Maintenance of Ikelite Housings

Housing Assembly: The general rule for all housings with multiple lid snaps is opposite snaps MUST be fastened simultaneously. Check that the cover is completely into the housing body with the "O" ring touching everywhere before fastening the lid snaps. Most of our housings allow you to see that the "O" ring is sealing as the snaps are fastened because the "O" ring will show a blacker compression area around the entire face of the housing if properly sealed. Housing "O" Rings: The port "O" ring of our SLR housings will need a very slight film of lubricant to assure proper installation, but we recommend no lubricant on most of our housing "O" rings. Please note that some lubricants may cause the Ikelite "O" rings to soften and swell in size. A good quality silicone grease should be fine, or use genuine Ikelite lubricant to be sure. The lubricant may be used to clean the "O" rings, but most of it should then be wiped off. Be careful to not stretch the "O" ring while pulling it between your fingers when cleaning. Housing Controls: Check the knob set screws occasionally to be sure they are tight, but do not over tighten. A very light film of lubricant should be placed on the shafts every few dives or every week of a vacation, then rotate the shaft while moving it in and out in the gland. Controls that do not provide in and out movement will require removal of the shaft to lubricate, but this is usually required only every 50 to 100 dives. The control definitely should be serviced if a shaft does not turn freely. Quad-Seal Ikelite camera controls are famous for their dependability, require very little maintenance, and have a negligible chance of failure. Our flashlights, SubStrobes, the AquaShot and Auto 35 utilize special Quad-Sealed shafts that usually do not require lubrication or maintenance. Housing Body: Never use any spray lubricant around the housings. These lubricants contain a chemical that will cause stress cracking of the plastic. Cleaners made for plastic may be used, but a fresh water rinse is usually sufficient.