Uses for Non-Serviceable Regulator?

[redacted]

I doubt that's the case, but I like to think people are fundamentally good at heart.

A friend of mine once said "Never attribute to divisiveness that which can reasonably be attributed to stupidity". The tech's explanation of the problem is just absolute nonsense. Stupidity is not a plausible explanation in this case.

 

[scubassplayer]

I have an old reg that I can't get parts for servicing. I use it whenever I am in pool for a skills reviews session at the beginning of each dive season. If it gets banged around I don't care, and if anything happens...well, I am in a pool

 

[Couv]

...I like to think people are fundamentally good at heart.

What about monkeys?

 

[Kunundrum]

A friend of mine once said "Never attribute to divisiveness that which can reasonably be attributed to stupidity". The tech's explanation of the problem is just absolute nonsense. Stupidity is not a plausible explanation in this case.

I was doubting that the Technician wanted the 1st stage for hims thus trying to "Steal" it by saying it's no good. There is no doubt that he is not the greatest technician, everything can be fixed, it's a question of whether its cost effective to do so sometimes and if the parts are available.

 

[redacted]

I was doubting that the Technician wanted the 1st stage for hims thus trying to "Steal" it by saying it's no good. There is no doubt that he is not the greatest technician, everything can be fixed, it's a question of whether its cost effective to do so sometimes and if the parts are available.

It is not an issue of whether it can be fixed or not, nor the cost of such a fix. The problem is the techs description of the problem with the regulator is simply utter nonsense. The OP was told "that it doesn't depth adjust anymore". The only way that could happen to a piston regulator would be to seal up the ambient chamber. It would take some very purposeful and obvious effort on the part of someone to cause this to happen. It can not happen by accident or failure. So, either the OP is mistaken or the tech is lying. I just can't imagine what the tech could have credibly said that could have been so misconstrued by the OP. So that leave a dishonest tech. Perhaps one might believe he was just trying to sell him a new reg which would be just as bad at heart than my thief contention. The rarity of the OPs reg make me lean toward the thief theory. In either case, the tech was attempting a scam and he is not "fundamentally good at heart".

 

[Shftrdog]

You should get it serviced and have a second opinion

 

[halocline]

I was doubting that the Technician wanted the 1st stage for hims thus trying to "Steal" it by saying it's no good. There is no doubt that he is not the greatest technician, everything can be fixed, it's a question of whether its cost effective to do so sometimes and if the parts are available.

In this case, there's nothing to be fixed except the tech's ignorance. I'm going with my theory that the tech thought this was a MK10 missing its ambient chamber. In his mind, this meant that the reg could no longer "depth adjust." Of course, what it shows is that the tech has little understanding of the basic design and function of regulators. I sure am glad that the dive industry is protecting us from ourselves with the help of these "professionals" servicing our "life support"!

 

[ryjoph89]

Ok... So I was able to talk to the tech today....

He said:

-The inner portion of the balancing chamber is worn down too much
-The piston gets hung up so it wont depth adjust smoothly.
-Flowbench pressure tests result in randomly catching
-Makes the intermediate pressure fluctuate outside of the tolerance level

So his initial response of "wont depth adjust" is correct but he just didn't go into length about it. Regulators are built to free-flow on failure but with this particular issue (catching piston) it will have a lock/no-deliver on failure. :reaper:

If anyone is still interested in buying it and believes they can solve it then let me know- (I can't be held liable and recommend NOT diving with it)

-Thanks

 

[redacted]

This still does not make good sense. There is no balance chamber in a BP but he may have just been using terms he thought you would understand. If the sealing surface in the body of the regulator is damaged it may leak but is unlikely to "hang up". Even if there is a problem like the tech seems to be trying to describe (damage to the sealing surface or the piston) it is the non-swivel, 5-port cap that is hard to find and it can be put on any functioning Mk10 body. You have had a couple offers already.

Ok... So I was able to talk to the tech today....

He said:

-The inner portion of the balancing chamber is worn down too much
-The piston gets hung up so it wont depth adjust smoothly.
-Flowbench pressure tests result in randomly catching
-Makes the intermediate pressure fluctuate outside of the tolerance level

So his initial response of "wont depth adjust" is correct but he just didn't go into length about it. Regulators are built to free-flow on failure but with this particular issue (catching piston) it will have a lock/no-deliver on failure. :reaper:

If anyone is still interested in buying it and believes they can solve it then let me know- (I can't be held liable and recommend NOT diving with it)

-Thanks

 

[halocline]

Ok... So I was able to talk to the tech today....

He said:

-The inner portion of the balancing chamber is worn down too much
-The piston gets hung up so it wont depth adjust smoothly.
-Flowbench pressure tests result in randomly catching
-Makes the intermediate pressure fluctuate outside of the tolerance level

So his initial response of "wont depth adjust" is correct but he just didn't go into length about it. Regulators are built to free-flow on failure but with this particular issue (catching piston) it will have a lock/no-deliver on failure. :reaper:

If anyone is still interested in buying it and believes they can solve it then let me know- (I can't be held liable and recommend NOT diving with it)

-Thanks

It's possible that there is a lot of corrosion in the ambient chamber, which could result in a leak. IP fluctuation or creep would only be caused by wear or corrosion at the piston knife edge, which can be fixed by buying a NOS piston or maybe by cleaning up the edge with some micromesh.

Do you have a tank and do you want to test it? If so, put the reg on it, turn on the air, and listen for a leak coming from the first stage. If you don't notice a leak, try immersing in the tub, then look for bubbles coming out of the round holes in the first stage. I guess its possible that sufficient corrosion in the chamber could cause a little leak, which would slowly drop the IP until the spring pushed the piston off the seat, resulting in a immediate "burp" of air into the IP chamber, pushing the piston back down and the cycle would start over. Kind of like the typical IP creep resulting in slow IP rise until a bit of air burps out of the second stage, dropping it back down.

Anyhow, it's still worth looking at. It could just as easily be something fixable with no problem. PM sent!