What regulator Kills the most divers?

[mstevens]

Bimmer also recommends oil changes at very long intervals – 15,000 miles using synthetic motor oil

True, but they'll also pay for a change each year even if mileage is much lower than that.

 

[divermike86]

i just hope you remember your posts if there is a reg. failure and you decide to sue.....by servicing your reg. every 12 months, as rec. you avoid the legal issues....servicing your own reg. means that YOU are now liable, much like if you run out of gas, can't find the boat, etc....most divers don't want to assume liability for ANYTHING, let alone their own failure......i can service my own and do so, along with people that pay me to do the same....

good luck....

 

[Snowbear]

Personal responsibility.... what a concept :11:

Yes, I have assumed all of the responsibility, liability, and accept any consequences that may come from a failure. So far, I have survived. If I don't, then I'm not in a position to sue anyone, eh

 

[Hoyden]

i just hope you remember your posts if there is a reg. failure and you decide to sue.....by servicing your reg. every 12 months, as rec. you avoid the legal issues....servicing your own reg. means that YOU are now liable, much like if you run out of gas, can't find the boat, etc....most divers don't want to assume liability for ANYTHING, let alone their own failure......i can service my own and do so, along with people that pay me to do the same....

good luck....

So essentially, allowing you to work on my regs puts me in the position of doing a "trust you" dive - guess what, I don't know you and I don't do "trust someone else" dives. I volunteer at an aqaurium and they really prefer that we dive their gear. It took me months to be able to allow that as the deepest we normally dive is 20 feet and we always have asurface tender, I will probably be okay on equipment that I didn't personally service. If giving up the right to sue you is the worst part od servicing my own gear... and that is traded for the absolute knowledge that a good job was done and the right parts were used - that's an easy trade.

Jackie

 

[captain]

i just hope you remember your posts if there is a reg. failure and you decide to sue.....by servicing your reg. every 12 months, as rec. you avoid the legal issues....servicing your own reg. means that YOU are now liable, much like if you run out of gas, can't find the boat, etc....most divers don't want to assume liability for ANYTHING, let alone their own failure......i can service my own and do so, along with people that pay me to do the same....

good luck....

Seems like you would prefer to be sued than not. With all the hollering shops do about libility it seems they would want to get rid of as much libility as they can or is it the loss of service income really the issue.

 

[Couv]

A bunch of fancy expensives tool are not needed to service most regulators. A 6 inch ruler, food coloring, water and some clear plastic tubing will make a U tube manometer that is just as accurate as a magnahelic gauge. A lot of special tools are just a variation of a standard hand that can be modified with a grinder or bent for the job. I use a 3/8" or 7/16" 6" long fine thread bolt screwed into the HP or LP ports as a handle for screwing or unscrewing yoke nut or turret bolts. Sometimes copper tubing fittings can be used to make adapters for connecting an IP gauge.

Hello Captain,

Like you, I usually improvise my tooling to rebuild my regulators (Scuba Pro MK 10) I would like your suggestion on a couple of tools. I am currently using a set of “c” clip removers for the hp seat cap (sometimes a set of needle nose pliers) but as I have scratched the chrome more than once, I would like some alternatives. Also, what tool do you use for ring between the valve body and the swivel? I usually use some home made pins and channel lock pliers, but, again the chrome would appreciate more precision tooling. I just bought a couple of regulators off of ebay and I don’t know if the parts received the proper torque and I don’t want too much trouble taking them apart. As time is usually not a factor, I use vinegar as a cleaner, however, how long should I let the parts soak and what should the concentration of vinegar/water be? Lastly, (at least for now) Could I expect to get a more effective cleaning using an ultrasonic cleaner? They go for about $35 on ebay?

Take care and thank you from a transplanted coonass,

couv

 

[mheaster]

My guess is that the reg that kills the most divers is probably also the reg that gets used the most and thus has a higher number of incidents. Probably a US Divers or ScubaPro or Aqualung (something tht has been used by a LOT of divers for a LOT of years). A more telling stat would be which has the highest # of kills per hour of use or some such thing. Can't imagine anyone having compiled such a stat.

To better illustrate your point (AND to let me vent about a completely Non-Dive related Subject):

I own a 1999 Ford Explorer, I love my SUV! It is perfect vehicle to haul 4 divers and gear!

Did you know, that U-HAUL will NOT rent a U-HAUL Trailer to be towed behind ANY YEAR Ford Explorer? I didn't until I read it recently and checked it out! I called U-Haul and was told that a Ford Explorer (ANY year) was NOT an authorized tow vehicle for U-Haul to rent to. I asked (I thought the logical question) WHY? They could not answer. I was given the telephone number for my Local Area Service Manager, they referred me BACK to National Customer Service. Finally, I read a newspaper article (after searching Internet) the reasoning was that U-Haul decided it was too expensive dealing with the large number of law suits resulting from its trailers being towed by Ford Explorers! Not that theri was ANY SPECIFIC IDENTIFIED safty issue, just the number of incidents! (Ford Explorer is the MOST POPULAR SUV on the market! There are MORE Ford Explorers on the Road than any other SUV!) You CAN rent a U-Haul trailer to tow behind a Mercury Mountaineer No Problem! It is the SAME VEHICLE! They just don't have that many law suits resulting from them! (There aren't that many on the road!)

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/2004-01-08-uhaul-ford_x.htm

Thanks, I feel better now! :lol:

 

[pescador775]

My experience is that a piston reg will go for five years without problems and a diaphragm reg a bit longer. Even then, the problems are minor.The weak point concerns the hp seat. However, if no trash or salt gets into the inlet, the improved materials used today will last a really long time. Minor regulator problems I've seen with my own, other than hp seats: a leak in a Conshelf traced to the small O ring inside the balance chamber (crown). A honking MK 10 was found to have high IP, 165 psi. Sometimes a deep dent will form in the SP hp seat causing the high IP. I work on them if I can get parts. One problem I couldn't fix. My dealer was also stumped. A call to SP indicated that the 2nd stage springs in those regs were too soft and the spec was changed. He pulled a stronger spring from the bin and that fixed it. Some special tools are required to work on regs. I don't believe in most test equipment except the IP gauge. Waste of time to check inhalation resistance; as one poster pointed out, adjust the second stage poppet until freeflow and back off a bit. Double check the position of the demand lever. About the problem of securing the regulator body, I use an empty CO2 cartridge screwed into a lp port.

I change the oil on my Cherokee @ 10,000 miles. Regular stuff, no synthetic. So far, 167,000 miles on the engine. Uses one quart every 2000 miles, mainly due to small leak.

 

[captain]

Hello Captain,

Like you, I usually improvise my tooling to rebuild my regulators (Scuba Pro MK 10) I would like your suggestion on a couple of tools. I am currently using a set of “c” clip removers for the hp seat cap (sometimes a set of needle nose pliers) but as I have scratched the chrome more than once, I would like some alternatives. Also, what tool do you use for ring between the valve body and the swivel? I usually use some home made pins and channel lock pliers, but, again the chrome would appreciate more precision tooling. I just bought a couple of regulators off of ebay and I don’t know if the parts received the proper torque and I don’t want too much trouble taking them apart. As time is usually not a factor, I use vinegar as a cleaner, however, how long should I let the parts soak and what should the concentration of vinegar/water be? Lastly, (at least for now) Could I expect to get a more effective cleaning using an ultrasonic cleaner? They go for about $35 on ebay?

Take care and thank you from a transplanted coonass,

couv

I use aluminun brightner, a type of acid diluted 50/50 with water. I soak until any bubbling stops or about 15 minutes. I made tools to remove the piston housing and the HP seat retainer. I try not to scratch the chrome but it happens.

 

[IlikeItwetPls]

Seems like you would prefer to be sued than not. With all the hollering shops do about libility it seems they would want to get rid of as much libility as they can or is it the loss of service income really the issue.

Very Good point captain!!! I'm glad the topic was started, maybe this will spark some intrest in a study. I really hope OSHA does not get involved with this matter; we really will have to cough up more dough for a reg if they do.