Question O-rings and lube

[RIHappyDiver]

Does it matter if you go heavy on the lube with o-rings in lights? Is there a downside to not being as conservative as you would be with other gear?

Erik

 

[johndiver999]

You want them to be slippery. Too much grease is a Magnet for silt and sand and this is counter productive. Sometimes I just wipe down the oring and spray some silicone spray. Which seems to work

 

[BoltSnap]

Just barely enough to make them shinny. If you put too much grease, it will be a sand, silt, dirt, hair, lint, etc. magnet which can break the seal and cause flooding. Make sure that you clean the o'rings first and also make sure that the threads/groves are clean free of silt/dirt/hair/lint/sand.

 

[mr_v]

O-ring in lights are static, i.e., provide just enough lube to sit the o-ring.

In dynamic applications, things are different. If you want to geek out, get this book:

https://www.parker.com/literature/O-Ring%20Division%20Literature/ORD%205700%20Parker_O-Ring_Handbook.pdf

 

[happy-diver]

You know that stuff that screws on, with three or so orings for sealing, and on the lights they say
dive them screwed fully on as that prevents the light head being dislodged displacing the orings
and leaking-flooding, so fully bottomed out as there is play if they're not, wobbly and they flood

So I slather those with dollops of 111 and so, because of the close tolerances junk doesn't get in

Close tolerances for junk not water squirting in

Cameras Clean everything, tiny bit and pull between your thumb and forefinger

Regulators clean the grooves and see, not much

Lights : Slather it in or don't, some are like cameras sort of

Valves : Barely a schmear just on the plug threads

All Oring things : You decide

All requiring different lubing quantities and methods

I have bags containing various greases with toothbrush and brush that doesn't lose hair I hope

although outboard of the sealing orings I slather threads
with 111 on all my stuff, including 100% oxygen o2 clean things, to make reg bodies openable
din fittings and bonnet nuts unscrewable and everything else, after months of in ocean torture

I clean my scooters like cameras too with not much lube

Pack rebreather loops, with 111 great for pos - neg tests

 

[buddhasummer]

O-ring in lights are static, i.e., provide just enough lube to sit the o-ring.

In dynamic applications, things are different. If you want to geek out, get this book:

https://www.parker.com/literature/O-Ring%20Division%20Literature/ORD%205700%20Parker_O-Ring_Handbook.pdf

Unless it's twist activated.