O-Ring Shelf Life?

[Marek K]

How fast do Nitrile or Viton o-rings deteriorate when just lying around in a save-a-dive kit?

I've got a bunch of Nitrile o-rings, the oldest of which date back to about 2005. They've been out of the sun, and haven't gotten too hot. Realizing they're dirt cheap, I'd still hate to just pitch them... At what point would that be advisable, though?

 

[SDAnderson]

Under optimal conditions, a high-quality o-ring, stored properly (no exposure to UV, thermal extremes or plasticizers) should not be expected to last more than ten years. No telling about the original quality of your o-rings but they have not been stored in ideal conditions. They're cheap and easily replaced, rotate them out or pitch them.

 

[Couv]

EPDM & Viton unlimited, Nitirile 15 years, Polyurethane 5 years, but remember shelf life means in a sealed package in a cool dark place.

If you have questionable o-rings but they pass visual inspection, just use them on external ports, hoses and other areas that are easy to reach and replace if needed. I always replace internal o-rings even if they look good; I put the used ones in a separate and labeled bag.


What is O-Ring Shelf Life?

 

[Doubler]

In the underwater ordnance world a packing (oring) is good for 20 years from manufacture date when packaged in a opaque bag with no exposure to the air or UV light. This has been tested by our engineers.

 

[Marek K]

In my case, it's a zip-lock bag, no UV exposure, temp probably not exceeding 100F in the garage.

I think I'm good with my five-year-old Nitrile o-rings for a while yet; they are indeed for external application (yoke valves, hose connections).

Thanks to everyone.

 

[Akimbo]

This link may help:

What is O-Ring Shelf Life?

Great manual on O-ring design:

http://www.parker.com/literature/ORD 5700 Parker_O-Ring_Handbook.pdf

 

[duckbill]

The o-ring shelf life link doesn't mention what the storage conditions are for their stated values. Storage conditions make a HUGE difference.

 

[Akimbo]

The o-ring shelf life link doesn't mention what the storage conditions are for their stated values. Storage conditions make a HUGE difference.

The big offenders like UV and heat have already been mentioned. Naturally, they should not be exposed to chemical fumes, which sealed plastic bags don’t fully accomplish. One area few people think of is in a spares box that includes a can of wetsuit cement. Even in a steel can, toluene solvent will escape and generate high concentrations in your spares container. Naturally, a garage with vehicles, lawn mowers, combustion appliances (gas or oil fired furnace or water heater), and/or stored chemicals is sub-optimum for storing most diving gear.

Sorry couv, I didn’t notice that you had posted the same link. I saw this thread/question, got distracted, and came back to answer it about an hour later.