storing your housing?

This is probably a silly question but I'm guessing that some of you other underwater photog geeks have given it some thought.

I got back from a short single dive day trip yesterday and won't be in the water again for a month. The housing is sitting on a desk with dome port attached and back plate locked and sealed in place. The same goes for strobe battery doors. The lazy side of me would like to just leave it there until I'm ready to dive again. Do you think I'm increasing the chance of future leaks by leaving the housing in this state with o-rings compressed, as opposed to taking it apart and storing all components separately?

Not a silly question at all, I was wondering the same thing. Mine is also sitting on my desk looking nice and pretty.

Dude, probably you are increasing your chances, o´rings are made of deformable materials that expand and contract and they tended to adapt to a form after a long time, like the form of the seat of the o´ring, reason why you would have to remove them and ubricate them to maintain its physical properties intact. In addition, you should follow the instructions of the manufacturer, they do a lot of test for this.

If it's longer than a week, I pop off thee port and back to relieve the continual pressure on those two o-rings.

Less than a week, I might leave the port on....The back is always stored loose if not ready to dive.....

Hope this helps!

dhaas

This is from my Nexus D70 Operator Manual:

"Storage & Care"

"Always remove the camera, port & lenses from the housing & store separately. To protect Port screws (threads) use of Port Rear Cap is recommended."

"Leave the Body O-ring in place. Reclose the housing with some desiccant inside. Use Body Cap to protect housing's Port O-ring contact surface."

"Store housing where there is some air circulation, away from direct sunlight."

(This means the housing is closed & sealed.)

I have always stored my housings closed with o-ring in place without causing any problems (over 30 yrs & several u/w systems), following the method above. Same with strobes.

I've always found it interesting that most folkds are concerned about the main o-ring remaining in place, but never discuss all the small control o-rings that remain in place & are never touched, at least until a complete housing service in required. Give the housing a good soaking in fresh water, dry, check main o-rings for debris, clean as needed (which may or may not require removing), lightly grease (unless its a silicone o-ring) & put it to bed til next time.

I'll accept the word of jcclink and others who have left o-rings in for storage for a long time, but removing and cleaning the main o-ring, port o-rings and strobe battery compartment o-rings isn't that difficult. I stow the o-rings in labelled zip-log bags, which fit under the foam covering in the lid of the Pelican box that the housing travels in. (The o-rings can lie flat, and h ziploc bags with o-rings are sandwiched between the foam layer and a single foam dinner place setting which can double as a padded work surface on an under-equipped boat.

Frogfish

I take the o-ring out (use a credit card) after I open the case because water migrates into the o-ring groove when I release the case pressure. I doubt if enough water gets in to form drops but it certainly is enough to add humidity. I dry and lubricate the o-rings and store them as Frogfish does. I also dry out the o-ring groove with a high-quality cotton swab.

HI All,

Surely you would look after your pride & joy with the upmost of

care. After use I make sure my housing/ ports/ viewfinder/etc etc.

are cleaned with fresh water, all controls/ push buttons are depressed

to make sure they are clear of grit/ sand etc. Then remove O rings & clean out

the grooves out with one of my wifes makeup applicators ( made of soft foam so

no lint left in the grooves). Oiled up as per the user instructions & locked away

in my safe till the next time I need it.

Andy.

I'm with the cleaning crowd: let it have a good soak in fresh water; remove the o-ring, undo the handle bolts, clean them, re-grease and re-fit them. Replace the back without the o-ring - then sit the housing on my desk and admire it.

I'm with the cleaning crowd: let it have a good soak in fresh water; remove the o-ring, undo the handle bolts, clean them, re-grease and re-fit them. Replace the back without the o-ring - then sit the housing on my desk and admire it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's exactly what I've done with all my housings too.

Luiz

I have a storage set of O-rings, so that my dive sets are always nice and round. The storage set can get deformed over time and it doesn't matter. Maybe this is silly, but it seems to have worked well on several housings now. my $0.02