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Scuba Regulator Repairs and Maintenance

Scuba regulator repairs and maintenance is simple and easy.

While it’s important to take care of all your dive equipment, it’s especially critical to take proper care of your regulator.

Of all the equipment you own, your scuba regulator is the most important. Many times it’s also the most expensive.

This is the device that’s feeding you air throughout the dive. If it fails, you’re looking at a potentially life-threatening situation. Fortunately regulators are well built creatures and only require basic care from their masters.

All that’s required for checking your regulator out is a full tank of air.

Here’s a quick rundown of how to checkout your regulator.

Get an Annual Overhaul

If it’s been more than a year since you’ve had your regulator serviced, don’t even attempt to check it out.

Go to a dive shop that’s certified to repair your brand of regulator and get it overhauled. Regulators have countless o-rings and pressure seals inside of them. If you haven’t had your regulator serviced, one of these o-rings could blow.

Even if your regulator has been doing nothing but sitting in your closet, take the sucker in for an overhaul. Chances are one of your pressure seals is worn out from months of being pressed up against an orifice.

So unless you enjoy the sound of thousands of pounds of pressurized air rushing through your regulator, get that bad boy overhauled by a professional.

Check Your Hoses

If you had your regulator overhauled chances are they checked the hoses too, but don’t take any chances. Look at your hoses carefully.

Do they look dry and cracked?

Are there any areas where it looks like the hose has a bubble?

Look carefully at the ends of the hoses.

Is the hose smooth and black near the ends or can you see some white fibers?

If the hoses look worn at all, replace them.

Open the Tank Valve Slowly

Once you’ve determined that your hoses are in good condition, attach your regulator to the tank and open the tank valve very slowly. Listen carefully as you open the valve. Do you hear any hissing?

If you have any doubts, submerge the regulator and tank in water. It will be obvious if you have a leak. Look closely to see if any bubbles are coming up from any part of your regulator. If you can narrow the hiss down to one hose, I’d just rub it with some soapy water. The offending leak will soon be covered in suds.

Take a Couple of Breaths

Once you’ve determined that your regulator and hoses are in good shape, take a couple of breaths from your primary regulator and your octopus.

Is it easy to breathe?

Does the regulator lock down and free flow every time you take a breath?

Now tap the purge button a couple of times. Was it easy? Did the regulator respond?

Many people neglect this step when checking out their octopus, but if your dive buddy runs out of air, chances are that he or she won’t have enough air left in their lungs to clear the regulator.

If your purge button isn’t working, your buddy could go into full-fledged panic. Don’t neglect this check!

Attach Your BC

Finally attach your BC and inflate it.

There’s a small valve in your inflator hose called a Schrader valve. If this valve is defective, your BC will most likely inflate uncontrollably.

Perform these checks before any dive trip you go on. It’s easy to fix a broken fin strap or replace a blown o-ring on a tank, but nothing ruins a dive like a regulator that fails.

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