Seals

Below are some really basic questions on seals. But I'm having some problems and help would be greatly appreciated.

I've been testing my Subal in the pool since I got it. I had it working on a few tests in the pool. But the last two times it's been leaking from the rear and I just can't figure it out.

Subal provided me with no real instructions on using the silicone. It just says to not over do it.

So, here's how I've been doing it. I remove the seal. I clean it. I then put some silicone on my fingertips and gently rub my fingers over the seal, dabbing more silicone on my fingertips until the seal is lightly and evenly covered.

I then put the seal back into the groove. Then I take small dabs of silicone on my fingertip and gently run it around the seal. I do this until there are no "air channels" between the seal and the inner grove in the housing. There is a light amount of silicone on the housing around the seal groove.

Then I close it up. I'm careful to seat the back of the housing on in one try as I don't want to move the silicone around.

So, that's how I did it and it leaked this morning. I mean the minute I put the housing in the water. I'm talking bubbles. And I pulled it out quickly.

So, I took it all apart. I cleaned all the silicone off the seal and the housing and started over. This time I applied a significant more silicone but not what I'd describe as excessive. On a very thorough visual inspection there was no debris.

(The seal felt fine, too. No roughness.)

And it leaked. This time less. But still it leaked right away.

I wish it came with more instructions.

But then I'd say you all probablly have more real world experience than the factory.

So, what am I doing wrong?

Or what should I be doing different or checking?

Another question is how do you store your seals?

How often do you change them?

How do you know when you should change them?

I'm hoping that there are some easy answers because I'd love to see something I'm doing very wrong and be able to fix it. That'd sure help my confidence. And at this point I spend more time worrying about it leaking than about taking pictures.

All help is appreciated.

Craig

Just put some grease on your fingers and run the oring through it. The oring should be shiny and that is it. WHen you put it back in the groove do not put more grease on it. It is not the grease that creates the seal, it is the rubber oring!

If you put more on it just ruins the seal and therefore leakage.

So, make oring shiny, put in in groove, then look carefully over entire oring surface making sure no dust or hair on oring. Then close it up.

Voila, no leak

The silicon grease doesn't make the o-ring water tight. As mentioned above use just enough to make the o-ring supple. A small tub should last for years. The only thing that a lot of silicon grease will do is attract dirt and hairs. Ensuring a leak.

I've had 3 Subal housings. The only one that ever leaked happened when the probe into which you slide the camera tray became slightly unscrewed and was preventing the back plate from closing completely.

If that or some similar type problem is not causing your leak you are going to need to send the housing for servicing. A little leak is like being a little bit pregnant.

Is it possible the viewfinder is a bit unscrewed?

Which camera is your housing for?

I did have a small leak once that was traced to a nick in the o-ring. The nick was very small. You might try another o-ring. You should always carry a backup.

What camera and housing?

If it's the D100 in the D10 housing you have to remove the eyepiece cup and the plastic LCD protector from the camera or the housing leaks.

I flooded mine on the first dive because of the LCD protector.

My other question would be who you bought it from. They should be showing you how to assemble it.

Personally I would not put the camera back in it and take it U/W until it has been leak tested by whoever you bought it from.

Thanks for all the help.

Everything you all said made a lot of sense and is extremely helpful and also helps with my confidence.

(I forgot to mention that I have the Canon 10D with the Subal. And that the place I purchased it pressure tested the housing before they sent it to me.)

I did remove the eyepiece.

So, silicone just on the oring. (That's nice because it sure makes it a lot easier than carefully putting some silicone into the oring groove.)

I can't help but wonder though if the back of the camera is pressing the back of the housing too hard. I will see if there's any play in the "camera saddle" and try moving bolting the saddle onto the camera with the camera even a mm forward.

I suspect tollerance is very small.

On another note, I didn't get any instructions for the zoom gear. I have the Canon 16-35 and the zoom gear just came in a box. I tried to fit it over the portion of the lens that you turn to zoom but it was very very tight. I then heated up the plastic zoom gear with the blow drier and it became a little looser (still very tight) but I wasn' t sure which way to put the zoom gear on or how far to put it on. Any help with this would be greatly appreaciated.

Thanks again for all your help with the seals. That really helped.

Craig

The first thing you should do is test the housing without the camera to confirm that the excess "O" ring grease was not the problem.

If the housing does not leak, then I would remove the "O" ring and lay the back of the housing in place to see if it is laying flat with the camera inside. If this seems good, reinstall the "O" ring and do a QUICK pool test again. If that fails, and the "O" ring is undamaged, you are likely looking at the possibility of getting the housing AND CAMERA to the manufacturer for testing.

BTW, it is not a good idea to heat the lens gear to get it on. Once it cools the pressure on the lens could cause serious damage. Try shortening the "O" ring in the gear slightly to loosen the fit (if it is that type of gear!).

HTH

only time i ever had a leak, i forgot to install a port o-ring. 17 meters, 45 min dive, and only a small puddle. Lens and Camera still ok