What provides water seal connection?

• A. lantern rings
• B. packing glands
• C. o-rings
• D. grommets

Answer: (A)

Water seal connections in a shaft packing arrangement are provided by the lantern rings. These rings sit between packing sections inside the stuffing box and create channels that allow water to be introduced to the packing around the rotating shaft. The circulating water cools the packing and forms a seal to minimize leakage as the shaft spins. The packing gland simply holds the packing and lantern rings in place; it doesn’t supply the water seal by itself. O-rings and grommets aren’t used to establish this water-seal path in a typical packing arrangement: o-rings seal joints, and grommets are protective sleeves, not the water-sealing element in the packing system.