To service or not to service

[SDAnderson]

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.

Good luck to you. You're going to need all of it you can get.

 

[redacted]

Are you saying you know of or work for an LDS that services regulators that are under warrenty for FREE. That is, no charge for parts or LABOR. If so, please identify the LDS. I'm sure that the advertising of such service would bring more customers in.

 

[Sasquatch]

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

Anybody else have an answer or opinion regarding the question?

 

[redacted]

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

Most regulators are fairly goof proof if you are careful and reasonably knowledgable. That is not to say that you can't damage or destroy the regulator or even make it dangerous to dive with. You probably should pick your regulator tech the same way you pick your auto mechanic or physician. The more knowledgable you are, the better.

 

[SDAnderson]

Anybody else have an answer or opinion regarding the question?

Wouldn't it be nice if there was a organization that evaluated repair technicians? Sort of like the agencies that rate the work done by auto mechanics and teachers and physicians...oh, wait a minute...

How do you find a good mechanic?

• Word of mouth. Ask what kind of results people are getting. If they're happy, they'll tell you. If they aren't, they'll tell you that, also.
• Talk to the guy who will be working on your gear. If he's been servicing regulators for 3 months on weekends when he isn't working his "real" job, maybe he should practice on someone elses equipment. If he's permanently narced from too many deep air dives and can't quite finish a sentence, maybe you should look elsewhere.
• Appearance of facility. Clean, organized, well-equipped = good.
• Training kept current - and displayed. Manufacturers run training seminars to teach skills and keep technicians current on their regulators. Good technicians stay current on these seminars. If your tech can't show you a certificate showing that he has attended one of these seminars for your brand of gear in the past couple of years, pull your waders on and then ask him how he stays up-to-date.
• Published prices for routine servicing. They may not have a sign up on the wall like the garage but good shops have established rates that they aren't embarrassed to put in writing. Likewise, a good shop will return any replaced parts to you as proof that the work was done.
• Expect to pay for what you get. How often does cheaper equal better?

Though regulators are designed to be fairly goof-proof, most have vulnerabilities. Most divers can (and should) make some field repairs - change a hose, clear a second stage, even adjust the IP. Most divers shouldn't attempt to work on the inside of the first stage, where a scratch so fine that a magnifier is needed to see it can destroy some parts.

Like any service, finding a quality provider starts with the end-user caring enough to want the job done right.