halocline
Contributor
I would find 8-10 PSI creep in an atomic first stage unacceptable. I'm not convinced that it's the sole reason your 2nd stages are leaking, though. Assuming they're also atomic, they are balanced and with proper set up they should be able to tolerate a 10PSI difference in IP without bubbling.
Taking herman's advice of removing the 2nd stages and then attaching an IP gauge (presumably to a LP inflator hose) is a good idea except you need to have some way of releasing pressure in the first stage if you ever want to remove it from the tank after you're done. So keep a 2nd stage on it and just adjust it so that it doesn't leak at all. Then you can purge after you're finished with the IP check.
My regulators are older SP, which have some similarity to atomics, but the piston design is a little different. On yours I think there is a blunt, somewhat more rounded piston edge, like the MK25. This was done to increase air flow, but it does mean that IP creep is a little more likely if there is any sort of flaw on the piston edge or seat surface.
When I service my regs, I pressurize the reg and tap the purge 50-100 times to help set the piston in the seat securely, and leave them pressurized for an hour or so. If there is any creep at all after that, there's something wrong. Sometimes it's just a bad seat, sometimes the piston edge is scratched. Since you paid a service facility to do it, and they're presumably an authorized atomic shop, they should fix it at no cost. If they don't, contact atomic directly and see what they say.
Taking herman's advice of removing the 2nd stages and then attaching an IP gauge (presumably to a LP inflator hose) is a good idea except you need to have some way of releasing pressure in the first stage if you ever want to remove it from the tank after you're done. So keep a 2nd stage on it and just adjust it so that it doesn't leak at all. Then you can purge after you're finished with the IP check.
My regulators are older SP, which have some similarity to atomics, but the piston design is a little different. On yours I think there is a blunt, somewhat more rounded piston edge, like the MK25. This was done to increase air flow, but it does mean that IP creep is a little more likely if there is any sort of flaw on the piston edge or seat surface.
When I service my regs, I pressurize the reg and tap the purge 50-100 times to help set the piston in the seat securely, and leave them pressurized for an hour or so. If there is any creep at all after that, there's something wrong. Sometimes it's just a bad seat, sometimes the piston edge is scratched. Since you paid a service facility to do it, and they're presumably an authorized atomic shop, they should fix it at no cost. If they don't, contact atomic directly and see what they say.
