Common Gasket Installation Mistakes (and How to Prevent Them)

According to the Fluid Sealing Association (FSA), 85% of gasket failures stem from improper installation. While we provide custom, high-quality gaskets ideal for your facility’s applications, proper installation is a must to ensure reliable performance.

Learn about the most common gasket installation mistakes and how to prevent them to ensure installation is done right the first time, every time.

Mistake #1:  Failure to Check for Damaged Parts

If the installation did not begin by checking for damaged or warped parts, then be warned, big problems may lie ahead! Take the time to thoroughly inspect all components of the equipment required for installation. For example, large nicks, deformations and other major surface imperfections in the flange will wear out even the best gasket, so that would need to be resurfaced or replaced before installation.

Mistake #2: Neglecting to Properly Clean Surfaces

Before installing a new gasket, it’s important to clean mating faces and bolt holes to remove any old gasket material, oils, residue, dirt, etc. Failure to do this can lead to improper torque and expensive leaks. When it comes to gaskets, the cleaner the surface the better.

 Mistake #3: Improper Tightening of Bolts and Fasteners

Bolts and fasteners require a correct sequence when being tightened, which is in opposite pairs. For example, top/bottom then left/right. We recommend tightening the bolts in at least three tightening passes, increasing bolt torque gradually with each pass to achieve an optimal seal.

Mistake #4: Reusing Old Gaskets or Bolts

As surprising as it seems, this does happen. Old gaskets and bolts are unreliable. Do yourself a favor and avoid any temptation to reuse, therefore potentially saving your facility thousands.

Mistake #5: Not Knowing Flange Load Requirements

Gaskets require sufficient flange pressure to compress and form a tight seal. This “y” factor or minimum seating stress would ideally be even, but in reality, pressure is highest near bolts and lowest between them. Make sure to account for this uneven distribution to ensure reliable sealing performance.

Have More Questions About Gasket Installation?

If so, we’d love to answer them for you!  Contact the team at Expert Gasket & Seal and we’ll help you find the best gasket solution for your application and provide you with the information needed for a successful installation!

Spliced / vulcanized joint O-rings are often used in static seal applications, most commonly as face seals.  Spliced / vulcanized O-rings are fabricated from extruded rubber cord and are available in several popular compounds such as Nitrile, EPDM, Viton©, and Silicone. To create a spliced and vulcanized o-rings, a strong joint is made using a liquid form of uncured compound to adhere the two ends under heat and pressure in a mold.  An example of a typical face seal that may use this type of o-ring is a tank lid where an O-ring groove is either in the lid or the mating tank surface.

Spliced / vulcanized O-rings don’t require large minimum orders or tooling for common cross-sections.   We can provide nearly any diameter from standard inch and metric cross-sections in the previously noted compounds.

Custom sizes, a variety of compounds, and low cost make a spliced / vulcanized O-rings a great solution for a number of different static seal applications.

Please contact Expert Gasket & Seal for assistance with your application details and let us provide a proper sealing solution.

Microcellular Polyurethane foam is an excellent gasket material for low squeeze applications where conformability is necessary.  A typical application is a rectangular electrical enclosure that may have only four mounting points in its corners.  Microcellular Polyurethanes such as Poron® will conform to an electrical box’s uneven sheet metal or plastic surfaces with the typical low squeeze applied by the box’s fasteners.  Microcellular Polyurethanes’ extremely low compression set and quick return to its original thickness is also a perfect choice for applications such as door seals with variable gasket loading.

Microcellular Polyurethanes should be considered for any dust, moisture, or environmental seal that has challenging conditions such as low and variable loading and requires a positive seal over the life of the product.

Please contact Expert Gasket & Seal to discuss your application and find the best sealing solution using Microcellular Polyurethane gasket materials.

When choosing the gasket thickness for compressed materials,  remember that thinner is better.  Most compressed sheet gasketing sealing values are based on 1/16” thickness.  Thicker materials require a greater compressive force to seal and have lower pressure ratings. The use of 1/16” thick gaskets will provide better sealing with lower bolt loading than 1/8” thick gaskets.  Thinner is better! 

Many rubber materials claim to be Viton^®, but are generic fluoroelastomers, or blends of other compounds with some Viton^®. Blends generally have lower fluorine content and will not withstand exposure to many fluids and elevated temperatures the same way as genuine Viton®. All of the Viton® gaskets and sheet goods we provide are 100% Chemours Viton^®. Count on Expert Gasket & Seal to provide the proper grade of genuine Viton® for your severe sealing application.

Durlon 9000 will seal better than Virgin Teflon® (PTFE) in typical flange gasket service.  This is due to its construction, combining inorganic fillers with pure PTFE resins.  The result is a PTFE material that does not cold flow, yet retains the inert properties of Virgin PTFE.

Durlon 9000 is also easier to fabricate than Virgin PTFE, can be factory welded into large single piece gaskets, and is excellent for chemical, FDA, and pharmaceutical environments.

Please ask us about improving your Virgin PTFE application using Durlon 9000.

Spiral wound metallic gaskets used on standard ANSI pipe flanges are color coded on the OD edge to identify their winding & filler materials.  The most common is a yellow painted edge with a pink stripe.  This signifies a 304 stainless steel winding and Mica-Graphite filler.

Another common winding is 316 stainless steel with a flexible graphite filler.  Its color code is a green painted edge with a gray stripe.  There are many others spiral wound gasket color codes.   Please contact us for a color code chart that identifies the various combinations.

Rubber hardness is expressed on the Shore A scale, and is measured with a durometer. The number may be specified as “60 Shore A”, or commonly as “60 durometer”. The number, itself, signifies the relative hardness within the A scale. Typically, the hardness of calendered rubber sheet ranges from 40A (soft) to 90A (very hard) in 10 point increments. Hardnesses below 40A are also available, though these sheets might be molded rather than calendered.

The most common rubber gasket hardness for Neoprene, Nitrile, and EPDM compounds fabricated from sheet is 60A, though softer and harder grades are also available. Red SBR (red rubber) is generally 75-80A, and Viton is typically 75A. Molded rubber products are available in hardnesses from 20A to 90A. O-ring hardness is usually 70A and, as with all rubber products, options are available.

All hardnesses have a tolerance of +/- 5 points. This means a 70A rubber can measure 65A, and a 60A rubber can also measure 65A; both would be acceptable. Because of the tolerance, it might be advisable to consider at least 20 point changes when testing the effect of particular hardnesses.

Please contact Expert Gasket & Seal with questions regarding rubber hardness for your rubber gasket, rubber seals, or rubber o-ring applications.

FDA rubber gaskets are fabricated from rubber sheet that is made from FDA approved ingredients in compliance with Title 21CFR177.2600.  The gaskets, and the sheet from which they are made are not FDA approved – it is the ingredients used to produce the sheet that meet the requirements of Title CFR177.2600.  This regulation for rubber materials includes many compounds, such as Nitrile, Neoprene, Viton, Silicone, and others.  FDA gaskets are required in applications where the gasket comes in contact with food products.

Expert Gasket & Seal stocks FDA Nitrile & FDA Silicone in several thicknesses and can provide FDA rubber gaskets from other compounds as well.  Expert Gasket & Seal also provides non-rubber FDA gaskets from Teflon® and PTFE based materials such as Durlon 9000 & Durlon 9600.  Please contact us for assistance with your FDA application.

Handhole and Manhole gaskets for boilers are typically found in two shapes. Elliptical gaskets are an oval shape with a continuous curve and no straight sides. Obround gaskets have radius ends with parallel straight sides. Boiler gaskets are available in a number of materials. The most common rubber gasket is EPDM, suitable for hot water and steam up to 380º F. Expert Gasket & Seal provides EPDM Handhole and Manhole gaskets die-cut and molded in a variety of sizes.

Boiler Handhole and Manhole gaskets are also available in wire-inserted and plain woven fiberglass coated with a white SBR rubber for service up to 500º F. Also available are Spiral wound metallic gaskets that are used for higher temperature and pressure applications. These are provided in a wide range of metal and filler combinations; the most common are 304 stainless with a mica-graphite filler and 316 stainless with a Grafoil® filler.

Handhole and Manhole gaskets are specified by their inside length x width x flange width x thickness. Please contact Expert Gasket & Seal for assistance in choosing the correct Handhole and Manhole gasket for your boiler application.