Locating rubber o rings

rwoofer

rwoofer

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 Apr 2003
Messages
3,355
Location
Surrey
Visit site
Following on from an earlier post about trying to get my plastimo watertanks leak-free, the consensus was that new O-rings were needed. Went to a B&Q warehouse and have searched the PlumbCentre, Screwfix and RS components sites and cannot find a ring the right size. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Also it was suggested that Vaseline should be used to help the rings bed in. I thought petroleum products eat rubber or is vaseline different?

Thx
 
Last summer I bought a selection of rubber O rings from Tracy Tools in Dartmouth. I mended my boat's water tank filler and a plastic drinking water bottle with two of them. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif They also sell mail order.

Edit - Just seen that they are now in Torquay.
 
A decent indepenent harware store may be a better bet than the places you've considered but I expect the rings you want will be larger than they are likely to stock.

A bearing stockist possibly.

RS used to stock the cord so that you could make your own. I dont know if they still do but thats where my O ring making kit came from.

They are made of a synthetic rubber, eg nitrile, so are not affected by mineral oils etc
 
I seem to remember being told that a local bearing shop (in SE London) could make up O rings to any required size. They had rolls of round rubber that is cut to length and glued with Super glue. It could be worth a search for bearing suppliers in you area and asking them about it. Can you get larger O rings than you want? If so you could try cutting one and gluing with super glue.
You are probably better off using silicon grease, available from a plumbers shop rather than Vaseline.
 
Since you are local, DAY's (Buildbase or some similar stupid new name) at Burfields Road near Anchorage Park have a huge range of 'O' rings on the shelf in pre-packs. As it's a static application you could also just make your own.....the cord is available from various suppliers including RS. You just join the ends with a dab of super glue.

(personally though and speaking from experience I'd just give up on the Plastimo tanks /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif )

Vic
 
[ QUOTE ]
A decent indepenent harware store may be a better bet

[/ QUOTE ]

Only too true! Had a leak on an injector feed pipe at the pump end. Walked to the nearest BUKH agent to get an 'O' Ring. "Oh no!, try a diesel specialist".

Returned to Emsworth and went to Winnicots (sorry, Emsworth Home Hardware!). Job done, 15p ).

Vic
 
Better still, forget the o rings and fit flat rubber etc, washers, its what I uded on my last tank, and had no leaks until I eventually binned it as its liner was breaking up.
 
Just get new o rings from Vetus. They supply them as spares. And vaseline does work as I have used it on mine following experience in using it on my home brew barrels! The o ring is in a groove so a flat washer will not work. I think the lack of seal comes from the ring distorting as you screw the cap up, which is why new rings held firmly in place works. Mine have been fine for many years.
 
Have loads in stock - PM me with the size - [I.D. x cross section] and I'll have a look.

And no, most O-Rings are Nitrile and therefore oil/petroleum resistant so vaseline would be fine to lubricate them.

Paul.
 
Do you have a "Local" BSL bearing supplier (Yellow page job) take the rings to them and they will make them up if not a standard size, in fact I have recently had a poly V belt made to my length and only cost £12,which I thought was reasonable. Good hunting.
 
Make sure the size range is the same.

There I was smugly advising about O rings. Got up to the boat today and there is water under the sole plates.

Got to find out where that is coming from. Was it there at and of season? my wife says not. Boat high and dry on trailer in barn now and all winter. Tanks were thought to have been empty but collected 2 or 3 pints. hmmmm.
 
Thanks for the responses. Will pop into Screwfix tomorrow to get the O-ring pack (the reason I couldn't find this was that it was under motoring accessories, rather than plumbing, where all the other o rings are). If that one doesn't work, then I'll try the other options.

Interesting that so many other people have problems sealing plastimo water tanks. Given how hard it is to seal them properly it almost feels like a design fault.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top