How to check used regs without going to your LDS?

[flots am]

I recently bought some regs off ebay and I want to know before i dive them? DO I need to get them serviced or checked? I dont want to pay so I would rather find a way to check them myself? I have an ip gauge what should I do?

Looking all crapped up on the outside (filter, damage, etc.) means it needs service, however there's no way to prove that it "doesn't need serivce" without taking it apart.

You could very easily have a cracked or damaged o-ring, wrong parts, etc. and not be able to tell without disassembly.

flots.

 

[Mr Carcharodon]

You could very easily have a cracked or damaged o-ring, wrong parts, etc. and not be able to tell without disassembly.

flots.

Yes you could, and that would have most likely occurred the last time the regulator was serviced. Having service done at your LDS is one the most dangerous things you can do to your regulator.

 

[flots am]

Yes you could

Not without x-ray vision. Just because the IP is somewhere in the right range, and it's working, doesn't mean that it doesn't need service.

and that would have most likely occurred the last time the regulator was serviced.

Possibly. Or it could just be old with dried out parts or crud or corrosion.

Having service done at your LDS is one the most dangerous things you can do to your regulator.

Generalize much lately? If you have a bad, lazy or poorly trained or informed service technician, you get bad service. If you have a good service technician, you get good service.

flots.

 

[Mr Carcharodon]

Possibly. Or it could just be old with dried out parts or crud or corrosion.





flots.

Cracked or damaged o-rings are due to crud or corrosion? And wrong parts, how exactly did the wrong parts get in there if the regulator was not serviced? That is the sort of problem that can lead to a major failure, while lack of service coupled with attention to performance is very low risk.

Crud and corrosion is a problem, and one that you have to take the regulator apart to accesses, however they lead to slow leaks that are more of an inconvenience than anything.

 

[Paulmal]

I sell my regs on eBay when it's time to get them serviced, and put an advisory that you should get them serviced before you dive them. Owning a reg and diving them cost little servicing them is where time/money come into play. So most shops ect will sell their gear when it is time to service if they are going to sell it. My advice is to get it serviced so you know it works its worth a couple bucks as apposed to your life, we are talking about life support equiptment.

 

[aussie82]

I don't understand why people don't want to get their regulators serviced by their LDS.??? I dive an old SP Mark V that I have serviced every other year. I have it checked every year. Maybe I have more faith in the reg tech. He's old and has been servicing regulators for probably 20 years now. He's the owner of the shop and was also the one that suggested that we not do a full service every year and just do a check of the IP and cracking pressure. I trust him to work on my regulator and guess that's the difference for a lot of people, they don't trust the guy doing the work.

 

[flots am]

Cracked or damaged o-rings are due to crud or corrosion?

That was a sentence. I'll be happy to help you parse the syntax: "Or it could just be old with dried out parts or crud or corrosion."

Note the "or" in bold. It indicates that each item can exist independent of the others. Note that nowhere in the sentence does it indicate that any of the items listed are caused the other.

And wrong parts, how exactly did the wrong parts get in there if the regulator was not serviced?

Quite obviously, someone installed incorrect parts. It could have been a bad technician, or an owner who wasn't quite as good at service as he thought he was.

That is the sort of problem that can lead to a major failure, while lack of service coupled with attention to performance is very low risk.

If makes no difference if a regulator fails from neglect or poor service. Regulators only have a few different failure modes and they're all possible in either case and quite honestly, none are any sort of significant issue for a well trained diver.

flots.

---------- Post Merged at 07:07 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 07:02 PM ----------

I don't understand why people don't want to get their regulators serviced by their LDS.??? I dive an old SP Mark V that I have serviced every other year. I have it checked every year. Maybe I have more faith in the reg tech. He's old and has been servicing regulators for probably 20 years now. He's the owner of the shop and was also the one that suggested that we not do a full service every year and just do a check of the IP and cracking pressure. I trust him to work on my regulator and guess that's the difference for a lot of people, they don't trust the guy doing the work.

I have no doubt that I could service my regs and do a pretty good job, but since it's a job I'd only be doing every couple of years, I'm more than happy to turn it over to a guy who has done a a half-dozen a day for decades, keeps up with the service bulletins, has all the right tools to open and close the reg without damage, and has the right service kits in stock.

flots.

 

[DaleC]

This is the advanced scuba section and I would hope that at some point, divers would stop being afraid of their equipment and start trying to understand it. Buy an old reg, take it apart and look at how it's put together. Pretty basic. Calling it life support equipment and making so "special" that only a shop can service it just mystifies a chunk of brass and plastic.

If you have a reputable service tech you trust that's great but I've had my regs returned without the exhaust valve inserted (hum.. breathes a little wet) so I'm a little jaded. Plus, if you own 8 reg sets it gets a little expensive year after year. When three of them are doublehoses it becomes even more problematic.

My method is to use it till it begins to fail, then service. If it looks well maintained use it till it begins to fail, then service. If it ain't broke don't fix it.


I've been cutting my own hair for about twenty years now but 4 months ago (thereabouts) I broke down and went to a barbershop - trusting someone who cuts a dozen mops a day I'd guess. $25 later I got home and noticed that one side burn was a good inch shorter than the other and I just shook my head. Heck, I could have done that.

 

[Frosty]

This is the advanced scuba section and I would hope that at some point, divers would stop being afraid of their equipment and start trying to understand it. Buy an old reg, take it apart and look at how it's put together. Pretty basic. Calling it life support equipment and making so "special" that only a shop can service it just mystifies a chunk of brass and plastic.

Dale--Im not disagreeing with you for even a second.But given the nature and tone of the OP I think they need to do what you are talking about before taking this et to bits and diving with them.

 

[DaleC]

I agreed with that in post #12 after reading post #11. My sentiments are of general application.