Who will service the regulator yourself? Any Pro can advise?

[sambolino44]

post deleted

OK, now I'm logged in as me.

It's been said before, but I'll say it again: if you are going to be servicing only your own regs, you probably won't save much money doing it yourself, especially if you buy all the "proper" tools. There are a lot of reg service tools that you don't really need, but they make the job easier, and much less likely to damage parts. I paid so much for books, tools, etc. that it will be a long time before it pays off compared to taking them to a shop for annual (or bi-annual) service, but I'm not really doing it to save money. I like knowing how the job was done, and I like being able to fine-tune the sensitivity, although so far I've only felt like doing that once.

I like the analogy to car brakes, especially because there are similarities in the skills and parts involved. In both, you have to be organized, clean, and have an eye for detail.

Another point to consider: depending on the brand of reg, you may find it hard to get parts, especially anything other than regular service items. I have. That's the main reason I bought Zeagle regs: I understand I'll be able to get parts for them. I bought my regs before Hog came out.

I also love the "life support" argument. I once noted that it appears that all brass 'n glass SPGs seem to be made in the same factory, only with a different face design, so I asked where can I get the cheapest one (it makes no sense to me to pay twice as much for the same gauge just because it has a blue H on it). I got the response, "How much is your life worth?" Well, it's worth everything I've ever made, and everything I'll ever make for the rest of my life; is that how much I'm supposed to pay for a stupid pressure gauge? Get real.

 

[Gilldiver]

OK, now I'm logged in as me.

It's been said before, but I'll say it again: if you are going to be servicing only your own regs, you probably won't save much money doing it yourself, especially if you buy all the "proper" tools. There are a lot of reg service tools that you don't really need, but they make the job easier, and much less likely to damage parts.

The break even part is right around 3 regs. Less than 3, and have a good shop do it, over 3 and you will pay back your tools in a season or two. I run mostly aqualung and Poseidon - I have never needed any special tools for the aqualung but getting one or two of the special tools for the Poseidons is just about required. Repair manuals are on-line, many may be surprised that their brand new high tech reg uses the same parts kit and procedures as the old piece of junk from the 1970's.....

 

[hong32585]

Of coz safety is the most important. However, if the procedure is not complicated, why not do it ourselves. (I am not sure how complicated it is, so I created this post to collect more opinion).
I found there is Maintenance kit of reg on ebay, Scubapro MK17/19 Repair Kit, service parts maintenance scuba dive scuba pro | eBay. it imply some ppl will DIY. And after see this making a scuba regulator - YouTube, I think you are just putting part together in a correct order to assembly the reg. But the clip also show there are some proper service tools that don't really need, but they make the job easier, as samboline44 suggest.

OK, now I'm logged in as me.
............., especially if you buy all the "proper" tools. There are a lot of reg service tools that you don't really need, but they make the job easier, and much less likely to damage parts.

Can I know what you can do and wt do mean for on site repairs?

 

[Rich Keller]

It seems the inner structure is not too complicated and it look easy if only clean the salt inside and replacing O-ring.

The second stage is easy to service. The first stage is a little more involved in that you must set the intermediate pressure but that just requires an intermediate pressure gage. With a manual and practice anyone can do this for about $5 worth of parts. I am not a technician but I can field strip and repair anything I own.

 

[hong32585]

The second stage is easy to service. The first stage is a little more involved in that you must set the intermediate pressure but that just requires an intermediate pressure gage. With a manual and practice anyone can do this for about $5 worth of parts. I am not a technician but I can field strip and repair anything I own.

So, richkeller you got a intermediate pressure gauge? what is it use for, testing leakage?

 

[sambolino44]

The intermediate pressure gauge is for setting the intermediate pressure. I suggest you start with some basic theory. Vance Harlow's SCUBA Regulator Maintenance and Repair (Airspeed Press Homepage - Books For Serious Divers) or Pete Wolfinger's Scuba Regulator Savvy (Scuba Tools) have all the info you need to answer your questions about how regulators work, and what's involved in servicing them.

 

[redacted]

Hong, maybe you should start here: HowStuffWorks "Regulators and Scuba Breathing Apparatus"

 

[temet vince]

The only time I've ever opened up my reg to work on it I took a pair of pliers to it!That's how bad my lds messed it up by "servicing" it. I had to literally bend a huge metal lever back into shape.

Not sure what exactly happened, as I bought it used and had it serviced before trying it out. Could have been faulty when I bought it. When I got it from the lds, it wouldn't hardly breath. Later it wouldn't quit free flowing. I was two states away when I needed it.

Even if the lds didn't break it, I can't believe they sent it out in that shape rather than admitting that it was beyond their skill level to repair. I'll never set foot in that place again. They all were buttholes to start with, and I heard the owner tell a person never to sharpen his dive knife or it would rust to pieces. I actually started a thread on here about that one.

Either service it yourself or only have competent people service it for you.

 

[DazedAndConfuzed]

I haven't service my reg since when I first got it back in 2003 and it is all green inside. If anything goes wrong, I have my wife as backup, who's reg is from 1997 and hasn't been serviced since day one and is also all green inside.

 

[Rich Keller]

Or better still, buy a HOG, take their class and repair it yourself. It's a good, solid, high performance reg and the manufacturer has no heartburn making sure that sort of trip tragedy does not take place.

HOG regulators are made to be easily serviced by the diver. As far as I know they are the only ones doing this but it is the way I see the industry heading in the next decade.