When was the last time your reg was serviced?

[garyfotodiver]

Are you expressing doubt of the assertion or just interested in the numbers? The idea that the most common time to have trouble with a regulator is following a service seems to be a very common claim on this board. My personal experience is that the first 3 times I had my regs serviced by an LDS (different one each time), I had problems after each service. So I went the DIY route with not a moments regrets. I'm sure more folks would be much happier with their tech service if they could fix minor problems as you can. It really is quite easy to fix many of the annoying post service problems like loose connections or a slight freeflow when the tech gets too aggressive setting cracking pressure.

Show reliable data, otherwise identify your claims as what they are, just anecdotes.

OR, find a reliable person to do your servicing.

 

[String]

Depends on number of dives with mine. Anything from every 2 years or so for stage regs to 6 months for main.

Also O2 clean status etc affects it.

I've also witnessed FAR too many regs go in for a service, come back and be unusable or borderline dangerous after the event. Very few places here i'd trust to service my regs hence my choice is send them back to the manufacturer (Apeks in my case)

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Woo Hoo!!! The polls are back!!

I service all my gear on a yearly basis- I have 6 regs and 8 tanks, so the parts alone run about $600.

:11: That's why I'll never be a tech diver! Too rich for my blood, or at least until I get my daughter's through college.

I have 2 regs (5 stages) and I have them serviced once a year.

 

[b1draper]

Show reliable data, otherwise identify your claims as what they are, just anecdotes.

OR, find a reliable person to do your servicing.

Ok, I'll chime in and attest to this problem too. I've got two reg sets and (one primary and one for my pony) I've had problems each time I've had them serviced on my first dive after servicing. I've gone to two different shops and had the same problem.

Origionally, I took my first set of regs in for it's first yearly service and on my first dive after service I got a HP leak at 60 feet and no buddy in sight, so I fought my way back to the surface breathing when I was able to catch enough air from the two free flowing regs.

Then I got a pony bottle and another reg set (old reg set that had just been serviced). On the first dive after service the reg for the pony had a steady stream of small bubbles coming from a couple fittings.

The problem as I've discovered is that most dive shops don't replace O rings during service, they just visually inspect and try not to disturb them. Of course this isn't fool proof.

 

[ZzzKing]

You're supposed to service them?

 

[dallasdivergirl]

Being a good little new diver I got my reg serviced at the one year interval. I went on a trip about a month later and my pressure guage started leaking. It did keep reading accurately and the LDS swapped it out for no charge when I got back.

 

[Toolbox-13]

I service my regs yearly, I just don't trust any of the LDS in my area with my life.

 

[miketsp]

Show reliable data, otherwise identify your claims as what they are, just anecdotes.

OR, find a reliable person to do your servicing.

I'll chime in too. With 5 reg sets in the family and diving for a number of years, all the problems we've ever had have been just after a service - various establishments. So I learnt how to do them myself and bought some tools and an IP gauge and although I don't always have time I give them a good checkover when they come back. Sometimes it's just scary what we find.

 

[VinceDS]

Primary regs every 6 to 8 months.

Deco regs - every 12 months

I do check IP on primary regs prior to each dive and adjust if needed.

 

[Loneranger]

These days I am buying a new req inside of two years. Rather than service. When the wife feels like getting in the water I will service the old set for her so it is fresh. I had a Conshelf 21 that I dove for 9 years and depending on the number of dives it would be serviced every 12-18 months. I have had octos that were left go longer than that but thats just because I am afraid how it operate when I get it back from service. Seen more reg problems from freshly serviced regs than those that had extended service intervals.