How long does it take to service a regulator?

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tobad78

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Springfield, Missouri
Just a simple question of approx. how long it takes to service a regulator?

I know there can be many variables that effect the time but curious about average.

My two reg in questions are
AquaLung Micra 1st and 2nd
AquaLung Titan 1st and 2nd

But it doesn't have to be these.

Just trying to figure out if I get hosed when getting these serviced at high prices.
My main dive shop wanted 45.00 plus 10-30 for parts each (was a eBay purchase, they got really pissed eventhough I stated I got it from a friend)
My new dive shop :wink: wanted straight 45.00
 
My LDS told me it might be a month or so at the start of the season. When I went to FL, the shop I dive with down there had it done overnight. So, that gives you my range.
 
Assuming that you have an octo on your rig, $45 for labor + $10 to $30 for parts is actually a very reasonable price.

The fee above breaks down to: $15.00 per stage for labor + cost of parts (no markup). I don't think a shop can't charge much less without losing money. Your "new shop" may be doing regulator maintenance as a loss leader to get people in the shop.

I pay $20.00 per stage + cost of parts (no markup). I feel I'm paying a reasonable price to have a certified tech overhaul my reg.

If you want to talk about getting hosed, I used to pay $20.00 per stage for labor + $20.00 per stage for parts + $35.00 for express service (else I'd wait 4 ~ 6 weeks to get my regulator back). That's $155.00!!!
 
As far as how long does it take:

My process:
Take the reg hook it to a tank, turn it on test IP and check for creep. (2 minutes)
Take all hoses off the 1st stage noting where each was. (3 minutes)
Dissassemble 1st stage, clean all parts (some get washed some get ultrasonic depending on condition) (10 minutes)
Dry everything and reassemble using new parts kit. (10 minutes)
Disassemble 2nd stage and go through above (10-15 minutes)
Reassemble 1st and second and test. (5 minutes)
Tune (5 minutes)

So for a 1st and second stage that's just under an hour labor to service them. $40 to $50 isn't bad for someone to spend an hour working on your breathing apparatus considering that a plumber is probably $60 to $80 an hour. No dis to Plumbers but my toilet failing isn't going to kill me.

We expect to have a week on a reg service. If you want it faster then it's $20 more for the rush.
Dave
 
tobad78:
Just a simple question of approx. how long it takes to service a regulator?

It takes an experienced tech about an hour. A monkey can throw a service kit in a little faster but I wouldn't personally call that "servicing" the reg.

R..
 
What about time -- day or so? -- to let the regulator "sit," to see whether the valve seats settle and need to be re-adjusted? Is that typically done? Is that typically necessary?
 
Thanks Guys,

The higher shop is also the fancier shop (much higher overhead)

I don't feel 45.00 is bad but was more curious about the time needed to do this.
But to service 2
cheaper shop 90.00
Fancy Shop 110.00-150.00

Big differnce to me. I do know there is price differences and its hard to compare Cal to Mo where its much cheaper. This was not including a Octo. I just got a new one from ScubaToys.com

Larry is Really a great guy.
 
It takes me about 10 minutes to check everything when it comes in. I record the IP and the cracking pressure. Then I disassemble it about 5 or 10 minutes depending on the reg. I clean everything that is reused, about 30 minutes, sometimes longer if it's really crappy. I lay out the new parts kit, reassemble and check it again and write down the IP and cracking pressure, about 15 or 20 minutes. I'd say an hour is fair, some go quicker some go longer.

As far as waiting to get to it, people like to bring them in right before the diving season and we get backed up.

Scott
 
I turned out to be one of those people who droped off my regs right smack in the busy season, the begining of June. Told my LDS owner I wouldn't need them until July as I had just had surgery and would be out of the water a while. Turns out I healed really well, my MD and DAN said it would be ok to get back in the water two weeks later. Although I told LDS I didn't need regs until July, when he found out I could get back in the water he had them done the next day. It really does pay to have a relationship with these guys. BTW, his price to service 1st, 2nd stages plus octo is $45+parts (parts covered under warrenty from Aqualung with annual service).
 
It varies a bit and experience matters as a more experinced tech can crank out the same reg at an equal or higher level of quality much faster than a relatively new tech.

Most regs (first,second, and octo) can be done in about an hour, but a really dirty or encrusted, corroded reg can take longer. A very simple reg like a flow by piston reg and unbalanced downstream second stage like an SP Mk 2 R190 or Aqualung Calypso can usually be done in a lot less than 1 hour.

O2 cleaning adds additonal time as does any more involved work that may be needed to replace parts not normally done during a normal annual service (flow vane o-rings, etc). If the reg has not be serviced recently or regularly, the odds are that more labor, some times a lot more labor, will be required to service it. From a tech perspective, regs you service all the time go much faster while less common regs that you only see one or two of per year, will take you a bit longer given the need to refer to schematics, look up part and o-ring numbers etc. Most shops however charge a flat rate regardless of dirt, condition or relative rarity, so the tech pretty much counts on everything averaging out at about an hour each.

Turn around time itself depends on how often the shop's tech(s) work(s) and how many regs need serviced in a given week. For example I come in each Saturday so if you drop the reg off on Saturday morning, you'll probably have it same day, if you drop it off on Monday, it's more like 5 days. When it gets eally busy, I bring the surplus home and do them in the evenings during the week (I have a bench and test equipment at home as well) so the turn around still will not be worse than a week.

Labor tends to get more expensive near salt water but should not exceed about $25.00 per stage. Given our geographic location in essentially the geographic center of the North American continent about as far from salt water as it is possible to get, our rates are dirt cheap at $30 for a first, second, octo combination (basically $10.00 per stage.) I get half so that means I only make about $15.00 per hour. The saving grace here is that I get everything at cost in terms of equipment, O2, hydro tests, etc so I just leave the money on account with the shop which basically doubles the value of what I am paid to about $30 per hour. It ends up being a good deal for me, a good deal for the shop and a good deal for the customer.

When regs come in, the customer is asked when they need it, so some prioritizing can be done to ensure someone leaving on a trip will have it in time while someone who will not be diving for a couple months will probably go to the bottom of the list.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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