Aquatica housing service

[stever 0]

my Aquatica 20D housing is 5 years old. it was serviced once by Reef when they installed a 6-pin for the H&W about 3 years ago.

 

i preparation for my next dive trip, i noticed that a couple of the top buttons didn't feel good, so i pulled the worst one and indeed it had serious corrosion in the area of the o-ring. talked to Backscatter (which is close by) and they persuaded me to send the housing in for service.

 

just got an estimate for $50 for four new buttons, $60 for o-ring kit, and $450 for "annual service labor" at $100/hour.

 

what's your experience with frequency of service (i do 30-40 dives/year on liveaboards and rinse after every dive)?

 

is there any particular magic to servicing this myself? - certainly pulling the buttons is not black magic.

 

the housing doesn't leak

 

would certainly like to hear Viz Art's opinion

[Scooby00 0]

Stever

 

If you email Jean directly at Aquatica he will answer you

 

info@aquatica.ca

 

Simon

[jcclink 8]

Buy new buttons & complete o-ring kit. Make sure it includes new stainless snap rings for the button shafts. Servicing is a good DIY project. Should only require a few basic tools. Do a dynamic pressure test when completed. Dive empty housing to 50-60ft & push/pull, rotate everything that moves several times. Then you're good to go. Although a factory static pressure test to 200ft is good, I always do the dynamic test. No way would I pay $450 for an overhaul. Its not rocket science. My Nexus D300 housing is serviced every 1-2 yrs depending on dive conditions (lots of muck dives) & how controls feel. 200+ dives & over 10,000 pics per year.

Edited March 6, 2011 by jcclink

[divengolf 17]

Buy new buttons & complete o-ring kit. Make sure it includes new stainless snap rings for the button shafts. Servicing is a good DIY project. Should only require a few basic tools. Do a dynamic pressure test when completed. Dive empty housing to 50-60ft & push/pull, rotate everything that moves several times. Then you're good to go. Although a factory static pressure test to 200ft is good, I always do the dynamic test. No way would I pay $450 for an overhaul. Its not rocket science. My Nexus D300 housing is serviced every 1-2 yrs depending on dive conditions (lots of muck dives) & how controls feel. 200+ dives & over 10,000 pics per year.

 

jcclink,

 

I assume that I need to buy the "Rebuild O-ring kit" listed on the Aquatica price list. Correct? Do you know if that kit includes the SS snap rings or are they separate?

 

I could not find the snap rings listed separately.

 

Thanks.

 

Harry

[jcclink 8]

My comments were more general in nature than Aquatica specific. Suggest you check with them directly for availability of rebuild kit & contents. Do to their small size the snap rings are rather delicate & can deform easily upon removal, & therefore should not be reused. Have you checked directly with Aquatica about a rebuild?

[Viz'art 24]

jcclink,

 

I assume that I need to buy the "Rebuild O-ring kit" listed on the Aquatica price list. Correct? Do you know if that kit includes the SS snap rings or are they separate?

 

I could not find the snap rings listed separately.

 

Thanks.

 

Harry

 

C-Clips are available but are separate. check with me Monday at jean@aquatica.ca

[stever 0]

i just received my housing from backscatter with the new push buttons -- that's 6 weeks which i don't think speaks too well for Aquatica's support of older housings

 

i think there's a design/maintenance issue here. it only appears to be the top buttons affected. my guess is that normal rinse and drying procedure is to rinse and dry the housing upright as the flash arms and connectors don't really want to be turned upside down -- but this doesn't get the pockets that the buttons sit in properly rinsed

 

don't know what Aquatica has done on later housings to address this (hopefully stainless rather than plated buttons at least) or if this is an issue on other housings

 

another member had the same issue, so this seems like an issue that owners of older (hopefully only older) Aquatica housings should be aware of

[KirkD 7]

Are there instructions on how to do a self annual service?

[Viz'art 24]

PM sent to Kirk.

[Aquapaul 26]

I wouldn't mind an instruction manual for my AD7000. I wouldn't mind sending it out but it seams that my housing is gone for far to long and it's not particularly cheap. I rebuild hydraulic pumps and motors on a regular basis. I think I am qualified but would hate making a mistake. A rebuild manual wouldn't be a bad thing to have on a dive trip, not so much for a total rebuild but for a problem area that might pop up.

[KirkD 7]

Thanks Jean!

[cgarcia 6]

Jean, could you include me on the instructions for annual service?

[Viz'art 24]

cgarcia, we have no manual for servicing, it is normally done by authorized service center who are familiar and/or comfortable with small mechanical controls, this being said, it is not rocket science and basically it is a classic case of "do one control at a time, take notes, pay attention & be patient", the worst thing you can do with a housing is go all out and tear down everything at the same time, if you take one control at a time, take a picture or make a drawing of the sequence the parts go together. be thorough in your cleaning and ONLY, and i'm serious, ONLY the lubricant recommended by your manufacturer.

 

Today's housing are pretty much all mechanical aside from the hot shoe and strobe wiring, there are basically three type of situations you will encounter (aside from the main and port O-rings). the push pins, the rotating shaft and the static O-ring sealing the "windows".

 

I always recommend you get a packet of C-clips along with the O-ring rebuilt kit for your specific brand of housings, these little guys tend to fly off over the horizon once in a while, and being stuck on dry land on account of missing one of those... it sucks big time.

 

if you want, you can PM me at jean@aquatica.ca and I will forward you the drawing of a typical push pin layout.

[KirkD 7]

jcclink,

 

I assume that I need to buy the "Rebuild O-ring kit" listed on the Aquatica price list. Correct? Do you know if that kit includes the SS snap rings or are they separate?

 

I could not find the snap rings listed separately.

 

Thanks.

 

Harry

There are not enough E clips in the kit to get it done. You hacevto buy 2 kits of hem, or get a box of 50 at mcmaster-carr

[KirkD 7]

cgarcia, we have no manual for servicing, it is normally done by authorized service center who are familiar and/or comfortable with small mechanical controls, this being said, it is not rocket science and basically it is a classic case of "do one control at a time, take notes, pay attention & be patient", the worst thing you can do with a housing is go all out and tear down everything at the same time, if you take one control at a time, take a picture or make a drawing of the sequence the parts go together. be thorough in your cleaning and ONLY, and i'm serious, ONLY the lubricant recommended by your manufacturer.

 

Today's housing are pretty much all mechanical aside from the hot shoe and strobe wiring, there are basically three type of situations you will encounter (aside from the main and port O-rings). the push pins, the rotating shaft and the static O-ring sealing the "windows".

 

I always recommend you get a packet of C-clips along with the O-ring rebuilt kit for your specific brand of housings, these little guys tend to fly off over the horizon once in a while, and being stuck on dry land on account of missing one of those... it sucks big time.

 

if you want, you can PM me at jean@aquatica.ca and I will forward you the drawing of a typical push pin layout.

I finished my housing service and it is easy, just as Jean says above. The one thing I learned is with the push buttons. You need to lube the o-ring and push it down inside the hole with a blunt tool (i used an allen wrench) and then I out the push button, spring and washer through the seated o-ring.