Why Service the regs?? (when new ones are so cheap)

[rockjock3]

Hello everybody,
I've been trying to get ahold of Airspeed Press.
Are they still in business? All I get is broken links and undelivered
e-mails.
Anybody have a phone number?

just tried the link to their homepage and it works fine.

On another note. Just rebuilt 2 200bar manifolds and o2 cleaned the manifolds and 4 tanks all for the paltry price of $17 for all new o-rings, materials and entire cleaning process.

Total time - 3 hours
Total cost - $17
Knowing it is done absolutely right - priceless

What it would have cost - ~$250
Knowing it is done right - probably not

 

[akscubaduck1]

It must be the midnight sun.
Just tried to e-mail them from the link you supplied, broken link.
I can get to their home page but no farther. ( Just like before )
I'm not sure if I want to take my chances trying to order a book.
Thank You
Terry

 

[rockjock3]

It must be the midnight sun.
Just tried to e-mail them from the link you supplied, broken link.
I can get to their home page but no farther. ( Just like before )
I'm not sure if I want to take my chances trying to order a book.
Thank You
Terry

All the links from their homepage, that I tried, worked. Even their SSL ordering form link worked. I also went to their contact form and emailed them fine. Might be a problem with your browser.

Airspeed Press Homepage - Books For Serious Divers

 

[Blu Diver]

LeadTurn makes a few great points. You need to research what you want and what type of diving you're going to be doing. It may sound strange for some folks to hear this, however most regs are the same inside. A piston reg compared to another piston reg is a piston reg! Yeah, it might have a different o-ring here or there; but once you open them up and work on a few. You'll find that they have about the same guts. The same is true for diaphram regs. You might need a schematic for things like torque. Most regs fall between the same range of IP (intermediate pressure) for the most part. The concept of how regulators work is actually very simple. It's amazing that something so simple can actually work as well as it does. If you purchase a new set of regs, they'll come with a manufacturers warranty. This is the incentive to have the regs serviced yearly. It's a few dollars cheaper. Some manufacturers are tightening their belt when it comes to annuals. If you don't have it serviced within the year time frame, they won't cover it. I find it funny that a lot of companies try and make thier regulator sound so much more superior than the next. I often think to myself, is there a radical new design in the construction of the reg? Once again, they all work about the same. You can always manipulate or tweak the cracking pressure which makes for an "easy breather." Some might tell you that the less moving parts inside the reg the better off you are. Some divers swear by a balanced piston design where others prefer a balanced diaphram design. Be sre to look at the first stage and second stage and research both before making a decision.

Take a repair technician course before doing this yourself.

 

[Gonzo_G22]

is there any type of coarse or class you can take to learn how to service your own regs??? and by "Service" would that be of the first or second stage or both that needs the servicing??? as for parts how can you go about getting parts and i read on many threads that parts are inexpensive??? what is inexpensive 20-30 bucks or would it be more than that or would it be less???

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

is there any type of coarse or class you can take to learn how to service your own regs??? and by "Service" would that be of the first or second stage or both that needs the servicing??? as for parts how can you go about getting parts and i read on many threads that parts are inexpensive??? what is inexpensive 20-30 bucks or would it be more than that or would it be less???

1.) The manufacturers offer courses, but you need to be affiliated with a dive shop (to the best of my knowledge). I think many of us are "self-taught". I bought the books referenced in this thread, got the tools and gauges I needed, bought an old tired regulator off ebay, and rebuilt it. Then another... and another.... It was not difficult; I have some "light" mechanical experience (spun wrenches in the back of my Dad's motorcycle shop as a teenager, worked on ships and tugboats as young man) but do not consider myself a "real" mechanic.


2.) "Service" (meaning "annual service" usually) involves the 1st and 2nd stage, and anything else attached to the regulator (hoses, gauges, etc.).

3.) Parts can be obtained online for many brands. Some are more difficult (Scubapro and Aqualung), others can be obtained easily (Dive Rite, Zeagle, Mares, etc.).

4.) Prices on "rebuild kits" vary. I've seen ranges of $8 -20 or so per stage as an "average" online; but some rebuild parts that don't get replaced at each annual are sold individually (such as 1st stage diaphragms for some regs, high pressure poppets, etc.). So the cost of rebuilding a 1st stage, 2nd stage and octo could run from about $25 - $60 for the rebuild kits.

Best wishes.