How to Lubricate Your ULTRAcompact Housing O-Ring [VIDEO]

By Steve Johnson

Maintaining the o-ring on your ultra compact underwater housing is simple and takes just a few seconds once you get the hang of it. This advice applies to any of our popular ULTRAcompact series housings which are distinguished by a hinged design with a single locking latch on the left side, including the popular Olympus Tough TG-6 series.
 

 
Our ultra compact housings have a hinged design with a single lid snap on the left side. Unlock and gently push the lid snap forward until the back of the housing separates slightly from the front.

Warnings

The o-ring is captured in a groove around the back of the housing. I don’t recommend removing the o-ring from the groove unless you’re going to replace the o-ring or put the housing away in storage. Every time you take the o-ring on and off you risk stretching it, twisting it, or introducing dirt and hair into the o-ring groove. Replace your main o-ring once a year or if it becomes damaged. 

Lubricating the O-ring

Lubricate the o-ring very lightly every time you open and close the housing. It’s important to use only Ikelite brand lubricant. Not all silicone lubricants are the same chemically.  Using an incompatible lubricant can cause a wide variety of problems from leaking to broken o-rings or a cracked housing. 

Lubricating your o-ring is the last thing you do after installing your camera in the housing and before closing it up.

Check that your o-ring and sealing surface are clean. Place a very small amount of Ikelite brand lubricant on your forefinger and run it around the visible surface of the o-ring. You shouldn’t be able to see the lubricant on your o-ring. The o-ring should look black and shiny. Run the excess lubricant around the sealing surface on the inside front of the housing. Close the housing and check that the lid snap locks. 

Long Term Storage

At the end of your trip, clean the housing thoroughly in fresh water. Remove the o-ring and place it inside of the housing for long term storage. You can also put your lubricant inside of a plastic bag and stick it in the housing for safe keeping. 

That's It!

If you have any questions about using or maintaining your Ikelite housing email us via ikelite@ikelite.com. Happy shooting!

 

Steve Johnson has been a team member with Ikelite for 28 years. In that time he's worked within almost every aspect of the company but has mainly focused on the service department. Outside of work you can catch Steve scuba diving, snorkeling, spending time with family and his chocolate lab rescue Maplesugar.  

 

 

Additional Reading

Beach Photography with the Olympus TG-6 and Fisheye Lens

Wide Angle Fisheye to Macro on the Same Dive with the Olympus Tough TG-6

The Secret to Underwater Photography with Olympus and Panasonic Cameras [VIDEO]

5 Situations Where You Need a Strobe Underwater [VIDEO]

Why You Need a Fisheye Lens Underwater