Ah, the O-Ring.
It’s simple, it’s extremely effective, and, in a pinch (of forgetfulness), you are almost guaranteed to ask for it by name.
And we at Gorilla Gasket, unsurprisingly, are huge fans of them.
In fact, you can find O-rings here produced in almost every single material that we use!
The O-ring is truly a case of the saying that “less is more”. With applications in more ways and in more machines than you could even dream of, O-rings help keep our world moving forward. They’re really underappreciated for how much of the load they carry in the gasket community.
If you’ve ever seen an O-ring lying around, though, you might have been underwhelmed. We’ll forgive you for it this time. Like a diamond in a lump of coal, it’s difficult to see just how powerful the O-ring is when it’s taken out of context.
But that’s why we’re here today to set that record straight—and to tell you about the 6 “O”s in the word “O-Ring”.
Now before you jump down our throats, let us be perfectly clear: We not only know about gaskets, but we also know how to spell. Just hear us out!
Because there’s no set definition of what the “O” in O-Ring stands for, we thought that we’d take a crack at filling in the rest. Any of these “O”s could easily stand for everything that the O-ring is and does.
So without further ado, here are 6 “O” words that, in our opinion, describe the O-Ring to a T.
(Or, we suppose, to an “O”!)
- Old
The concept of the O-ring has been around for quite a long time—in fact, according to Wikipedia , the first patent for the O-ring was filed in 1896 by Swedish inventor J. O. Lundberg. In 1937, the US caught on to the trend. That means that O-rings have been sealing machines and regulating their functions for almost a century!
As always, we want to make it super clear—we’re talking about the age of the concept, not the age of your gaskets at home. If you think that your gaskets are starting to wear out on your home or office appliances, you should replace them ASAP.
(For more information on replacing your old gaskets, check out this blog post—in fact, you’ll see right at the top what an old, worn-out O-ring looks like versus a new, effective one.)
- Optimized
As we mentioned at the outset, the O-ring is simple in design, but multifaceted in its function. O-rings can be found in not only hot and cold applications, but working with liquids and gasses. On top of that, O-rings are used in both static (non-moving) and dynamic (moving) machine applications.
That is a seriously useful little O. O-rings are optimized—they’re perfectly designed and functional, just the way they are.
Though the traditional O-rings were typically made out of rubber, today they are found and manufactured in any number of materials. Let’s talk about your project, equipment, and budget today, and we here at Gorilla Gasket will be sure to find the O-ring that will best suit your needs.
- Operational
It might seem that the O-ring, with its simplistic design and complete overload of uses, would be difficult to install and use—but that couldn’t be farther from the truth! That’s why we’ve chosen “Operational” for our next “O”.
There are many instances of O-ring applications where you can replace the O-ring yourself! In fact, you’ve probably even done it once or twice without even realizing it.
That being said, if you feel uncomfortable with your technical knowledge, or you would just like a little reassurance, feel free to call us—we’re more than happy to walk you through the process.
- Obligatory
Go on, admit it—there’s been at least one situation where you tried to get by without an O-ring, even though you knew that you needed one. And how did that work out for you?
Not great, we bet.
O-rings are obligatory because they create an important and necessary seal within your appliance, ensuring that whatever is meant to run through your machine really stays put.
Going at it without an O-ring is a no-go. In some cases, this is just a question of a big energy bill or a big mess. In other scenarios, you’ve got a potentially dangerous situation on your hands.
So don’t try to cut corners with O-rings! (To be honest, seeing as the O-ring doesn’t HAVE any corners, it’d be pretty difficult anyway.)
- Obtainable
You’d think that such a marvelous little piece of not-so-modern machinery, with all of its incredible uses, would be difficult to get your hands on.
Not so, my friend.
Here at Gorilla Gasket we not only have a variety of O-rings on hand, but we are more than ready to create any type of custom O-rings that your project needs. And If trouble strikes unexpectedly, we can also help with our emergency gasket services.
Our inventory of O-ring does vary in price depending on size and material, but it’s more than likely that your O-ring wants and needs have multiple solutions. We’ll find which one works best for your budget.
- Out-of-this-World
Okay, so maybe we’re being a little sentimental here, but we’re pretty sure that O-rings could easily be classified as out-of-this-world. If you’re still not convinced, take a look around your house or office and just try to count the number of O-rings you’re currently using. We bet you’ll be surprised.
It’s amazing that such a seemingly low-tech tool could be so universally useful, resistant, and just so perfectly functional in what it does, but that’s the O-ring for you!
We’ve been at the gasket game for quite some time, and yet even we are surprised from time to time with how many O-rings our clients want for both their personal and professional needs.
Lucky for you guys, though, you’ve come to the right place.
Gorilla Gasket
1012 N 1st St
Artesia, NM 88210
(575) 336-1446
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