Potential leakage possibility in my housing?

Guys, I may have a problem and I really need you help. So please read this and post your experiences/advices.

I own new olympus C-7070 camera and new Olympus pt-027 housing for it. I haven't tested it in (deep) water, but I have tested it in childrens bathtub. It doesen't leak to the camera, BUT it does "leak" to back of the O-ring. See left picture below.

My concern is that since the O-ring is symmetric and the place where O-ring is (square) is also symmetric, If water leaks to upper part of that square, it may leak to bottom part of square and from there into camera (see right picture).

My O-rings are new and I have triple checked them (for hairs,sand, etc.) and I have greased them well with silica gel. I noticed that if I put lots of silica gel it doesent leak so much, but I read that too much silica also causes flood.

My main questions are?

1) Does water go to back of O-ring in your housing as well? (you can see it easily when housing is in water)

2) Is it dangerous i.e can it cause flooding in greater depths?

I have called olympus about this, but they have no idea. I am going to philippines for 1 month and if my camera floods there, my diving trip is quite ruined since its quite impossible to get a replacement from there!

Please post your comment guys!

Thanks in advance

On your first day of diving with it, leave the camera out, put a couple of paper towels inside (and may be a small weight) and take it with you, go for a deeper dive with it 60-100ft if it does not leak then carefully put your camera in it and go dive and take pictures, yup it's that easy:D

In my point of view, the water go in the space you said is just because while you close the cap of housing the space is not separated from water.

The O-ring just separate the inside from outside, between oring and the housing, water is allow to entry.

In my experience, after diving, I also found some water between oring and housing, but it never enter to my housing.

So just as other said, diving with empty housing first, you will know if it's fine, then take care of your pt-o27 every dive, especially the lens port, I know few people's hsouing flood from that place.

Guys, I may have a problem and I really need you help. So please read this and post your experiences/advices.

 

I own new olympus C-7070 camera and new Olympus pt-027 housing for it. I haven't tested it in (deep) water, but I have tested it in childrens bathtub. It doesen't leak to the camera, BUT it does "leak" to back of the O-ring. See left picture below.

 

 

My concern is that since the O-ring is symmetric and the place where O-ring is (square) is also symmetric, If water leaks to upper part of that square, it may leak to bottom part of square and from there into camera (see right picture).

 

My O-rings are new and I have triple checked them (for hairs,sand, etc.) and I have greased them well with silica gel. I noticed that if I put lots of silica gel it doesent leak so much, but I read that too much silica also causes flood.

 

My main questions are?

 

1) Does water go to back of O-ring in your housing as well? (you can see it easily when housing is in water)

2) Is it dangerous i.e can it cause flooding in greater depths?

 

I have called olympus about this, but they have no idea. I am going to philippines for 1 month and if my camera floods there, my diving trip is quite ruined since its quite impossible to get a replacement from there!

 

Please post your comment guys!

 

Thanks in advance

Maybe I'm not reading it right but there is a designed gap in most Oly housings outside of the oring. I think this is so the housing puts pressure on the oring for a good seal. The oring sits in a groove inside the housing and seals water from entering inside the housing. I would fully expect water to get into any part of the housing not sealed by the oring. Normal stuff. If you have a dive reel, do as Kriptap suggests. Lower it in the water once you reach the dive site with a weight (soft weight?) and some paper towels. lower it to your cruising depth and then reel it in and check it out.

PS - I certainly wouldn't put excess silicone on the orings. You're asking for trouble if you do that.

PS...can you post a picture of where water is entering the housing? Your drawing is nice but a picture would be better.

It would seem the water will get to the back of the oring, as the oring is compressed by the water pressure. This water pressure is what is holding the oring to the inner side and creating the seal.

PS - I certainly wouldn't put excess silicone on the orings. You're asking for trouble if you do that.

hear hear! The oly o-rings are notoriously squeamish underwater - extra grease would be encouraging a flood!

It would seem the water will get to the back of the oring, as the oring is compressed by the water pressure. This water pressure is what is holding the oring to the inner side and creating the seal.

Yes, I too think this is the case. I have now tested it 5 times in my tub and no worries yet. Of course I will test it without camera at 30 meters before first photography dive!

hear hear! The oly o-rings are notoriously squeamish underwater - extra grease would be encouraging a flood!

hmm, do you think changing oly's O-ring would be a good idea?

I've never heard of an O-ring against O ring seal such as in these pictures. Is it really double like that or is there something in between??

Would go and change the Orings from Olympus, I think what was meant was that the whole design is sensitive to overgreasing.

Gerard

I've never heard of an O-ring against O ring seal such as in these pictures. Is it really double like that or is there something in between??

damn I'm blind, because these O-rings are not against each other after all

(Other O-ring is beneath other)

..Anyway, here is the picture of water entering back of the O-ring, to the "trench"

It's normal. The water pushes the o-ring toward the inside. (see attached GIF)

Take Care,

Chris