Replacing slide valve gaskets

Thank you all for your input.Sorry I confused some by using the term "O" ring.Should have known better.

mtrumpet wrote:
OK. I spoke to someone at Valterra Products. (They were very nice.) It turns out that the gaskets are actually made from SANTOPRENE rubber. In basic terms, Santoprene is basically like a combination of EPDM rubber and Polypropylene. Valterra Products recommends the use of SILICONE LUBRICANT for these gaskets. I agree.

Incidently, these seals are in fact not o-rings, but rather special seals made for that valve.

Here's a link to their website if anyone is interested...
Valterra Products, Inc.

When the seal isn't a "O" ring then I'd go with the manufacturers recommended lube.

"O" rings are buna N

Vaseline is a petrochemical.

OK. I spoke to someone at Valterra Products. (They were very nice.) It turns out that the gaskets are actually made from SANTOPRENE rubber. In basic terms, Santoprene is basically like a combination of EPDM rubber and Polypropylene. Valterra Products recommends the use of SILICONE LUBRICANT for these gaskets. I agree.

Incidently, these seals are in fact not o-rings, but rather special seals made for that valve.

Here's a link to their website if anyone is interested...
Valterra Products, Inc.

I've found the company that makes (most) of these waste valves is Valterra Products. I've sent them an email asking the question. We'll see if they come back with an answer.

pkunk wrote:

mtrumpet wrote:

pkunk wrote:
'O' rings are not rubber and Vaseline will not hurt them.

Whaatt?? O-rings are not rubber?? Ooops, someone must've forgot to tell me. I've been designing O-rings and other seals (for Hydraulics and Pneumatics applications) for 30 years now. O-rings ARE in fact RUBBER. Unless they are of a special rubber compound used for special applications (i.e. EPDM rubber) Vaseline will not hurt them.

Sorry-wasn't thinking that Buna N 'O' rings were rubber. What I tried to convey was Buna N (most 'O' rings)is OK with petroleum products.

Yep. That's correct pkunk.

Does anyone know off hand who the manufacturer of those valves is? I'd like to get a hold of them and ask directly as to what those seals are in fact made from. Even if they are not o-ring seals, I have to assume that they're still made from common nitrile rubber, but I'm curious to know (as I'm sure everyone else here might be) for sure. If I can speak to someone on engineered or technical, I might be able to speak "rubber language" a get a more concise answer rather than just "rubber".

mtrumpet wrote:

pkunk wrote:
'O' rings are not rubber and Vaseline will not hurt them.

Whaatt?? O-rings are not rubber?? Ooops, someone must've forgot to tell me. I've been designing O-rings and other seals (for Hydraulics and Pneumatics applications) for 30 years now. O-rings ARE in fact RUBBER. Unless they are of a special rubber compound used for special applications (i.e. EPDM rubber) Vaseline will not hurt them.

Sorry-wasn't thinking that Buna N 'O' rings were rubber. What I tried to convey was Buna N (most 'O' rings)is OK with petroleum products.

Tom/Barb wrote:

Big Katuna wrote:
Vaseline is a petroleum product and will damage the seals.

You should use silicone grease available at swimming pool supply store.

We in the aviation industry use "Parker "0" ring" lube, that is produced by Parker Hanflin corp. they manufacture about 99% of all "O" rings used in all applications, and it is Vaseline.

That's interesting and thanks for sharing but toilet slide seals are not O rings.
I don't know if they EPDM or nitrile or what but I KNOW silicone lube will not hurt them and Vaseline might, depending on what they are made from.

pkunk wrote:
'O' rings are not rubber and Vaseline will not hurt them.

Whaatt?? O-rings are not rubber?? Ooops, someone must've forgot to tell me. I've been designing O-rings and other seals (for Hydraulics and Pneumatics applications) for 30 years now. O-rings ARE in fact RUBBER. Unless they are of a special rubber compound used for special applications (i.e. EPDM rubber) Vaseline will not hurt them.

'O' rings are not rubber and Vaseline will not hurt them.

Big Katuna wrote:
Vaseline is a petroleum product and will damage the seals.

You should use silicone grease available at swimming pool supply store.

We in the aviation industry use "Parker "0" ring" lube, that is produced by Parker Hanflin corp. they manufacture about 99% of all "O" rings used in all applications, and it is Vaseline.