Ikelite servicing

Ikelite servicing

I have a Ikelite housing and a DS 125 strobe for my D70 everything is working fine

Not wishing to cause problems but will the hosing ever require servicing. I am scrupulously clean with my system always keep it wet until the day or holiday is over and then soak it in fresh water and operate all the levers plungers etc. However nothing last for ever, does it require servicing if so when and do camersunderwater (UK supplier) carry it out. Those of you that have had Ikelites for some time do you ever carry out any maintenance out on them?

Thanks in advance for any feed back

The DS-125 will need sending back for servicing every-so-often, i'm not sure what their official stance on this is.

For the housing, it depends on your mechanical skills, all the controls are made of similar components, a button/shaft, a spring, a washer, an o-ring and a circlip. It's not difficult to disassemble and clean a housing controls, but your first dive after that wants to be without the camera inside.

If you look on the Cameras Underwater webpage there is a links section, there they have links to people who can service stuff that they can't.

I have two Ikelites SS200 and made this very question a few months ago to Ikelite staff. Their answer was "If it aint broken, don't fix it". They (or us here at wetpixel) will let you know if there is any recall, otherwise they don't suggest or require regular factory maintenance. Just change your o-rings every year or so, always soak your stuff in freshwater and you will be fine.

Thanks for the reply

When you said replace the o rings do you just mean the back cover o ring or all the smaller ones on the plungers and levers?

I am reasonably competent at opening and servicing items I doubt it’s too difficult to remove the circlip and springs to replace the seals. The only thing that would concern me is ensuring I was replacing the o rings with one of exactly the same dimensions “looks the right size†ant good enough when you have flooded your camera

Is there any technical data on the housings i.e. o ring sizes etc. As you said if it ant broke don’t fix it but I don’t intend to leave it until I get a leaky housing

The black orings in the controls have, i think, a life-span of 5 years.

The orings on the back of the housing and the ports have the same lifespan in terms of the material, but it is shortened by the compression when the housing is closed giving them flat edges.

I'm still on the same original orings on my d70 housing and that has done thousands of dives, i'd take the controls apart and give them a soak in some warm fresh water and clean the gunk off the orings, re-lubricate and reinstall, taking on a test dive before putting the camera in.

You might also want to get an ultrasonic cleaner check eBay and maplin, you can get a decent one for about £50

Diving the Red Sea knackers your controls in terms of salt build up, and the photo-unfriendly boats don't help where everyone uses the rinse tanks for all their gear and the water never gets changed. I did 9 dives in the Red Sea and after that my housing was in worse condition than after months of diving elsewhere.