So according to the company you should change your rings out yearly.. They are easy enough to get, just order them in for your size, they come with a new pressure plug as well. Most home hardware stores will order them in for you. Canadian Tire will locally for me and of course you can get them direct from the company itself off amazon.
Farmgal Tip of the Day
Keep as many extra’s as you have canners in storage. This way in the middle of canning season you will not be caught short waiting for something to arrive when you need it NOW!
Ok so I have to give a warning on this.. the canning police are going to hate me for what I am about to tell you..
This is my 8 Year old pressure canning ring and its just getting changed out for the first time since I got this pressure canner.
I am a big waste not, want not kind of gal, why should I change out something that is working perfectly fine. I use a weight on my pressure canners, I know they are holding pressure, I know that the food it safely canned
On my last canning with this canner, I noticed it didn’t come up to pressure quite as fast as normal, I pretty much have this down, so I did wonder if the stove was acting up but it came up to pressure and I locked it in.. it rocked but not perfectly.. or I should say, it rocked but not perfectly for what I KNOW and so I was really now giving it the eye and I started checking and sure enough.. there on the one spot was a tiny droplet of water coming out and down the side..
Now I have to admit that I was worried about it, but the pressure was holding and I was doing a fast 25 min canning load, so I let it run its course. However I knew it was time to order in new rings because 2 is 1 and 1 is none!
I had someone once says to me, you must not do much canning if your rings last a long time, haha.. I can about 1200 to 1500 jars a year and at least half of them are pressure canned, with the rest being water bathed. Even if you want to round that up to 600 jars, that’s around 33 loads a year. I think most folks will agree that is putting my pressure canner a good run for the money each year. That means on average.. this ring has done around 264 loads over its 8 year run!
I do have a few things I always do, I do add a tiny bit of vinegar to the water (I use it to help with minerals in the water) but just as important in case of fat, it cuts it as well, this is very important in terms of gumming things up.
I always check this by holding it up to see the light though it and if I think there is anything at all, I will run a toothpick though it a few times and then blow though it and check it again.
I take the ring out and wash it, and I wash the lid but then I always put the ring back into the lid, if its longer term storage, it can get a light oiling but most of the time I use it enough that I don’t do anything other then give it a good wash/rinse (I always rinse this) and air dry it and in it goes.
If your canner will not hold pressure, clearly at that point you need to stop, let it finish coming down and then put in your new one and redo your batch. I was lucky that my ring gave me a warning that it was done but it didn’t fail per say.
So tell me, do you change yours yearly? Do you keep a spare or two? Do you keep using yours until it needs to be replaced and if so, what was the longest you got out of a ring?
or are you one of those lucky ones that spent the extra money and got the all American and rings are not a issue for you 🙂
Just another Day on the Farm 
I purchased my Presto canner used at a flea market about 5 years ago. I have no idea how oldd the ring was, but it did need changing after 2 years. When I began my 3rd year of canning, the canner would not come up to pressure and there was steam/water leaking from under the lid. It took my local Home Hardware 3 weeks to get me a new ring while fresh produce from the garden died in the fridge…lesson learned! I now keep 1 spare on hand and plan on changing it ONLY when it no longer does its job. I do have to raise a question though…how long can a spare ring last in storage?
That’s a really good point and I will go back and add that it took me 2 weeks to get the replacement which in main canning season is a long time indeed. I have had one in storage for 7 years give or take and have had no issues with it so far, I have one gotten at the same time for the my second canner and so depending on how long it lasts, I will see.. I think as long as it still in the box and in the plastic bag inside the box that it should last a very long time under normal pantry conditions, cool, dark and dry.
Ah yes – I well remember my first mother in law having to drive down across the line to buy a new ring every few years – not sure if she had an obscure brand of canner or what. I have two all American canners, love them and never lend them out. The first thing I did when I bought each – order extra pressure plugs, and an extra gauge (I go by the weight of course, but thought if a gauge went haywire I should have an extra). I like that all American has been around a long time, they don’t need rings, any part is readily available….and should you drop or otherwise wonder if you’ve damaged it – you can send it directly to them and they will test it for you. They are however, very spendy. But – if one does as much canning as you and I do – well worth it. 😊
The simple answer is … when they don’t work anymore. 😀
lol