The Essential Guide to Regulator Maintenance: Insights from a Seasoned Pro

Introduction

In the world of scuba diving, your regulator is more than just gear—it's a piece of life-support equipment. Proper maintenance is crucial to ensuring your safety underwater. To provide you with expert advice, I spoke with John Ball, the owner of Adirondack Scuba, who has serviced over 5,000 regulators in his 35-year career. John’s extensive experience offers valuable insights into why regular maintenance is essential and how you can take care of your regulator to keep it in top condition.

The Importance of Regular Maintenance:

Most major regulator brands, including Aqualung, Apeks, Oceanic, Hollis, Zeagle, and Atomic, recommend that regulators be serviced annually (typically annually for an inspection and every other year for a complete overhaul). Following this schedule not only ensures your safety but also keeps you within the terms of warranties like the “Parts for Life” programs offered by some of these brands. Under these programs, parts are provided free of charge during overhaul, provided you adhere to the maintenance schedule. However, once you miss a scheduled service, you may lose this benefit and face a bill of around $90 for parts alone. Labor is always additional and as of the time of this article, John’s labor charges are $45 per stage for an overhaul and $20 per stage for an inspection.

John emphasizes that maintaining the necessary documentation, such as your original purchase receipt and maintenance records, is crucial. Some dive shops keep copies of these records, but it’s ultimately the customer’s responsibility to provide proof of ownership and service history when needed.

Common Regulator Issues and How to Avoid Them:

One of the frequent problems John encounters is with alternate second stages that are filled with mud or sand. This issue is particularly common among divers who don’t secure their alternate second stage on a necklace. These unprotected second stages can become clogged and, in some cases, entirely non-functional. John advises divers always check that both the primary and alternate regulators are working prior to a dive but then switching to the alternate regulator during safety stops because using the alternate for some time is always better than just taking a few breaths off of it prior to diving.

Another issue is the failure to service regulators regularly, which can lead to problems like seized adjustment knobs. O-rings, which are essential for sealing various parts of the regulator, can also deteriorate over time, leading to potential failures. Regular servicing can catch these issues before they become serious problems.

Best Practices for Regulator Care:

John shares several tips to help divers care for their regulators between service intervals:

1. Pre-Dive: Never keep a regulator pressurized for long when not diving it. In between dives, turn off the tank valve and purge the reg. In warm weather or even when the sun is beating down, the pressure inside the first stage can increase to the point of damaging parts.

2. Post-Dive: Avoid using an air tank to dry your regulator dust cap, as this can inadvertently blow water into the first stage (it is also annoying to everyone else on the boat). Instead, simply wipe it off with a towel.

3. Post-Dive Rinse: While many divers rinse their regulators after every dive, it’s important to remember that if you’re not the first one in the rinse bucket, you may be rinsing in brackish water. After a dive trip, give your regulator a thorough soak in warm, clean water. When soaking, turn the adjustment knobs but avoid pressing the purge button, as this can cause water to backflow into the first stage. Shake the regulator gently to remove excess water and let it dry completely (out of the sun) before storing it away to avoid any mold from growing.

4. Storage: Between dive trips you should store your regulator in a cool, dry place. Make sure that the dust cap is securely in place and avoid hanging the regulator from the first stage so as to avoid excess strain on the hoses. You can store it in its bag although ideally, keeping the hoses coiled tightly for too long isn’t the best for them either. Storing on a shelf in a closet is a good approach.

5. Protection: Treat your regulator like the life-support equipment it is. Keep it in a protective bag rather than tossing it into the bottom of your gear bag. John has seen even high-end regulators suffer unnecessary wear and tear due to lack of proper storage.

6. Preventative Maintenance: Don’t wait until something goes wrong with your regulator to bring it in for servicing. Regular, preventative maintenance is the key to avoiding issues that could compromise your safety underwater.

A Couple of Key Terms

1. Cracking Pressure: refers to the amount of effort or inhalation force needed to start the flow of air from a scuba regulator’s second stage. It’s a critical adjustment that ensures the regulator delivers air smoothly and efficiently when the diver begins to breathe in. Properly setting the cracking pressure is essential for both comfort and safety, as it balances ease of breathing with preventing free-flow (uncontrolled air release) when the regulator is not in use. Cracking pressure is controlled by the second stage.

2. Intermediate Pressure (IP): is the pressure at which air is delivered from the first stage of a scuba regulator to the second stage. It’s lower than the high pressure in the tank but higher than the ambient pressure, typically around 135-150 psi (pounds per square inch). The IP ensures that the second stage can consistently deliver breathable air at a manageable pressure, regardless of depth or remaining tank pressure. Maintaining the correct intermediate pressure is crucial for optimal regulator performance and diver safety. IP is controlled by the first stage. If IP is too high, it can appear as a leak in the second stage.

This last point related to Intermediate Pressure is why John advises divers to be cautious when mixing brands between the first and second stages of their regulators. He has seen situations where customers come in with a second stage that is free flowing but the issue is actually in the first stage. Technicians are certified to work only on specific brands, so it’s best to have your entire regulator set serviced by a dealer of the brand you’re using to ensure all issues are addressed in one service call.

What Does a Regulator Service Involve?

John walks us through the meticulous process of a full regulator service:

1. Initial Inspection: Before disassembling anything, the technician performs a functional and visual inspection. They check the intermediate pressure (IP) to ensure it holds steady for at least five minutes, record the IP, and test the cracking pressure. Any issues with hoses or other components are noted, and photographs of the regulator are taken.

2. Disassembly and Cleaning: The regulator is then fully disassembled. Parts are pre-cleaned with a cleaning solution, and metal and hard plastic components are placed in an ultrasonic cleaner. An ultrasonic cleaner is a device that uses high-frequency sound waves to create tiny bubbles in a liquid cleaning solution. These bubbles gently but effectively clean and remove dirt, debris, and contaminants from small, intricate parts, such as those found in scuba regulators. This process ensures a thorough cleaning without damaging delicate components. Old O-rings and other disposable parts are saved for the customer’s inspection before being replaced with new ones from a service kit. The customer should throw these parts away so that they aren’t used again.

3. Reassembly and Adjustment: After cleaning, the parts are dried and reassembled. The IP and cracking pressure are adjusted to the appropriate specifications, with adjustments made depending on whether the regulator will be used in cold or warm water.

While part of the service includes testing your regulator’s function following re-assembly, it's wise to dive locally (a swimming pool will suffice if you are land locked) with your serviced regulator before heading out on an expensive dive trip. This allows you to identify and address any potential issues in a controlled environment, rather than encountering problems in the middle of a costly and potentially remote diving adventure.

Conclusion

Your regulator is a vital piece of equipment, and proper care and maintenance are essential to ensuring its reliability and your safety underwater. By following a regular service schedule, taking preventative measures, and handling your regulator with care, you can protect your investment and enjoy worry-free dives. Whether you’re a seasoned diver or just starting, the expert advice from John Ball underscores the importance of treating your regulator as the life-support equipment it truly is.