Housing care?

[MGW1979]

I just got my Ikelite housing for mt Fuji E900 last night. I must say I'm suprised by how substantial it feels!

Besides checking the O-ring, are there any tips for caring for the housing that I should keep in mind? Also, should I order another o-ring as a backup? Is there a particular kind of silicone lube to use? The manual warns against using anything other than Ikelite lube....

Now I just have to wait 5 weeks to get it wet....

Thanks, Marek

 

[parabolic]

Marek

After every trip, before it goes back on the shelf, I soak mine overnight in a tub of fresh water containing a small amount (a few glugs from the bottle) of white vinegar. I hose it off after the bath. This will dissolve salt deposits in the hard-to-reach parts of the external controls. A backup o-ring is a good idea. They last a long time with normal use but can get damaged. IMHO any type of silicone grease is OK. All of the suppliers naturally want to sell their own. I finally got tired of going through all the little tubes of grease and bought a 12-oz tub of silicone grease from Innovative Scuba Concepts in Colorado Springs. That may be a lifetime supply for me. Good luck, ++Ken++

 

[RonFrank]

I just got my Ikelite housing for mt Fuji E900 last night. I must say I'm suprised by how substantial it feels!

Besides checking the O-ring, are there any tips for caring for the housing that I should keep in mind? Also, should I order another o-ring as a backup? Is there a particular kind of silicone lube to use? The manual warns against using anything other than Ikelite lube....

Now I just have to wait 5 weeks to get it wet....

Thanks, Marek

The first thing that Ryan at reef photo gave me when I picked up the Ike D200 housing was a tube of Sea&Sea silicone! I'd just make sure that the silicone you use is designed for UW camera orings.

Yes, purchase a backup Oring. I'd also take my oring off the housing to store it.

I grease my oring before every day of diving.

After a day of diving, before removing the camera from the housing, soak the housing in clean water for a few minutes. Upon removal work all the buttons and levers to work any salt deposits or any deposits out of the system, then a quick rinse. If you are done with the trip, and will not be diving for a bit, then I do this twice. Soak, work the controls, soak, work the controls, rinse. Then remove the orings (port and housing), grease them, and store the rig.

There is not much in the way of user maintenance with these housings. I'd recommend that every few years you send it in to Ike for a checkup. They will inspect all internal controls and orings, and will recommend replacement if necessary.

 

[alcina]

Oring grease is a little confusing.

If you have rubber orings you need silicone grease. If your orings are silicone, you need grease for silicone. Make sure you use the right one or the silicone orings can swell and this ain't good. It doesn't have to be from the same manufacturer, though.

Rinse rinse rinse. Salt water is nasty and very sneaky. A few drops can do a bit of damage pretty quicky, so make sure you give it a nice soak and get the water from behind the clasps and buttons before you put it away.

 

[jcclink]

What color are all your o-rings? The port & main may be a different compound than the control o-rings. The type of grease depends on the compound. I would suggest a complete set of replacement o-rings if you're going to be traveling very much. Murphy also dives.

 

[sunkarm]

what type of o-rings does the ike's housing use? rubber or silicone or.....?

 

[MGW1979]

Thanks for all the replies! The O-ring for the housing is black, not sure if it's rubber or silicone.... How do you lube all the control buttons? As per suggestions, I've lightly greased the o-ring with the lube that was provided and am storing it in a plastic bag. Where is the best place to buy a spare o-ring? I would assume it's probably a website...
Thanks a lot for the tips!

 

[jcclink]

The black o-ring is neoprene (buna-n). Just use a good quality generic silicone grease. A big tube from your local hardware/home improvement store will last you for years. Buy spare o-rings from Ike unless you know the specific size for each. I'm sure they're standard sizes which can be purchased for o-ring suppliers (on line or not), but an incorrect size will result in a leak. I'd get a complete set just in case, not just a main & port seal. Or maybe a set + 1 extra port & main (they may need replacing more often).