How often do I need to remove my port and check o-ring?

[Kwaaitjie]

Hi

I have recently bought a RDX600 housing for my canon 600d and fitted it with a standard flat port. How often do I need to remove the port, clean and check the o-ring? Does this need to be done after every dive and should I remove it from the housing when not in use - Or can it stay there safely without being checked, until I get a dome port and want to swap them around?

I really don't want to get any leaks....

Thanks for your feedback, much appreciated!

 

[divengolf]

There are plenty of threads on this subject. Search a little and you'll find many opinions. My opinions are:

Anything you open your housing, you should closely inspect (with a light) both the o ring and the seating surface before closing.
On a multiday trip, I break down my ext. rings and port every couple days for cleaning and lube if I'm not otherwise removing them. Otherwise, they may become very difficult to rotate.
For storage at home, after a long (1-2 hours) fresh water rinse, I remove the o rings, lube them sparingly and put them in a plastic zipper bag for storage until the next trip. It's important to take the pressure off them when in storage so they do not become deformed