question about o-ring
- Thread starter donnad
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ScubaJorgen
Contributor
donnad:
I am used to rinse the housing right after the dive. I let it dry (overnight) and I take the o-ring out of the socket and store it inside the housing. A zip bag may be an alternative.
When I reassemble the housing for the next dive, I rinse the o-ring under the tap. This gets of all debris (usually microfibers). After drying at air (just keep it in my hand) I regrease it lightly. Visual inspection if it is really clean and back in the socket. Prior to this, I clean the socket with a cloth.
Visual inspection: use a bright light. Line up light-ring-eye. Look flat over the surface of the o-ring surface (o-ring part aligned/parallel with light-ring-eye line), so that that it reflects the light. Any dust/fibers/hairs are clearly visible. Remove by finger.
Just my procedure....
I wipe my housings/cameras dry with a towel, especially on the o-rings groove.
Once you rinse it in fresh water, wiping it dry with a towel removes the last bits of salt it may still have.
Letting it dry, specially in the sun (remember factory o-rings getting cooked) is not good at all, as it is the case with the hair dryers... if you let the salt water (even after rinsing that may still be salt) dry on air, salt cristals will form. They form faster under the sun (melting factory o-rings) and hair dryers.
I usually take my rinse bucket with me (hotel room trash can). It is better to keep your system immerged in salt water until you get a chance to rinse it in fresh water than to let it dry after a few dunks on the contaminated boat rinse tank.
In emergencies dump a towel in sea or fresh water and wrap your gear completely in it, the humid enviroment might prevent most of the salt cristals build-up...
Any questions refer to Bob Warkentins Nikonos Workshop, it is a good paper on how salt cristals are formed, how o-rings works, how to keep your equipment...
Just google this: "Bob Warkentin's Nikonos Workshop"
If needed send me an e-mail I will send you a PDFed file of it.
Once you rinse it in fresh water, wiping it dry with a towel removes the last bits of salt it may still have.
Letting it dry, specially in the sun (remember factory o-rings getting cooked) is not good at all, as it is the case with the hair dryers... if you let the salt water (even after rinsing that may still be salt) dry on air, salt cristals will form. They form faster under the sun (melting factory o-rings) and hair dryers.
I usually take my rinse bucket with me (hotel room trash can). It is better to keep your system immerged in salt water until you get a chance to rinse it in fresh water than to let it dry after a few dunks on the contaminated boat rinse tank.
In emergencies dump a towel in sea or fresh water and wrap your gear completely in it, the humid enviroment might prevent most of the salt cristals build-up...
Any questions refer to Bob Warkentins Nikonos Workshop, it is a good paper on how salt cristals are formed, how o-rings works, how to keep your equipment...
Just google this: "Bob Warkentin's Nikonos Workshop"
If needed send me an e-mail I will send you a PDFed file of it.
ScubaJorgen
Contributor
Mariozi:
Ah!! You're the guy that takes away the trash cans from hotel rooms!
Just kiddin'. Good advice. Salt crystals, when formed, are quite hard to get rid of. They appear not to dissolve easily.
Only time my housing has leaked (empty) was sloshing it around in the rinse bucket or running a faucet too close to it. Just soak it and push the buttons, turn the knobs etc. to get rid of any salt around them. Don't swish it and keep it away from hoses and faucets.
I "borrow" the motel trash can myself, saves me from having to take one. Another precaution I take is to inspect the entire O-ring mating surfaces with a small magnifying glass. The small $2 ones work fine. You can spot the smallest bit on the surfaces. I never open or close a camera on the beach or boat unless it is absolutely necessary. IMO it's a job that should be done in your room.
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Acidify the water a dash with some veingar, salt gone.
swisstrav
Contributor
from the technical side
a housing is most prone to leaking with no external pressure. ie in the bucket or very close to surface. here the sealing takes place only due to statical deforming of the o-ring by squeecing it into the groove by means of the mating surface. the more pressure is applied to the housing, the more tight the sealing gets (bear in mind, as soon as outside pressure is so big as to deform the housing it will start to leak)
it is indeed preferable to have your gear in a bucket when on surface between dives. however, on liveaboards this is quite often not possible. so when available rins your camera with a shower if not possible then just store it in the shade or cover it with a towel. bear in mind that this is the worst case to store your equippment. however i have done this many times with no negative results.
after a great day of diving, whenever possible, i leave my gear in the resort swimming pool for a few hours. but even with this extensive soaking i have build-ups once in a while.
i don´t have any objections due cloride in the water. if it´s ok for my skin it will be ok for housing and seals too.
opening the housing for changing film (yes i still use film) i dry it with a towel, open it, dry the sealing surfaces inkl. o-ring also with towel or washing rag (if necessary use also paper tissue). before closing i run a fingertip around the exposed ring surface. only with your fingertips you can feel any dirt/debris contaminatings. once the surface is clean, put some saliva an your finger, wet the surface all around and close your housing. now it should be ok for your next photo session.
(i hate do regrease the surface only because the grease gets into the housing too) and i simply don´t like that)
removing the o-ring
i do whenever i feel it´s necessarry. say every 7 to 10 days with up to 4 dives a day. diving in sandy area or not having the chance of rinsing your gear it might be earlier.
in general i believe, most floodings happen due to much maintenance and not due to less. the most critical times handling a o-ring ist removing and installing. from that point of view the less you remove the ring (s) the less chances you have to damage your seal.
for grease i use petro-jelly. there is no need for silicongrease. the outstanding advantage of silicon grease is a much higher temperature resistence (up to approx 200deg C). this is by all means not required while diving.
sorry, i just got carried away, hope you understand my english and wishing all of you dry housings
26 years without a flooding ;-))))
however it can happen on my next dive ;-((((
swisstrav
a housing is most prone to leaking with no external pressure. ie in the bucket or very close to surface. here the sealing takes place only due to statical deforming of the o-ring by squeecing it into the groove by means of the mating surface. the more pressure is applied to the housing, the more tight the sealing gets (bear in mind, as soon as outside pressure is so big as to deform the housing it will start to leak)
it is indeed preferable to have your gear in a bucket when on surface between dives. however, on liveaboards this is quite often not possible. so when available rins your camera with a shower if not possible then just store it in the shade or cover it with a towel. bear in mind that this is the worst case to store your equippment. however i have done this many times with no negative results.
after a great day of diving, whenever possible, i leave my gear in the resort swimming pool for a few hours. but even with this extensive soaking i have build-ups once in a while.
i don´t have any objections due cloride in the water. if it´s ok for my skin it will be ok for housing and seals too.
opening the housing for changing film (yes i still use film) i dry it with a towel, open it, dry the sealing surfaces inkl. o-ring also with towel or washing rag (if necessary use also paper tissue). before closing i run a fingertip around the exposed ring surface. only with your fingertips you can feel any dirt/debris contaminatings. once the surface is clean, put some saliva an your finger, wet the surface all around and close your housing. now it should be ok for your next photo session.
(i hate do regrease the surface only because the grease gets into the housing too) and i simply don´t like that)
removing the o-ring
i do whenever i feel it´s necessarry. say every 7 to 10 days with up to 4 dives a day. diving in sandy area or not having the chance of rinsing your gear it might be earlier.
in general i believe, most floodings happen due to much maintenance and not due to less. the most critical times handling a o-ring ist removing and installing. from that point of view the less you remove the ring (s) the less chances you have to damage your seal.
for grease i use petro-jelly. there is no need for silicongrease. the outstanding advantage of silicon grease is a much higher temperature resistence (up to approx 200deg C). this is by all means not required while diving.
sorry, i just got carried away, hope you understand my english and wishing all of you dry housings
26 years without a flooding ;-))))
however it can happen on my next dive ;-((((
swisstrav
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