CAPSEAL 101 | What Capseal Will Match My Drum?

CAPSEAL    /kap/ /’sē(ǝ)l

If you look up the word “capseal” in Webster’s Dictionary you’ll find…nothing.  

Luckily for you, you looked it up at BASCO, and you’ll find…everything. Everything you need to know about protecting the integrity of your product in drums is right here – the biggest selection of products and over seventy years of product knowledge that will help you get it right.

A Capseal Serves Two Important Functions:

First, it’s a CAP that prevents water and dirt from collecting in the actual drum closure, which could contaminate the contents as the drum is opened. Second, and most important, it’s a SEAL that provides tamper-EVIDENCE, rather than tamper-PROOFNESS. Nothing will absolutely keep a determined person out of your drum; the right capseal will discourage tampering and give a positive indication if it occurred. Every drum type from 55 gallon salvage drums to plastic drums to 8 gallon drums to 20 gallon drums to 30 gallon drums.

Capseals can all be beautifully decorated with your company’s logo or product information, even serial and batch numbers if you’d like.

OK, let’s get started. WHAT KIND OF DRUM? WHAT KIND OF CLOSURE?

Steel drums are equipped with either steel or plastic closures (plugs or “bungs”). These plugs come in two basic styles and a couple of flavors:  round head steel and plastic, or hex-head steel and plastic.

CLOSURES ON STEEL DRUMS take a crimp-on capseal, either steel, aluminum, or polyethylene with an aluminum crimping ring:

Steel capseals are strong and tough, but a little more difficult to remove; the poly and aluminum ones are a bit easier to install and remove.

For each of these seals, you’ll need the proper crimping tool (they’re different for steel and plastic capseals). And if your drum has both 2” and ¾” closures, you’ll need a crimping tool for each size.

These all polyethylene seals install on steel drums without tools and provide good tamper evidence. The one on the left fits round-head closures, the one on the right is a similar design that fits hex-head closures.

There are also “snap-on” plastic caps for say 55 gallon stainless steel drums that look like capseals and easily install, but just as easily removable and can be replaced without a trace.

So, they’re not really “seals”, more like dust caps. If that’s all you need, no problem. BASCO has those too.

CLOSURES FOR PLASTIC DRUMS are all “round head.”

Some have standard pipe threads, others have coarse “buttress” threads. They all take the same style of capseals:

These crimp-on polyethylene seals will also install on SOME plastic drums. Once again, you’ll need the proper crimping tool. The snap-on seal (near right) works with Mauser plastic drums.

But the Ultimate Capseal for plastic drums is our exclusive universal RightSeal ™ Plastic Capseal.

It fits almost every plastic drum currently made. It locks onto the drum deep under the cap and the segmented skirt resists tampering and gives positive indication if it’s been messed with. Check with your BASCO Customer Service Person for the details.

Some types of drums don’t have any provision for using capseals. Open-head drums with no bung openings? No problem. BASCO has everything you need to help ensure the integrity of EVERY kind of drum, pail, can, bottle, or intermediate bulk container.  Just call us at 1-800-PRO-DRUM.