Replacing all of the housing o-rings?

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Doc Harry

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Anyone ever remove all of the buttons from your housing and replace all of the o-rings?

I did a search here and on Wetpixel and didn't find any topics on this matter.

Where do you get the o-rings? I tried places like B&H Photo and didn't find anything.

Should I just return the housing to the manufacturer for overhaul?

The housing and all of the buttons have been working fine for 3 years and I want to keep it that way. No leaks.

I have a Sea & Sea DX8000.
 
you might try backscatter.com and email them Backscatter Underwater Video & Photo Online Store. the part won't be listed on their web site but they are authorized sea and sea dealers and will likely be able to order the o-ring kit for you they might even have it there in the store because the also do repairers and maintenance. this is were i have gotten my o-ring kits in the past and is were i do most of my business they really know there stuff there. hope this helps.

as far as removing all the small knobs and thing on the camera housing it is pretty easy it just time consuming. there are a couple of thing that you will need to do the job one is a small set of pliers needle nose work the best some q-tips a peace of paper that you can put the parts on (it is helpful to label that paper with the part location) also when you remove the part check for any corrosion on the mettle part. if there is i have use an ultrasonicator at a local dive shop to remove the corrosion works pretty well also make sure to swab out the inside of the channel seals on the housing. put it all back to gather and take it on a dive without the camera and sea if it seals if all is well then your done. personally now i just pay the 150 for the guys at backscatter to do the annual service but i still have a field kit so that i can replace a bad o-ring if i have to. there are just to many on my new housing
 
Nope, never have. Why would you if there wasn't a problem? My mottoes are "don't fix what ain't broke" and "less is more" :)

O-rings, despite being much maligned by divers, are actually much more reliable than most people give them credit for. That being said, they do wear out and should be replaced every few years. Regardless of how diligent you are at soaking the housing, it is impossible to get all of the salt out of the buttons. Small crystals on the shafts can cause the button o-rings to wear. If the buttons get stiff, it is time for preventative maintenance. That being said, I think the yearly rebuild suggested by most housing vendors seems overly aggressive. My personal bias is that it is just CYA talk on their part.

My housing manual actually says that after EVERY dive you should remove the main o-ring and regrease it. It also says that once you remove the o-ring, you should pressure test it empty by tying it off to a line and hanging it below the boat at 50 ft! Of course this constitutes a "dive", so in theory, you should repeat. If you follow their advice to the letter, you can never put the camera in the housing!
 
Nope, never have. Why would you if there wasn't a problem? My mottoes are "don't fix what ain't broke" and "less is more" :)

You don't have an expensive underwater camera, do you?

Thanks spt29970, I have been O.C. about my o-rings, cleaning them carefully every day of diving, applying lube and inspecting the housing. It has paid off I think - no leaks yet.
 
okay, now you've piqued my interest, give it up, let's see your toys!
 
Hehee - I have no idea where shots of my rig are...I know I have a few, but none with all the bits and bobs.

My main rig is a Canon 20D in a Subal housing with Inon strobes. One day I'll take some shots...somewhere I have some shots a friend took of my underwater with it.

I also have a bunch of Canon A series with Canon housings that I think are great and I just sold my last two Oly 5050/PT015s :( The Nik Vs are still neglected on the shelf.
 

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