"disposable regulators" vs servicing?

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

Can you give a quick and basic response on what checking the IP entails and what is IP creep? I really do appreciate all I learn on this forum.
Get a pressure gauge that you can plug into your inflator hose like this one. When pressurized, purge the reg and watch the pressure. It’ll drop when you purge then it should hit around 140psi (or whatever your manufacturer specs in range) and stay there. Creeping is just that, you’ll see it slowly rise up to a higher pressure say 160 psi. If you see that it’s time to get serviced.
 
So convincing responses that this is something I would enjoy. Sorry, but how to access @rslinger course?
Write him a direct message and ask about his 2024 schedule. I believe that he does two or three a year. usually over a weekend . . .
 
Don't buy inferior regulators and buy yourself a new unknown every 3-4 years.

So, you paid $75 a stage to service 6 regulators. How often do you do this? I am guessing you are doing it too often. Every 3-4 years may be more than enough if you are doing 80 dives a year.

Buy yourself a $12 IP gauge to evaluate the 1st stages on a regular basis, and then mark the calendar for 3 years out. If the IP shows problems of drift or creep, do the service sooner.

Is that really such a cost burden? At a 3-year interval that is $25/year/reg.


Self-Service is only the answer if you enjoy doing that sort of thing.

And read this:
 
Also read over this thread:


The short version is with a little care and monitoring, you can safely extend the service intervals. Possibly for many years.
 
You can get Palantec reg sets on Amazon with a first and two second stages for $160. IMHO they are great regs, breathe fine and you can either treat them as disposable or order service kits, also on Amazon. I have used a number of different regs and I can't tell a difference in how they breathe.
 
Don't buy inferior regulators and buy yourself a new unknown every 3-4 years.

So, you paid $75 a stage to service 6 regulators. How often do you do this? I am guessing you are doing it too often. Every 3-4 years may be more than enough if you are doing 80 dives a year.

Buy yourself a $12 IP gauge to evaluate the 1st stages on a regular basis, and then mark the calendar for 3 years out. If the IP shows problems of drift or creep, do the service sooner.

Is that really such a cost burden? At a 3-year interval that is $25/year/reg.


Self-Service is only the answer if you enjoy doing that sort of thing.

And read this:

No, I was paying about ~$200-$250 per reg every 3 years. My question was that for about that much I could by a reg, 2 second stages, plus a whole hose kit for ~$500 and sell the old reg kit for ~$250. So buy for $500, 3 years later buy new for $500 and sell used for $250, thus breaking even and always having new.
 
No, I was paying about ~$200-$250 per reg every 3 years. My question was that for about that much I could by a reg, 2 second stages, plus a whole hose kit for ~$500 and sell the old reg kit for ~$250. So buy for $500, 3 years later buy new for $500 and sell used for $250, thus breaking even and always having new.

So to service a single tank setup you’re paying 750? For 1 first stage and 2 second stages?
 
After paying for recent (and a couple in the past) service cycles on my 12 year old Atomic Z2x regulators...

Well, after the parts and labor costs (~$450 for my wife's and mine's), I am considering just buying brand new DGX Gears XTRA Streamlines OW reg packages (that include new hoses for $549) every 3 years and selling the old regs every 3 years on EBay . Anyone else taken this approach rather than paying for servicing? I'm having a hard time seeing how this isn't a better route honestly.
It was the outrageous price that I was quoted to get two Atomic regs serviced here in Australia that triggered me to buy a couple of special tools and OEM service kits and service them myself!
Never looked back... even with the cost of buying the tools I was still in front!
However be warned it rapidly becomes an addictive hobby and the number of beautifully restored reg sets will grow exponentially :D
 

Back
Top Bottom