Servicing Olympus Underwater Housings

[smoore]

I have been using my EPL2 for about 2.5 years and I was wondering if anyone is getting their housings inspected by Olympus or by anyone else. I am not concerned about the O rings for the ports and the rear door but I am wondering whether the O rings for the various controls should be checked and/or replaced. How often should this be done in terms of time or dives? Where can I get this done (I live in Toronto) and how much will it cost? I cannot find anything on the Olympus site about servicing their housings.

 

[Peter Guy]

I've talked with techs from Backscatter and was told not to bother -- just clean well with fresh water and make sure to press the buttons while fresh water is running to get salt out.

I hope someone who does this (Guy or Phil?) will comment.

 

[chrispete]

I've serviced my own housings before, including an Oly. It's pretty straightforward as long as you can get hold of orings (I think they are size 006 Buna on an Oly (don't quote me, it's been a few years)) that you could get from your LDS if you're on good terms with them. Remove the c-clip from the inside, slide the control out, and remove the metal washer, spring, and oring. Lightly lube a new o-ring with silicon then reassemble in reverse order. Wash, rinse, repeat for all the controls. Put the housing in a bucket of water overnight to test basic waterproof, dive it without a camera inside if you'd like to be extra sure.

 

[Ardy]

I have had my Olympus housing for 3 years and would not contemplate a service as I only dive about 40x a year. If I was in the water every weekend I might consider it. I had an Aquatica housing for my Nikon for 15 years and never serviced it because a friend of mine serviced his Subal housing for his Canon and it leaked on coming up from a 30m dive, killing the camera and lens.

The Subal supplier said leave the housing alone, wash it well and change the O rings every 5 years by a qualified technician - I ignored the 5 years.

 

[CheddarChick]

Great question....I have had mine for the same amount of time....I have never done service on it. (but I am anal about cleaning & doing silicone after a trip). Now watch, I'll get a leak at the moment I get back in the water.......

 

[Ardy]

Great question....I have had mine for the same amount of time....I have never done service on it. (but I am anal about cleaning & doing silicone after a trip). Now watch, I'll get a leak at the moment I get back in the water.......

In Australia we have a word for this 'skiting' which is a form of bragging, it often comes back on you. I hope it's you and not me! I am taking a new housing (Oly EM5) into the water in a couple of months time. Assuming I can get this nightmare house build done......

It is a fine balance between ignoring it and ensuring its OK. I soak mine everytime and clean O-Rings once a day whilst I am diving.

 

[CheddarChick]

Man....Now you jinxed me.....

 

[smoore]

Great question....I have had mine for the same amount of time....I have never done service on it. (but I am anal about cleaning & doing silicone after a trip). Now watch, I'll get a leak at the moment I get back in the water.......

Thanks for the input. What do you mean by "doing silicone after each trip"? Thanks

 

[fisheater]

Thanks for the input. What do you mean by "doing silicone after each trip"? Thanks

Using a small amount of silicone grease to just "wet" the o-ring.

 

[CheddarChick]

I use food grade silicone in an eye dropper to put a drop in each opening. After the trip & before I go again.