the $65 sounds like the price to do the whole reg set not just the first stage.