Equipment Note: Preventing Flooding

Wed, Sep 9th, 2009  |   Equipment, Technique 6 Comments

vacuumOne thing I forgot to mention in my previous equipment post about camera housings was the vacuum seal that David at Scubacam installed in my Seacam 5D Mark II housing.

The principle behind this quick modification is simple. Once you close the housing, you can test the integrity of your O-ring seals by pumping out some air and creating a vacuum inside.

If your housing is properly sealed, the vacuum will hold. If it’s not properly sealed, then air will leak in, and the vacuum won’t hold.

By watching the pressure gauge on the vacuum pump, you get immediate visual feedback.

I have to admit I was a bit sceptical about the practicality of pumping out air every time I open and close the housing, but after a few weeks with this little modification…I love the peace of mind I get from knowing with 100% certainty that my housing is closed properly before I head out on the water.

Contact David if you want him to install one of these in your housing.

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  • http://www.calvintang.com Calvin Tang

    That’s a nice little contraption. I wonder if decreasing the internal pressure is better than increasing it would be though. Seems like increasing the internal pressure would allow for bubbles to escape in the shallows, further giving you notice that the seal isn’t perfect. I dunno, just my initial thought.

    This would be a nice feature to see incorporated into some housings, straight from the manufacturers. Your friend should patent it!

    Calvin

  • http://www.calvintang.com Calvin Tang

    That’s a nice little contraption. I wonder if decreasing the internal pressure is better than increasing it would be though. Seems like increasing the internal pressure would allow for bubbles to escape in the shallows, further giving you notice that the seal isn’t perfect. I dunno, just my initial thought.

    This would be a nice feature to see incorporated into some housings, straight from the manufacturers. Your friend should patent it!

    Calvin

  • http://www.tonywublog.com tony

    Hi Calvin,

    Creating a vacuum allows you to test O-ring integrity before entering the water. Increasing pressure would probably work also, but you’d have to submerge the housing to look for bubbles. All things considered, the dry solution means less risk.

    Other people have installed similar vacuum seals in other housings. I think Gates offers a vacuum seal for their video housings, and I’ve seen other people with them too.

    It’s the first time I’ve used one though

    Cheers,

    Tony

  • http://www.tonywublog.com tony

    Hi Calvin,

    Creating a vacuum allows you to test O-ring integrity before entering the water. Increasing pressure would probably work also, but you’d have to submerge the housing to look for bubbles. All things considered, the dry solution means less risk.

    Other people have installed similar vacuum seals in other housings. I think Gates offers a vacuum seal for their video housings, and I’ve seen other people with them too.

    It’s the first time I’ve used one though

    Cheers,

    Tony

  • http://www.chinavacuumequip.com/ vacuum equipment

    glad to see that your modification makes better

  • http://www.chinavacuumequip.com/ vacuum equipment

    glad to see that your modification makes better