To service or not to service

[Scottri]

I am the service person for the shop I work for and I wouldn't sell anyone a kit unless they can prove they have been trained by the manufacturer to work on their reg. Period. I don't want to deal with the fallout when someone screws it up. I flow bench each reg before it goes out so I know that it was done right. Someone working on their reg at home won't have access to a flow bench or even a Magnehelic so what assurance would I have that the kit I sold them would be installed correctly?


Scott

 

[redacted]

I am the service person for the shop I work for and I wouldn't sell anyone a kit unless they can prove they have been trained by the manufacturer to work on their reg. Period. I don't want to deal with the fallout when someone screws it up. I flow bench each reg before it goes out so I know that it was done right. Someone working on their reg at home won't have access to a flow bench or even a Magnehelic so what assurance would I have that the kit I sold them would be installed correctly?
Scott

Scott

Its not that I don't understand where you are coming from - it is typical. It is probably what you have always been taught. But I think the liability issue is mostly an excuse. There are manufactures and suppliers who feel differently. They recognize that servicing a regulator is easier than rebuilding a carburator and not as risky, to yourself and others, as doing your own brake job. And the little bit of business they lose servicing regs is compensated for in added customers. And yes, I do not have a flow bench or magnehelic gauge or a sonic cleaner. So I have to make due with my homemade IP gauge, a sink and bathtub full of water, and vinegar & water. And they work. It may take me a couple hours until I am happy with the results but I'm not worried about any hourly rates. I've tried the professionals, and I'm sure there are many good ones, but my experience has been consistently unsatisfactory.

 

[chrisch]

I am the service person for the shop I work for and I wouldn't sell anyone a kit unless they can prove they have been trained by the manufacturer to work on their reg. Period.

Scott

This is an issue here in Europe - dunno if its the same for you guys?

The only way to get on a manufacturer's "course" is to be employed in the industry. There are very many capable people, some are engineers in life-critical roles, who would like the ability to service their own regs. Those people would willingly pay to go a manfacturer's course if you got a PIC card that let you buy the service parts.

As things stand it looks very much like a stitch-up to get money out of the divers.

No-one wants idiots servicing their own regs and making a balls-up of it. But not selling parts kits to the public will not stop the idiots....

Chris

 

[RiverRat]

Someone working on their reg at home won't have access to a flow bench or even a Magnehelic so what assurance would I have that the kit I sold them would be installed correctly?
Scott

Wouldn't be to sure of that........ I'm playing around with my new Dwyer 0-3" Magnehelic right now that I just picked up off of EBay for $10.00 Works like a champ....... Gonna tune my Apeks tonight with it. And having access to a Magnehelic or Flowbench has nothing to do with installing a kit correctly. Sure it'd be nice to have a flowbench, but it's not required. A few tools, IP guage, inline tool is nice, sink full of water and a few test dives is all you really need.

 

[superstar]

For what it's worth, I just aquired a reg, tank and bc from a guy that no longer dives. This gear is '72 USD and was put away salt water wet almost 10 years ago in his sail boat. The tank hydroed ok but the valve was junk. the bc went right in the trash. (this is the good part) the reg upon hooking up to a tank worked. The first stage had steady IP of 142lbs. Both 2nd stages freeflowed so I took off the hose, fliped over the seats and no more freeflow. There is a lot to be said for the reliability of the down stream valve design. Lets do the math with Larrys price(great price by the way) 34 years at $40 a service and thats $1360. A lot of money to throw at a $50 reg.

 

[ProfessorAronnax]

I have 2 Viper Tec (viper america) regs and 2 viper tec octos. They are almost a year old and i need to decide if i should get them serviced or not.

Last time i used them was about 6 months ago. I know one place i can ship them to and pay about $50.00 to get 1st stage, 2nd stage, octopus, and pressure gauge worked on. Its Diversdirect.com, any use them, they are in florida.

I don't know of a good dive shop in Houston or Austin that services Dacor.


The big questions is with me only diving 10 times a year right now should i just wait untill i have a problem and then just pay for parts. Does letting the regs just sit for a long time do damage?

any place i can buy the parts and aguide on doing it my self?

thanks for your input.

It's a good idea to get your reg serviced every year as recommended. And ditto on Divers Direct. It's always fun to check out one of their stores when I'm in Fla. I even had an opportunity to tour the service center-Very state of the art! And $37.99 for a 1st and 2nd stage overhaul is pretty amazing: Heres the link:DIVERS DIRECT SERIVCE

 

[Sasquatch]

Most of this thread is over a year old but for you folks that have posted recently here's a question for you:

Is there any way to tell if a shop or service tech is any good? If they're factory trained is it a matter of faith? Word of mouth? Overall reputation of the LDS? Or are the regs fairly goof proof? (No dis-respect to any techs reading this. My questions are from ignorance.)

Thanks

 

[superstar]

Lucky for us they are goof proof. If you can fix your sink fauset you have the skills to fix your reg. There is a huge profit margin for the LDS to fix your reg. They must pump in your head the "its life support" line of BS to justify you spending the $$$ to service it. Then they refuse to sell you parts so you are forced to pay them for a service you can do your self. So go on e-bay and buy your service kits, fix it your self and stiff the LDS.

 

[diveman7683]

There is a huge profit margin for the LDS to fix your reg. They must pump in your head the "its life support" line of BS to justify you spending the $$$ to service it.QUOTE]

Wow!

Why am I servicing regs for free?

Oh yeah because the LDS does it for warranty purposes.

 

[superstar]

There is a huge profit margin for the LDS to fix your reg. They must pump in your head the "its life support" line of BS to justify you spending the $$$ to service it.QUOTE]

Wow!

Why am I servicing regs for free?

Oh yeah because the LDS does it for warranty purposes.

I was recently given a '72 USD reg, is it still under warranty, do I get a free service?