I recently bought a secondhand Nauticam LX10 housing. It appears in really good shape and the person I bought it from only used it for three liveaboards. I submerged it for the first time a couple of days ago in a local river (only about a meter deep max) and I noticed a bubble forming at the top of the 'flash off' lever at the back of the housing. It was a single bubble, not a stream, and it never released until I brought up the housing. I had used the vacuum kit and the leak detection system consistently stayed green (I left it this way for an hour). I am guessing (hoping??) it is just air trapped on the outside, but not sure whether it is something I should be concerned about? I am going on a dive trip next week so wouldn't have time to send it off to be serviced unfortunately. Does anyone know how reliable the leak detection is and if there are any further tests I can subject the housing to to make sure there's no leak?
Thanks for the advice!
I suspect you’re on the right track with the “trapped bubble” theory. I use an Aquatica system but find the detection system very good. I suggest you draw a vacuum and leave your system overnight. A very slow leak can take hours to show but if it’s all good after 8 or 12 hours, you can be confident in your housing.
17 minutes ago, Stoo said:
I suspect you’re on the right track with the “trapped bubble” theory. I use an Aquatica system but find the detection system very good. I suggest you draw a vacuum and leave your system overnight. A very slow leak can take hours to show but if it’s all good after 8 or 12 hours, you can be confident in your housing.
Okay I'll try this today -- thanks for the suggestion!
The buttons will release bubbles, there's a small air pocket inside to let the button in. This is replaced by water when you submerge. This pocket holds the water quite well and it's why you should work all buttons when rinsing your housing, to displace salt water inside the pocket. An overnight vacuum test is always worthwhile on a new housing.
I regularly see bubbles come from my housing when I first play with the controls underwater. Scares me to death every time but its never caused any issues
Mike
19 minutes ago, ChrisRoss said:
The buttons will release bubbles, there's a small air pocket inside to let the button in. This is replaced by water when you submerge. This pocket holds the water quite well and it's why you should work all buttons when rinsing your housing, to displace salt water inside the pocket. An overnight vacuum test is always worthwhile on a new housing.
Okay great, thanks, Chris. I’m currently testing it and 7 hours in the leak detection is still green so hopefully that’s a good sign.
Drew the vacuum and left it for over 12 hours and the leak detection light is still green, so think I'm good to go. Whew. Thanks, all!
On 5/24/2023 at 5:16 PM, pooley said:
I regularly see bubbles come from my housing when I first play with the controls underwater. Scares me to death every time but its never caused any issues
I've been diving with cameras for decades and I still sweat every time I drop a system in to the water. I mostly dive from my RHIB, so I lower my camera over the side to get it out of the way and to let it adjust to our ice water. I say a little prayer every time I lower it...
Taking cameras underwater is fundamentally tempting fate. One of my friends who runs a little dive lodge refers to cameras as "water samplers"...
