how often do you change o rings

[seamonster01]

How often do you change O rings on your housings?
Do you store your housing with the doors closed? If you do does that effect the O ring?
I have about 80 dives on my evo HD dive buddy and these two questions came to mind while doing routine mainitance today. I could not think of a better place to ask than here.

 

[diversteve]

How often do you change O rings on your housings?

I haven't yet and I've had it almost a year.

Do you store your housing with the doors closed?

No, I store it in a cloth bag with the door slightly open. I lube the o-ring before I put it away. I don't think it's a great idea to keep it under compression long term, I'm concerned about the o-ring becoming deformed. The longest my housing has been stored so far is about 4mos.

I have about 80 dives on my evo HD dive buddy and these two questions came to mind while doing routine mainitance today. I could not think of a better place to ask than here.

I have the same rig you do, less lights.

 

[Dive-aholic]

I've had one camera/housing about 3 years. The other one about a year and a half. I haven't changed o-rings on either one and they don't look like they'll need changing for a while. I also store mine open. The compression will shorten the life of the ring. But you got me thinking here and I think I'll start storing the housings with the o-rings off and inside the housing like I do with my canister lights that way they aren't stretched either.

Steve, what does lubing the ring before storing it do? I only lube before the dive.

 

[diversteve]

Steve, what does lubing the ring before storing it do? I only lube before the dive.

I don't know, it's an Amphibico recommendation.

 

[alcina]

It simply keeps the oring moist - which what lubing at any time does. The lubing itself doesn't help the seal.

I also keep mine unsealed and if they will be stored for a long time I pop them in a ziplock and stick it in the housing. I use tupperware type boxes to keep dirt and lint etc away.

 

[Dive-aholic]

I thought the lube helped keep water out. If it doesn't, then being a static ring, does it really need lube?

 

[seamonster01]

I think I'll start storing the housings with the o-rings off and inside the housing like I do with my canister lights that way they aren't stretched either.

if they will be stored for a long time I pop them in a ziplock and stick it in the housing.

Every once in a while I remove the O rings to get at the sand and grit. It was doing this yesterday that I thought about the rings getting fatigued or strectched and with out careful observation it would be easy to miss a small nick or pinch the ring while closing the housing in a hurry. I guess that is why there is two O rings in the first place. I think I will change them out at about 100 dives anyway just to be safe.
Thank you for the replys

 

[alcina]

Yes, it needs lube to keep it supple. Lube can also help prevent the oring from sticking to the groove; this helps reduce the likelihood of it being pinched or otherwise misshapen or unseated.

I don't lube my silicone based orings all of the time, only when I can see they need it.

I lube my rubber based orings more of the time as they seem to need it more often, but it still isn't usually before each and every use.

Orings should be clean, smooth, shiny and very pliable.

 

[Warren_L]

I thought the lube helped keep water out. If it doesn't, then being a static ring, does it really need lube?

The lube helps the o-ring slide into place properly. Too much lube can be a problem as well.

 

[Dive-aholic]

Yes, it needs lube to keep it supple. Lube can also help prevent the oring from sticking to the groove; this helps reduce the likelihood of it being pinched or otherwise misshapen or unseated.

I don't lube my silicone based orings all of the time, only when I can see they need it.

I lube my rubber based orings more of the time as they seem to need it more often, but it still isn't usually before each and every use.

Orings should be clean, smooth, shiny and very pliable.

Makes sense. The rings I have are silicone. I lube them at least once a day, but definitely not everytime I open the housing to change out batteries or download photos from the card.

I do check the rings and groove before every dive. Well, except the last one during which I almost flooded my camera. There was a hair trapped. Of course, the one time I forget to check after closing the housing! Fortunately, the leak was small enough the camera was spared!

The lube helps the o-ring slide into place properly. Too much lube can be a problem as well.

The o-ring slips on pretty easily, but maybe it's because they're silicone.