Pro tip: An old welding inspector changed how I check seals

Had a chat last week with a guy who's been doing offshore inspections since the 80s. He told me he never trusts a visual seal check alone after he saw a failed bell seal on a job near Corpus Christi back in 2019. Instead he runs a gloved hand over the whole mating surface before every dive, looking for any tiny nick or grain of sand. I tried it on my last three dives and caught a small piece of debris I would have missed on the gasket. Cost me an extra 2 minutes per dive but saved me from a potential leak 90 feet down. Has anyone else used a similar trick for checking O-rings or seals before a hit?

2 comments

2 Comments

vera_murphy28d ago

Oh man that gum trick is wild! I love hearing how old timers come up with stuff like that. Makes me think of this one guy I worked with who swore by licking his finger and running it along the seal to feel for any tiny bumps or rough spots. Said his spit was more sensitive than any glove. I never tried that one myself but I can see the logic. The glove trick is golden though, I started doing it a few months ago after a buddy told me about it and it's saved me twice already from what looked like a clean seal. Little stuff like that makes all the difference when you're 90 feet down.

ben66229d ago

I had a welder up in Alaska tell me he used to chew a piece of gum and stick it on the seal to find tiny leaks, because the gum would bubble if there was air pushing through. Still think I'll stick with the glove trick for now though.