Service intervals

[LI Diver]

Ok I hope I don't get flamed on this one but.. I know that the mfr of most regs say they should be serviced annually and it is life support etc.. However from some of the techs out there Is it really necessary to have my 3 sets of regs (my 2 kids and myself) serviced every year? I mean thats $300. total. We normally make 2 dive trips a year and are logging maybe 12 dives each total per yr. Our dives are mainly shallow 30' reef or less in the key's at spots where you can't exceed 25' most of the time if you wanted to. I always give a good visual inspection and a couple of pool dives before each trip just for piece of mind. I mean wouldn't bi annual be good? Of course dipping without the dust cap or getting dropped etc. would be grounds for immediate service of course. Every year they put new hoses and mouth pieces on my regs besides internal parts and it just seems wasteful.

 

[superstar]

At $300 a year you could buy a new reg each year. You could use each reg for three years, toss it and buy a new reg for the same price as the service.

 

[k4man]

I understand your questions completely. Honestly, I have not ALWAYS had my regs serviced annually....BUT here's the answer/question that many online may ask

what's the price you can put on the safety of your and your children's lives??

Priceless. Just a thought.

 

[LI Diver]

At $300 a year you could buy a new reg each year. You could use each reg for three years, toss it and buy a new reg for the same price as the service.

My feelings exactly! My lds actually gives me a discount and only charges me $75. each if the owner or sales person I know is there but it still is a chunk of change.

 

[LI Diver]

I understand your questions completely. Honestly, I have not ALWAYS had my regs serviced annually....BUT here's the answer/question that many online may ask

what's the price you can put on the safety of your and your children's lives??

Priceless. Just a thought.

I agree totally and in fact have them serviced on time but the only time I've had trouble with a reg was right after it was serviced and something was not seated properly on assembly. Also all that disassembly and reassembling can't be good for plastic threaded parts can it?

 

[jstbecauz]

$75 per reg seems like a worthwhile investment for the piece of mind. That breaks down to a little over $6.00 per dive.

 

[superstar]

If you put the same demand valve on a welding cylinder it will last 10 years without any maintanence. Go figure?

 

[redacted]

If you fail to service your regs annually, what might you expect to happen? What failure modes might you expect and how can you deal with them? When you are comfortable with your answers to those questions, you will know what service interval is appropriate for you.

 

[Ed Palma]

alternatively, you can learn to service your own regs. its actually a simple peice of kit. Peace of mind? Knowing that you did the job properly and thoroughly is enough peace of mind.

 

[diveman7683]

Every year they put new hoses and mouth pieces on my regs besides internal parts and it just seems wasteful.

This I don't understand. Why are they putting new hoses on every year? If the hose is fine, no cracks or soft spots, why change it?