Why can we service our own regulators?

[Ryan Nelson]

What's the argument for not allowing the everyday diver to service his/her own regulator?

I have to imagine, though I'm not a lawyer, that if a shop or manufacturer fixed or rebuilt your regulator and then some catastrophe occurred and injury or death was the result it would be very hard to prove that it wasn't user error or lack of upkeep. This would absolve the repair shop of any wrong doing. In the end I'm sure they are not liable.

If the manufacturers don't want the market flooded with user repaired regs I could understand that, but who's to say that everyone who sells one keep up with maintenance. Either way the market will have bad regs in it either from user upkeep or in properly serviced regs. Not every dive shop can fix it right every time.

Diving is not the only high risk sport I participate in and in all others you as a user of equipment are required to maintain it. I like this because I know exactly how my equipment functions and it's strengths and weaknesses and I address them as I see fit.

The construction and operation of regulators are not overly complicated. There are much easier mistakes to make in diving if your not on your toes.

The reason I bring this up is my Atomic reg has been rebuilt twice this year and both times the leaks were attributed to improper installation. The other issue is the $20 in parts and $80 to install.

Thoughts?

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[Hickdive]

You can buy the parts and service the brakes on your car with no qualifications, no questions asked and the potential consequences of making a mistake with those are far worse than making a mistake with a regulator.

But the diving industry is a law unto itself - unless actively forced to sell parts to consumers (as in some EU countries) they want to, and will, maintain a closed shop.

 

[Ryan Nelson]

Nice analogy!

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[greatlakeswreckdiver]

I am with you...like to maintain stuff myself so I know how it was handled. Believe there is quite a bit of specialized equipment to service a reg the right way but not sure if that is required or only preferred. Would probably service it more often if it was just parts costs as well.

Think there are some manufacturers that will sell parts kits outright. Others will only sell to authorized service centers. Know my AquaLung must be serviced at a dealer. I can't get the kits outright.

 

[redacted]

The manufacturers restrict user access to parts as a way of supporting their retailers' business operations. Most of the business operations want it that way. And then most of them lie about it.

If independent service facilities had access to parts, dive shops would stand to lose a major line of business.

 

[emoreira]

There is no scuba police that will require a reg maintenance certificate prior to diving.
No one will stop you to maintain, repair and calibrate your own reg set (only if it's under warranty, doing so would void warranty). It's your regulator and you can do the maintenance, rebuilt and so on. For this you could require some special tools and measuring equipment. Some times the investment required for those items is too high to be used once every one/two years, besides requiring the knowledge, expertise and procedural manuals.
Many divers do not know how to rebuilt their reg sets, don't have the tools and measuring gear, so they prefer to send them to a shop.
Some others do not trust in their own hands to do the required job.

 

[Ryan Nelson]

Good point, but the rebuild kits aren't available. Your making the process sound overly complicated. For some it might be difficult but for other's it's not.

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[LeadTurn_SD]

This is a can of worms.

The "official line" is that regulators are "life support", and that only "qualified" or "factory trained" technicians should touch them. The implication is that they are so complex and the possible consequences of a service "error" so severe that only a fool would attempt to service his/her own equipment.

The reality is a bit different.

Regulator service provides a revenue stream for dive shops. There is absolutely nothing "wrong" with this, and many folks would rather just have their regulators serviced by someone else.

Here is "the rub". Not all regulator "techs" toiling in the back of dive shops are created equally. Some are highly competent, and some, well, not so much. There is not a "standard" of competence that needs to be met.

Again, there are some really good techs working in dive shops.... but being "factory trained" tech is no guarantee of competence.

Servicing of regulators is not for the "ham-fisted", mechanically-challenged, or "bubba, hold my beer while I grab my biggest hammer" crowd, but at the same time it is not difficult. It only requires very basic mechanical skill, a little "homework", and the willingness to work carefully and pay attention to detail.

Some manufacturers are more enlightened, and do sell parts to customers. Dive Rite, Zeagle and Edge/HOG parts are easily available if you want to do your own service.

Best wishes.

 

[halocline]

What's the argument for not allowing the everyday diver to service his/her own regulator?

Manufacturers restrict sales on parts for the simple reason that they can get away with it. The main reason they can do this is because the market is too small to attract real competition from aftermarket parts suppliers. If that were not the case, like in the automotive industry, consumers could buy aftermarket parts freely, and that would eventually force the manufacturers to follow suit or risk losing that segment of their income.

The nonsense about liability or safety concerns is exactly that, nonsense. I don't mean that individual dive shop owners are lying when they say they can't sell parts due to liability, that's just what they are instructed to do by the manufacturers with whom they have contractual agreements.

 

[kelemvor]

Manufacturers restrict sales on parts for the simple reason that they can get away with it. The main reason they can do this is because the market is too small to attract real competition from aftermarket parts suppliers. If that were not the case, like in the automotive industry, consumers could buy aftermarket parts freely, and that would eventually force the manufacturers to follow suit or risk losing that segment of their income.

The nonsense about liability or safety concerns is exactly that, nonsense. I don't mean that individual dive shop owners are lying when they say they can't sell parts due to liability, that's just what they are instructed to do by the manufacturers with whom they have contractual agreements.

Sure they're liable. If they sell you parts, they're liable to lose the money they would have charged you for labor!



HOG is happy to provide training for folks that want to repair their gear. They then sell parts directly. If you want to service your own regs, it might be worth checking out that brand.



There are a few websites in the world that do sell service kits for brands like Scubapro. I've never used one, because I think I'd rather pay the money to have someone work on my stuff than pay the money for training and maybe get it wrong.