1st Stage Reg Question

[Don-B]

I was wondering how long is the shelf life of a new unused 1st stage.
Will the O-rings and seals go bad?
Can I keep it 1,2, 3years new in the box and still use it without getting it serviced?

[RenaB]

OOOH, good question.

[Linedog]

[fmerkel]

The industry 'standard answer' will probably be "service yearly" no matter what.

Interesting you bring that up. I have a Mares MR12, new in the box for a backup that sat for ~15 years. Just before a vacation one of the party had a nice Apeks that had been used on 1 tropical trip, rinsed well and put away for less than a year start free flowing when checked for function. No time for an overhaul.
I hooked up the Mares to the rest of her kit and she used it for a week+ of diving. That was a year ago. It just checked out fine a bit ago when I converted it from yoke to DIN. The reg has never been opened up.

I've checked out other regs that have been in their box for > 10 years (maybe well over) and they were still good to go. For that matter I've seen used grotty regs that have been sitting for > 10 years still be serviceable even though the outsides didn't look very appealing.
Last year I got a ScubaPro MK7 (1971-77, first version) in a package deal with some lead weight. I didn't even know what it was it's so weird looking. I had to ask. Checked it out, works fine. Looks like maybe everything is original so the parts are likely 30-40+ years old. I've thought about taking it for a dive but it only is yoke with limited ports. I wouldn't have any hesitation over the function. I could probably take 3# off my weight the thing is such a huge block of chromed brass.

To balance that out I've seen regs with very little use, and good care, go to hell in less than a year like the one described above. My wife's Scubapro MK14 did that once. Got a nick in the 1st stage seat. No idea how that happened, bit of grit or metal got in there somehow? That reg is still in service almost every weekend, no other problems.

The key is to check the intermediate pressure stability. If that's good, it'll likely be fine. These things are made to be reliable. That said, they certainly can be abused, and can have problems crop up, but a new reg is highly unlikely to have such problems. But then, I'd never take an unknown reg underwater without checking it out. A shop can do that for you for a nominal fee. Octopus Gardens will do it for free.

[sitkadiver]

I totally agree with Fritz, the key to what he is saying though, is to make sure you use an IP guage. Without a guage, you're just guessing. Also, I like to cycle my regs with several breaths in order to get a good sense of what's going on. I've found that the IP on most balanced 1st stages will be higher when you turn the reg on and then drop down a bit to it's normal IP after you've drawn a breath.

When tank was first turned on:



After a few breaths:



Anyway, if it's a modern reg and it hasn't been exposed to the elements then it shouldn't be a problem.

Dive Safe

[fmerkel]

Yes! An IP guage is one of the more useful tools in a save-a-dive kit or on a diver's bench. Not hard to use. You need to know the IP pressure of the 1st stage (generally 135-145), and it needs to be stable (not creep up) between breaths.

[LowDrag]

I just bought two ScubaPro Mk25/S600 combo's that had never been and shelved for three years. I took onee set out and tested it and it worked perfectly. In fact, my SAC rate even improved.

[Don-B]

Thanks for the responses.
I found a good deal on some regs but don't have a use for them now.
I figured as long as they are stored properly they would be ok for a while.