19 replies to this topic

[idive2]

I'm due for a reg service and I was told divers direct will send the regs
to the factory for service. I don't imagine these regs are too terribly technical but was curious if in general the factory may be more consistent and specifically trained than the LDS technicians ?

[scubafanatic]

........well, I think you're making an overgeneralization on the superiority of the factory techs.......I did the trial and error process locally and with time I was able to distinguish the excellent LDS's from the not-so-good LDS's...........and discovered a couple LDS's who's technical capabilities probably greatly exceed the average factory repair job.....and these shops don't let me leave the shop without hooking the regs up to a tank and breathing off of them to see if I like their work........that's kinda hard to duplicate via mail order.

Karl

[WreckWench]

I would say that many factory reps will have the edge over the general LDS UNLESS that LDS has worked on that brand of regs and knows them inside out. However attrition at both the factory and the LSD can be high...what kind of regs are they?

Our very own "Senior Tech" is actually available starting this month to do repairs for our members. Depending on the reg model and manufacturer, he would be happy to advise you as to whether to send them to the factory, your local LDS or if he can personally help you if he feels that he can offer you the best service.

[Bubble2Bubble]

WW

Our very own "Senior Tech" is actually available starting this month to do repairs for our members.

I have US Diver stuff and some Dacor if he wants to work on them ?

B2B

[idive2]

........well, I think you're making an overgeneralization on the superiority of the factory techs.......

I'm actually without any facts to back up or even form an opinion on
factory techs as compared to LDS. I was more or less trying to get a sense of how often the factory techs were used as compared to the LDS. I do agree with one response though, it is pretty hard to test your reg before you leave unless you go with the LDS.

[maxdvr]

i dive scuba pro ... my lds has been selling and servicing sp as long as i remember..... i trained there... bought my regs there... service them there... if it needs to go to the factory...which it hasnt yet... i know ill get regs to use... heck.. got some new ones to test out while mine were in for service last yr... quality wise.. i dont know... but my devotion is to my lds....


max

p.s. its the one below

[drdiver]

When I've had a problem with service (in one case a disastrous life threatening one) it was inevitably LDS. Never had a problem with factory service although I now use a LDS that is very competent and of which I have a high opinion. I think the problem is worse in smaller towns too where your dealer options can be limited and the pool of service technicians limited.

[Senior Tech]

I'm due for a reg service and I was told divers direct will send the regs
to the factory for service.  I don't imagine these regs are too terribly technical but was curious if in general the factory may be more consistent and specifically trained than the LDS technicians ?

I have a couple of questions for you. Did you buy the regulators online or directly from Diver's Direct in Florida? I ask only because where you buy your gear often dictates where you can get it serviced. Let me explain.

If you buy your gear on the internet then some shops get so angry that they want you to get it serviced via the internet or if they do agree to work on your gear, they will charge you a premium for working on it. (Keep in mind that the manufacturers claim that most gear sold on the internet has no warranty so you do need to be careful.)

If you buy your gear from a local dive shop (LDS) then you have the option to have it fixed there which is one of the primary benefits of buying your gear local to you.

Technically any gear sold to most internet purveyors is black or grey market goods and does not have factory warranty. If Divers Direct has in fact worked out a service plan with the factory, the real question would be 'how long will it take for me to get my regs back' rather then 'how would the service compare to having my lds repair them?' I would be worried that your regs might get 'lost in the shuffle' of their regular business.

Kamala has approached me about doing regulator repair for members of her board since I have been repairing regulators for almost 55 years (since I was a young teen) and I currently do regulator repair via the mail for clients all over the world.

I'm not sure when she plans to roll this out but you can contact her for more details.

[Senior Tech]

I forgot to mention several things that you should be aware of when you do go to a local dive shop...a set of questions to interview them so to speak.

I summarized a number of factors in another thread replying to Yoal.

Click here for that discussion.


I will say that a number of steps that I personally follow in the cleaning, maintenance and repair of regulators that I work on exceeds what most technicians do either due to time constraints, equipment/tooling constraints or even knowledge constraints. And most technicians do not have machine shop capabilities.

So in my case I follow the steps below when working on any regulators that come into my repair facility:

1. A pre-disassembly sanitation soak and rinse in cip-quat which is an odorless, tasteless, sanitizing chemical used in the food industry that renders everything soaked in it inert and therefore harmless.

2. I then run the regs thru a warm fresh water rinse.

3. At this point I feel safe in doing a pre-disassembly test and diagnosis. I never do this before I do the sanitation rinse. (You'd be amazed and appalled at what you find in some second stages so much so that I don't care to elaborate beyond that.)

4. Next I carefully disassemble the regulator using proper fitting specialty tools for each individual regulator model, many of which have been designed and built by Peter Wolfinger or myself.

5. In some cases the regs need machine shop preparation and/or polishing and resurfacing certain portions of the regulator, but this is only done as required. Note: There is an additional charge for regulators that require a considerable amount of extra cleaning and preparation, such as those left flooded for extended periods of time or those with extensive salt crystallization in them. An indicator that extra work may be required is a filter that is green and nasty looking and any unit that has not been taken care of properly and/or neglected. (Please refer to the 'bag trick' for proper preventive field regulator care and maintenance.)

6. Next we treat the parts in an ultrasonic cleaner.

7. Then another fresh water rinse.

8. Then each part is blow dried.

9. The regulator parts are then lubricated with and only with, Cristo-Lube MCG-111.

10. After proper lubrication they are reassembled with all appropriate new parts using specialty tools to achieve the optimum tuning of the unit. Final tuning and testing is aided by using intermediate pressure and magnehelic gauges. At this point some regulators can be tuned to be easier breathing than average if the customer so desires.

Note: Be sure to include any consoles or submersible pressure gauges because at no extra charge, I have a signature procedure that I refer to as the 'super slick' treatment which uses proprietary custom designed tools, enabling me to thoroughly lubricate areas not normally accessible in the high pressure swivel. I inject Cristo-Lube MCG-111 deep into normally inaccessible areas, leaving the swivel lubed much more thoroughly than previously possible. The end result is that the swivel is now a lot slicker and smoother than brand new. This also extends the life span of your high pressure swivel o-rings. Plus its just fun to have something that performs so much better than new!

If all this sounds as if I'm getting a little too 'picky'...remember in life support equipment, 'picky' is good!

At this point I would send you your 'coddled and pampered' regulator back to you via UPS. Now remember after we've gone to ALL this effort that you refer to, and follow religiously the 'bag trick'.

[Cold_H2O]

Senior Tech
Do you service Poseidon?? How can I get my tired over worked reg to you. It sounds like a day at the spa for regs.
I need to have mine shown some TLC

[Senior Tech]

Senior Tech
Do you service Poseidon?? How can I get my tired over worked reg to you. It sounds like a day at the spa for regs.
I need to have mine shown some TLC

I am asked that question all the time...and when anyone finds a technician that is capable of repairing all vintages of them...please let me know!

There are only a handful of regulators that I do not work on and they are:

1. No Posidens of any vintage

2. No modular series Dacor such as Extreme, Extreme Plus, Enduro or any reg with a 'pancake' styled second stage. (The parts are no longer available for these.) These are not to be confused with the earlier 'Pacer' series regulators such as the 300 series or 900 950 960 first stages and anything that says Pacer on the second stage, as these regs were good then and with some techniques I've developed over the years can be turned into some REALLY nice regulars at no extra charge. And yes I know that the parts have been deleted from the factory but I have lots of them.

3. And some isolated TSUA & Tabata short run, low end reg. (The parts are no longer available for these.) Please pm me for more information and include your telephone number in case I need to call you along with best time to reach you. Somethings are easier to handle that way.

[peterbj7]

Why not Poseidons?

[Cold_H2O]

I am not the tech so should really keep my mouth shut but I do know one major difference it the side exhale... I don't know if all of them are this way but mine and everyone of my dive buddies here is....
Do Tech Guy Please tell us why not poseidens????

[Genesis]

Posiedons are very finicky regulators to "get right". Many of their seconds are also upstream designs - if they get screwed up or the IP of the first goes haywire they lock up as opposed to freeflow.

[Cold_H2O]

I do know that they are recommened for cold water conditions. I was told that they operate best in the cold water. Others tend to freeze.