[w/ Update]Reg serviced at scubatoys. But reg still freeflows, and SPG is flooded after 1st dive

[Couv]

Please clarify for me the issue with your SPG. Are you seeing water in the gauge itself? If so, as pointed out by @halocline that is due to a leak in the gauge housing. Either the bezel has come loose, a lens o-ring or the blow out plug has failed to seal. There is an outside chance the housing or lens is cracked.

 

[SaltyFrog]

Please clarify for me the issue with your SPG. Are you seeing water in the gauge itself? If so, as pointed out by @halocline that is due to a leak in the gauge housing. Either the bezel has come loose, a lens o-ring or the blow out plug has failed to seal. There is an outside chance the housing or lens is cracked.

sorry let me clarify.

It's not water in side of the dial (where the hand and PSI numbers are written).
It's water inside the SPG port, or innards of the SPG(?)

Here is the order of events:
1. I took apart the HP hose and SPG. Really loose connection, a wee bit tighter than hand tight.
2. the spool is stuck inside the SPG, unable to be taken out easily as I would've expected.
3. need to use plier to take the spool out.
4. the SPG side spool oring was stuck inside the spg during the process of 3)
5. took the spool oring out. the two spool orings appear to be intact.
6. spool oring was wet, water can be seen inside the SPG port. water can be swung out our the port.

 

[Couv]

It's not water in side of the dial (where the hand and PSI numbers are written).
It's water inside the SPG port, or innards of the SPG(?)

Here is the order of events:
1. I took apart the HP hose and SPG. Really loose connection, a wee bit tighter than hand tight.

Then I have to question the wisdom of installing the o-ring pictured in your post #15. I think not having the metal to metal contact allowed water to seep in during soaking post dive.

 

[SlugLife]

After being pressurized, and after taking a first breathe.

Generally, I think of free-flow as it being full-open. That looks more like a bad or out-of-place o-ring. It could also be marring, if they used a steel o-ring-pick on the wrong place.

Update:

Called scubatoys, Rick has been helping out all alone since we found out the free flow issue since last month and he has been super helpful and understanding all alone. They do use outside techs to service the regs so that part is somewhat outside of his control.

We couldn't figure out what had happened.
But he has offered to refund me back the service charge plus the parts charge, including the price for a sidemount set that I had serviced which does not appear to have any problems.

The additional refund should cover the cost of a new SPG in this instance.
I'm at least pretty satisfied on how they handled the situations from a customer service POV.

I'd be really happy with that kind of customer-service. Did you tell them about water in the SPG?

One way for water to get into the SPG, is if there was water in your hose. For example, lets say they rinse out hoses for some reason (is this a thing? I don't know), but then forgot to blow all the water out of the hose. The other way, is for water to get into your first-stage, and then pass it's way to the rest of your system.

Are you sure it was water, and not something like silicone grease? I'm not doubting you, just throwing around random things to consider.

 

[Scubagaskets]

Have a look at this video. It will show you a way to correctly install the SPG o-ring in seconds

 

[halocline]

sorry let me clarify.

It's not water in side of the dial (where the hand and PSI numbers are written).
It's water inside the SPG port, or innards of the SPG(?)

Here is the order of events:
1. I took apart the HP hose and SPG. Really loose connection, a wee bit tighter than hand tight.
2. the spool is stuck inside the SPG, unable to be taken out easily as I would've expected.
3. need to use plier to take the spool out.
4. the SPG side spool oring was stuck inside the spg during the process of 3)
5. took the spool oring out. the two spool orings appear to be intact.
6. spool oring was wet, water can be seen inside the SPG port. water can be swung out our the port.

I'll reply to each of your points:
1. This is not unusual, as long as the SPG doesn't actually spin off, it's fine. The only seals are the 2 spool o-rings.
2-3. Also not unusual, but typically on a brand new one you can just pull it out with your fingers.
4. This is the problem, it indicates that the inward spool o-ring was not installed correctly on the spool. But if that o-ring was not in place, there should have been a very noticeable air leak. Lots of bubbles.
5-6. It's normal for there to water on the exterior of the spool between the o-rings, and on the threads. There's usually no o-ring sealing those.

The issue is that if there is a leak that could allow water in to the SPG, that same leak would let air out when it's under pressure, and considering it's full tank pressure, I'm sure you can understand the amount of tiny bubbles we are talking about. Nobody paying even the slightest bit of attention would miss that.

I assume the SPG was working, correct? IE, during the dive it showed tank pressure gradually decreasing throughout the dive? If that was the case, and there was no loud air leak, then the only possibility is that water got in when you rinsed your reg. The only way I can imagine that happening, that sort of jibes with your description, is that the inner o-ring was not installed on the spool, but instead pushed into the SPG. Then when the reg was pressurized it somehow sealed air against the end of the spool, i.e. the air pressure pushed it into place in such a way that it sealed under pressure, but relaxed enough when the pressure was released to allow water into the SPG during a rinse.

I have to say that this explanation is just a wild guess and is probably a long shot. And considering you only had your reg in the rinse tank for a few moments, even if it were true (which I kind of doubt) then there shouldn't have been much water. How much came out, a few drops?

I would try to blow some dry air into the SPG, maybe using a can of compressed air and one of those plastic straws. See how much actually comes out. I bet you can dry it out and it will work fine.

 

[halocline]

Generally, I think of free-flow as it being full-open. That looks more like a bad or out-of-place o-ring. It could also be marring, if they used a steel o-ring-pick on the wrong place.

On that regulator it just means it's out of adjustment. The seat/orifice contact needs to be tightened a bit, or the lever needs to be loosened a bit. In fact, there is a thread started by the same OP from April of this year where RSingler provided a clear answer. I think the OP in this thread is just annoyed that getting it serviced didn't fix the problem.

 

[divad]

Thanks for reminding me to get more of these for $1.50 each from DGX. I used the last one a couple of years ago.

 

[The Chairman]

I think the OP in this thread is just annoyed that getting it serviced didn't fix the problem.

That would annoy me too.

 

[lexvil]

That would annoy me too.

Especially since the D420 service kit replaces every critical part.