I have a dozen or so sets of 2" aluminum watertight enclosure tubes, o-ring flanges, and end caps - the older ones without the locking sleeves. Our systems are designed that we remove the entire o-ring flange/end cap assembly as one piece.
The problem is, it’s incredibly difficult to pry the o-ring flange out of the tube. I can get it out fine with a flathead screwdriver, but it tears up the anodizing. Any spudger I’ve tried to source/build thus far has just broken apart. And yes, I’m always sure to remove the enclosure vent cap. I’ve also tried adding an extra (light) layer of o-ring grease to the inside of the tube - no difference.
I’m just wondering if anyone else has had this experience and what they did to remedy it. I suspect the difficulty in removing the flange partially contributed to the recent redesign - but these are the one’s I’ve got. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!
If you continue with a flathead screwdriver it may be worth getting one that’s intended for electricians, because the anodisation can round the corners slightly, and from a hardness perspective is also less likely to scratch the similarly anodised surface of the flange.
Depending on what (if anything) is attached to the flange, it may also be possible to reduce the static friction by rotating the flange slightly side to side while pulling it out.
Indeed. The cast acrylic tubes have reasonably significant diameter variations that make it challenging to use the same seal components and achieve a similar level of seal across the range. Some will inevitably be quite loose and easy to pull off, whereas others end up very tight.
The machined ends in the new locking enclosure design tightens the tolerance to ensure a more consistent seal and amount of movement resistance from the seal compression.
