Leaky Plumbing

SoulFish · 02/04/2013, 12:18 PM

Hi guys,
I have a problem, I have connections that leak. I hired a aquarium installer to design and install my plumbing. He installed it, but it had 5 leaks. 2 of them he fixed with, Reef puddy, Superglue, and an acrylic weld glue.

One of the welded seams is still leaking, and another reducer and the collar on the pump is leaking.

My question is what is the best way to fix these leaks? Is there a preferred method for repairing these leaks? I was hoping the installer would fix them, but his position is that I need to pay more for him to come back out and fix it. I don;t want to get into a bashing session, I just need the tank fixed so I can use it. And I am by no means an expert on this.. thats why I hired someone who had a good reputation.

C Dog · 02/04/2013, 12:30 PM

Have him come back, cut the section out and replace whats leaking.

SoulFish · 02/04/2013, 01:08 PM

Thanks thats what I am thinking, unfortunatly the guys wants more $$$ just to fix what he installed, so looks like I;m either going to have to do it myself or I am going to have to pay 2xs for the same thing

C Dog · 02/04/2013, 01:19 PM

Please tell us which aquarium installer did this. He should not charge you to fix what he did. I would write a review on google if he has a website or is listed and warn every local reefer of him...... I hope he didnt charge a lot of $$$. PVC plumbing is very easy to do. You do have the cleanest/best looking sump ever!

TheKman · 02/04/2013, 01:23 PM

Wow, yeah the plumbing looks great and super clean looking.. but Fixing the leaks? You have a couple of options. If this were my leak, I would try and use some marine grade epoxy.. I'm not sure if that is what Reefpuddy is, but other then that you could cut the section of PVC out and redo it with primer/sealer should be fine from there..

Oh and send a small anonymous note to the BBB.. He'll get a clue.

username in use · 02/04/2013, 01:34 PM

Cut it out and redo it. He should stand behind his work.

Worst case scenario, if he charged you a lot, have someone else come and fix it, have them bill you and pay them. Then send a copy of the bill to this guy and tell him he has 30 days to pay you or you will pursue legal action.

Im not saying its worth pursuing legal action, just that it may get him to send you some cash.

SoulFish · 02/04/2013, 01:43 PM

He's affiliated with a good Tampa Bay LFS, I do not wish any bad posts on them. As a LFS they are great. I'm just put in a very awkward situation.

I did have a talk John at Tamp Aquarium Services, his thinking is the same as you guys, any puddy fix is a fail point and it needs to be cut out and redone. In his opinion the flaw was the installer did not use primer, and possibly the choice of glue. Both of which were the installers choice.

I'm just tired of having to pay for other peoples mistakes, this is not this is not the first time I have done this on this build. The 1st was on the cabinet. Just gets old and I do not have the money for building 2 tanks.

FYI John also recommended legal action, if the guy will not stand behind his work.

username in use · 02/04/2013, 01:51 PM

If he is affiliated with an actual store. That is where you need to go. I would speak with the owner of the store, tell him exactly what happened and how he refuses to fix his mistakes without more money.

If the owner of the store is worth his salt he will have someone else there to fix it fairly soon.

teo241 · 02/04/2013, 02:21 PM

It is his mistake, he is obligated to fix it. He should stand behind his work.

SoulFish · 02/04/2013, 02:24 PM

The issue is the store does not do "installs" it was just an employee. Unfortunately this is a place that I still would like to shop from. And I honestly do not wish any harm on this guy, or his livelyhood. I just wanted a good plumbing job, and my fault was believing that this guys was a stand up guy. I mean I've spent alot of time talking fish and corals with him and such... just wouldn't think he would have put me or himself in this position.

iced98lx · 02/04/2013, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoulFish

The issue is the store does not do "installs" it was just an employee. Unfortunately this is a place that I still would like to shop from. And I honestly do not wish any harm on this guy, or his livelyhood. I just wanted a good plumbing job, and my fault was believing that this guys was a stand up guy. I mean I've spent alot of time talking fish and corals with him and such... just wouldn't think he would have put me or himself in this position.

offer to go buy the new parts/pieces if he comes and installs it properly- a meet in the middle situation where he's only out his time if you want to keep the relationship up. But seriously, he should fix that for free.

username in use · 02/04/2013, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoulFish

The issue is the store does not do "installs" it was just an employee. Unfortunately this is a place that I still would like to shop from. And I honestly do not wish any harm on this guy, or his livelyhood. I just wanted a good plumbing job, and my fault was believing that this guys was a stand up guy. I mean I've spent alot of time talking fish and corals with him and such... just wouldn't think he would have put me or himself in this position.

Was he in the store when he offered to do the install or when you began discussing him doing the work?

I think the owner may be interested to know that this person is using his business as a way to drum up business for himself and then ultimately giving his LFS a bad name by association.

Id still call the owner.

billdogg · 02/04/2013, 02:58 PM

What he said^^^

The ONLY real fix for glued fittings that leak is to cut them out and redo them. IMHO, ANY installer would already know this and make it right asap. Anything less than that is just a band-aid and will (probably) fail in the future.

teo241 · 02/04/2013, 03:00 PM

Agreed. The work is beautiful, but it has to be functional. You want to be able to sleep at night and not worry about drips, or worse.

SoulFish · 02/04/2013, 03:28 PM

well fingers crossed I tried the meet in the middle option and he is ok with that. So hopefully he'll come and cut out all the patches and leaks and replace on Thursday.

blueramSeattle · 02/04/2013, 05:53 PM

That is some stunning work. You have a great designer at the very least.

"In his opinion the flaw was the installer did not use primer, and possibly the choice of glue. Both of which were the installers choice."

Yeah, that is a red flag and means that you will not be able to trust any weld on the pressure side.

grcforce327 · 02/04/2013, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grcforce327

Have him redo it! That putty looks like a$$!

Had to fix my post!lol

The setup looks great,but the leaks are unacceptable! I can't deal with people who don't stand behind their work! They need to be put down like a rabid dog!

SoulFish · 02/09/2013, 11:13 PM

Well the guy came back fixed all the leaky fittings, here's the tank today. Wasn't happy about paying more, but happy with the job he did the second time. And just glad it is running finally! This tank build has taken 2yrs, had to rebuild the entire house for it

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2216200

Well all leaks cut out and fixed, replaced one dead pump and away I went. Pumped out the freshwater emptied into drain in stand, then pumped in my entire saltwater bank tank to fill the display. Still needed a bit more, and already had the RO/DI filter out another 40 gallons, so pumped that in, added extra salt, then fine tuned the sump area and added more substrate. It's still clearing out but it's cycling now... now if Coralvue could just send me my dam skimmer, ordered it on Jan 14th! They keep telling me you'll get it in a couple days. So I'm now expecting it's arrival on Wed. Fingers crossed. Other than that the tank is ready to go.

Going down the street tomorrow to collect a couple dozen white hermit crabs to clean out the sand. They can clean out the tank for a couple weeks, then get turned back into the wild

Filling the tank up

Sand Settling out and clearing up

robs.mark · 02/10/2013, 03:19 AM

beautiful tank mate, ***** should have fixed his mistakes for free though. what sort of reef will it be?

SoulFish · 02/10/2013, 09:54 PM

Mixed, I like LPS, but gonna have alittle SPS too.

ingtar_shinowa · 02/10/2013, 10:06 PM

Wow you are alot nicer. I would have been livid. Google review and the Better Business Bureau. I can't beleive the LFS didn't get on him as well. It looks great though and I'm sure as you fill it you will nearly forget the bumpy road it took to get there.

02/04/2013, 12:18 PM	#1
SoulFish Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Tampa Area Posts: 316	Leaky Plumbing Hi guys, I have a problem, I have connections that leak. I hired a aquarium installer to design and install my plumbing. He installed it, but it had 5 leaks. 2 of them he fixed with, Reef puddy, Superglue, and an acrylic weld glue. One of the welded seams is still leaking, and another reducer and the collar on the pump is leaking. My question is what is the best way to fix these leaks? Is there a preferred method for repairing these leaks? I was hoping the installer would fix them, but his position is that I need to pay more for him to come back out and fix it. I don;t want to get into a bashing session, I just need the tank fixed so I can use it. And I am by no means an expert on this.. thats why I hired someone who had a good reputation.

02/04/2013, 12:30 PM	#2
C Dog Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: SWFL Posts: 532	Have him come back, cut the section out and replace whats leaking. __________________ C Dogs 400+ Gallon Sun Lit Peninsula Reef

02/04/2013, 01:19 PM	#4
C Dog Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: SWFL Posts: 532	Please tell us which aquarium installer did this. He should not charge you to fix what he did. I would write a review on google if he has a website or is listed and warn every local reefer of him...... I hope he didnt charge a lot of $$$. PVC plumbing is very easy to do. You do have the cleanest/best looking sump ever! __________________ C Dogs 400+ Gallon Sun Lit Peninsula Reef

02/04/2013, 01:23 PM	#5
TheKman Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 227	Wow, yeah the plumbing looks great and super clean looking.. but Fixing the leaks? You have a couple of options. If this were my leak, I would try and use some marine grade epoxy.. I'm not sure if that is what Reefpuddy is, but other then that you could cut the section of PVC out and redo it with primer/sealer should be fine from there.. Oh and send a small anonymous note to the BBB.. He'll get a clue. __________________ 65gallon reef tank - 30gal Sump - Evergrow IT2080 LED - NAC 6 Skimmer - RKL Controller - Jebao WP25 - JBJ ATO \| 2 Clowns, 3 Pajama Cardinals, 1 Hovens Wrasse, Flame Angel, lots of corals.

02/04/2013, 01:34 PM	#6
username in use Sciencing Daily Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 6,560	Cut it out and redo it. He should stand behind his work. Worst case scenario, if he charged you a lot, have someone else come and fix it, have them bill you and pay them. Then send a copy of the bill to this guy and tell him he has 30 days to pay you or you will pursue legal action. Im not saying its worth pursuing legal action, just that it may get him to send you some cash. __________________ Joshua "With fronds like these, who needs anemones?" - Albert Einstein Current Tank Info: multiple nano's sprinkled around the house

02/04/2013, 01:08 PM	#3
SoulFish Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Tampa Area Posts: 316	Thanks thats what I am thinking, unfortunatly the guys wants more $$$ just to fix what he installed, so looks like I;m either going to have to do it myself or I am going to have to pay 2xs for the same thing

02/04/2013, 01:43 PM	#7
SoulFish Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Tampa Area Posts: 316	He's affiliated with a good Tampa Bay LFS, I do not wish any bad posts on them. As a LFS they are great. I'm just put in a very awkward situation. I did have a talk John at Tamp Aquarium Services, his thinking is the same as you guys, any puddy fix is a fail point and it needs to be cut out and redone. In his opinion the flaw was the installer did not use primer, and possibly the choice of glue. Both of which were the installers choice. I'm just tired of having to pay for other peoples mistakes, this is not this is not the first time I have done this on this build. The 1st was on the cabinet. Just gets old and I do not have the money for building 2 tanks. FYI John also recommended legal action, if the guy will not stand behind his work.

02/04/2013, 01:51 PM	#8
username in use Sciencing Daily Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 6,560	If he is affiliated with an actual store. That is where you need to go. I would speak with the owner of the store, tell him exactly what happened and how he refuses to fix his mistakes without more money. If the owner of the store is worth his salt he will have someone else there to fix it fairly soon. __________________ Joshua "With fronds like these, who needs anemones?" - Albert Einstein Current Tank Info: multiple nano's sprinkled around the house

02/04/2013, 02:21 PM	#9
teo241 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: wisconsin Posts: 339	It is his mistake, he is obligated to fix it. He should stand behind his work. __________________ 360, 75, 45

02/04/2013, 02:24 PM	#10
SoulFish Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Tampa Area Posts: 316	The issue is the store does not do "installs" it was just an employee. Unfortunately this is a place that I still would like to shop from. And I honestly do not wish any harm on this guy, or his livelyhood. I just wanted a good plumbing job, and my fault was believing that this guys was a stand up guy. I mean I've spent alot of time talking fish and corals with him and such... just wouldn't think he would have put me or himself in this position.

02/04/2013, 02:58 PM	#13
billdogg Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Grove City, Ohio Posts: 10,806	What he said^^^ The ONLY real fix for glued fittings that leak is to cut them out and redo them. IMHO, ANY installer would already know this and make it right asap. Anything less than that is just a band-aid and will (probably) fail in the future. __________________ I'll try to be nice if you try to be smarter! I can't help that I grow older, but you can't make me grow up! Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef with 40b sump, RO 150 skimmer, AI Sol Blue x 2, and a 60g Frag Tank with 100g rubbermaid sump. 2 x Kessil A360w lights, BM curve 5 skimmer

02/04/2013, 03:00 PM	#14
teo241 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: wisconsin Posts: 339	Agreed. The work is beautiful, but it has to be functional. You want to be able to sleep at night and not worry about drips, or worse. __________________ 360, 75, 45

02/04/2013, 03:28 PM	#15
SoulFish Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Tampa Area Posts: 316	well fingers crossed I tried the meet in the middle option and he is ok with that. So hopefully he'll come and cut out all the patches and leaks and replace on Thursday.

02/04/2013, 05:53 PM	#16
blueramSeattle Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 132	That is some stunning work. You have a great designer at the very least. "In his opinion the flaw was the installer did not use primer, and possibly the choice of glue. Both of which were the installers choice." Yeah, that is a red flag and means that you will not be able to trust any weld on the pressure side.

02/09/2013, 11:13 PM	#18
SoulFish Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Tampa Area Posts: 316	Well the guy came back fixed all the leaky fittings, here's the tank today. Wasn't happy about paying more, but happy with the job he did the second time. And just glad it is running finally! This tank build has taken 2yrs, had to rebuild the entire house for it http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2216200 Well all leaks cut out and fixed, replaced one dead pump and away I went. Pumped out the freshwater emptied into drain in stand, then pumped in my entire saltwater bank tank to fill the display. Still needed a bit more, and already had the RO/DI filter out another 40 gallons, so pumped that in, added extra salt, then fine tuned the sump area and added more substrate. It's still clearing out but it's cycling now... now if Coralvue could just send me my dam skimmer, ordered it on Jan 14th! They keep telling me you'll get it in a couple days. So I'm now expecting it's arrival on Wed. Fingers crossed. Other than that the tank is ready to go. Going down the street tomorrow to collect a couple dozen white hermit crabs to clean out the sand. They can clean out the tank for a couple weeks, then get turned back into the wild Filling the tank up Sand Settling out and clearing up

02/10/2013, 03:19 AM	#19
robs.mark Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Perth, Australia Posts: 1,461	beautiful tank mate, ***** should have fixed his mistakes for free though. what sort of reef will it be? __________________ knowledge is power! Current Tank Info: Lagoon

02/10/2013, 09:54 PM	#20
SoulFish Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Tampa Area Posts: 316	Mixed, I like LPS, but gonna have alittle SPS too.

02/10/2013, 10:06 PM	#21
ingtar_shinowa Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Billings MT Posts: 1,610	Wow you are alot nicer. I would have been livid. Google review and the Better Business Bureau. I can't beleive the LFS didn't get on him as well. It looks great though and I'm sure as you fill it you will nearly forget the bumpy road it took to get there.