O Ring groove for flanges

[Chin_Lee]

QUESTION:

For those people who use O rings for flanges, do you router a groove into the flanges or do you just sit the O ring on the inside of the screws and tighten?
Second question - where can I find 6-7" O rings?

CWLee

[Canadian Man]

on my 6" diamater reactor I did not use any groove for the oring on the flange. I can confidently say that most of the people that have built a reactor on this board and talked about it and are not lurkers :P have not used a groove as well.
I just looked up orings in the yellow pages and mesured the size I needed and went to get it and I got 2 for free. I guess it was too much work to write up the paper work for 2 orings

[Aquattro]

Chin-Wee, you do not need a groove routed around the flange. How many do you need? I may have a couple of spares I can bring Monday.

[Tau2301]

If I remember correctly, EmilyB has a piece of art :?: (so I am told) that has a lot of 6" or 7" Orings on it.

[EmilyB]

These o-rings are special, and cost 16.67 each......

[Tau2301]

Looks like the groves were made by a router.

Sorry to hi-jack this thread, but I coudn't resist a poke at modern art :?:

[StirCrazy]

I woulden't worry about groves.. if it was 100 PSI or higher I would say ya.. you need them but at the PSi skimmers and reactors operat at I think you are doing more harm in making your flange thiner..

Steve

[ldzielak]

Sorry Steve but you do need grooves if you have keyhole cut flanges. On my reactor, I had no luck with the supplied rubber gaskets, went to oring, then found under slight pressure, a small diameter oring will expand and pokes up the keyhole part and lets water escape right in your face. My solution was to use a very think oring, that would not expand. Most DIY will not have keyholes, so no worries.

Lee

[StirCrazy]

ahh theres the problem.. don't use Keyholes


Steve

[Canadian]

Steve, is this your reactor leaking or salt spray?