Where to Expect Water to Infiltrate Enclosure

Blue Robotics Products Watertight Enclosures
1

Hello!

I am assembling my first enclosure (locking series) with an acrylic dome on one end and aluminum endcap on the other, with some M10 holes.

I noticed during a basic test that small bubbles were emanating from the groove where the locking cord sits. After removing the enclosure from the water and disassembling the endcaps, I found there was water in that groove, which I think makes sense because it’s not sealed and I don’t believe the locking cord is supposed to deform the way an o-ring does.

Nonetheless, it was a little worrisome to see water “in” the enclosure. There are two o-rings below the locking cord’s groove to seal the canister, so I don’t think it’s problematic, but I was wondering if there is anywhere else I might expect to see water that is okay e.g. where the plastic ring that secures the dome actually meets the dome.

I read the installation guide to see if it’s mentioned and didn’t find anything, and I didn’t see any forum posts about it, but both of these things could be explained by it being such an obvious/simple phenomenon that no one else thought twice about it!

Anyway, apologies if this is too basic a question for the forum - I’m just happy to be here (and have an enclosure).

2

Hi @patbot, welcome to the forum, and thanks for sharing your experience! :slight_smile:

It perhaps makes more sense to think of seals in terms of “the safe region” and “everything else”. If water gets past an o-ring then there’s cause for concern, especially if it gets in to where the electronics are. Anywhere else is somewhere water’s expected to be (and sometimes even helpful - like our flooded thruster designs which use the water to help cool the motors).

Water would indeed be fine there as well. Worth noting that if there’s a drop of water on the edge of the retaining ring, then lifting the retaining ring could “suck” the water in to that surface (via capillary action) too, so sometimes water is only somewhere you’re looking because you’re looking there.

Everyone starts somewhere, and often there’s at least someone else out there wondering the same thing - even if that’s at some point in the future. You’re more than welcome to ask questions here - hopefully the community can help answer them, and perhaps someday you’ll be answering such questions yourself! :slight_smile: