Servicing your own regs/BCD

[1RUSTYRIG]

Well, there are folks who call AAA to get a tire changed - they need to stay away from regs. I have always enjoyed (and been fairly successful) tackling mechanical tasks so regs were just a natural when the professionals repeatedly disappointed me.

With a few exceptions, errors when you service a reg are not dangerous as they render the reg obviously unusable. The main exception is over or under tightening a connection. Follow torque specs and perform hand checks on all accessible connections.

The price your shop charged for 4 regulator kits and a BCD was not at all unreasonable. Yet, that is a lot of $$ for what was likely unnecessary service. The really nice thing about DIY is that you know your tech is every bit as concerned as you are with doing a quality job.

You make a great point about AAA, awap! I am a mechanically inclined individual so I don't look at it as a daunting task. I actaully view it as a great opportunity to purchase some new tools

So you think that the price wasn't that bad? I guess what irks me is the astronomical charges for "rebuild kits" which amounts to a bag of O-rings. They are all pretty generic in specification and $50 a kit is waaaaaay overpriced.

Thanks for all the input guys! I am going to start building a toolkit for servicing my regs.

 

[redacted]

I may be confused on what you had serviced. But figure $15 to $25 per stage for labor and another $25 for the BCD. Service kits can retail anywhere from $10 to $25 per stage. If a shop charges for service kits, they should use all the applicable parts even if not needed. When you get into DIY, you should be able to extend the service interval quite a bit and service only when inspection indicates a need. And you should be able to save on parts as you may be able to replace only a few $0.10 o-rings rather than use those $5 seats. Also, there are some special tool that are hard to work around, but many scuba tools are appropriate for the profession who is on the clock, but unnecessary for DIYers who have plenty of time. Good Luck

 

[halocline]

The real savings with DIY, as awap says, is in extending the service interval to rebuilding as your regs actually need it, and by using o-rings and separate seats rather than the "boldly priced" rebuild kits.

Awap made some perfectly acceptable LP seats for unbalanced SP 2nd stages, I think they cost less than a penny each, and he still flips them rather than replace when one side gets worn out.

 

[mksmith713]

I agree with AWAP.
$25.00 per stage x 6 and $25.00 for the BCD. (You did have 2 first stages and 4 second stages....right?)
Your bill should have been in the $175.00 range. MAX!!!

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

You make a great point about AAA, awap! I am a mechanically inclined individual so I don't look at it as a daunting task. I actaully view it as a great opportunity to purchase some new tools

So you think that the price wasn't that bad? I guess what irks me is the astronomical charges for "rebuild kits" which amounts to a bag of O-rings. They are all pretty generic in specification and $50 a kit is waaaaaay overpriced.

Thanks for all the input guys! I am going to start building a toolkit for servicing my regs.

This is a VERY late reply (just stumbled into this thread ).

But if you are still looking at this 1RUSTYRIG, I'd recommend checking zeagleexpress.com for rebuilt kits (and any other parts) you need for your Zeagle regs:

Zeagle Express Service Kits and Parts 2nd Stage Diaphragm 342-0207-AA Zeagle 1st Stage Service Kit 345-1000 2nd Stage Service Kit 345-2000 Clear Diaphragm, Hydrostatic 341-0121-MC Zeagle Pin Spanner Wrench

Their retail prices on the rebuild kits seem pretty good, shipping is fast, and if you need Zeagle parts not listed on the website the folks there will help you out if you give them a call (I had to replace a cracked ZX 2nd stage body, and was able to order the replacement part over the phone).

Best wishes.