HELP ME PLEASE!!!! Leak at drain bulkhead

mmotown · 02/24/2007, 09:33 PM

Guys I just noticed a leak at my drain bulk head. Tried to tighten it but the leak is still there. It is a small drip. Meanwhile I have a bowl catching the water. Must have been going on a while because my carpet is a little damp around where the leak is. Tonight I hand tightened the bottom while someone held the inside durso pipe. Tighened it as tight as I could get it but the leak is still there. Tomorrow I have a friend of mine coming over who is a DIY'er and he's going to help out. What could the problem be and if I need to take the bulk head off, can I seal it with something or do I not want to do that? Just trying to be proactive in gathering info just in case my friend doesn't come through for me. Thanks

aharrow · 02/24/2007, 09:58 PM

I had the same problem and it freaked my wife out. I had to take off the nut for the bulkhead, while she put pressure down on the bulkhead by pushing the durso pipe creating a seal, then I re-taped and put the nut back on. If you can't get to the nut to put on tape on the threads, I don't know.

teen · 02/24/2007, 10:02 PM

if its at the top of your tank you can just drain some water to your sump and leave a powerhead and heter in your tank. this should drop the water level so you can pull the bulkhead out and put a new one in if needed.

if its at the bottom or middle of your tank, i dont have any advice. sry.

sjlesq99 · 02/24/2007, 10:03 PM

if nothing else works, I have used plumber's goop. You can get it home depot or lowe's. Works great, even if there is a small leak. I would shut your pump off for about an hour as the goop hardens. like silicone but better sticks to everything

mmotown · 02/25/2007, 12:04 AM

Thanks guys. It is at the bottom of my tank. We'll work on this in the morning and I will update you. If bulk heads aren't at the bottom of the tank as it is in my case, then where are yours located if you had the same problem?

Putawaywet · 02/25/2007, 03:27 AM

Well, for those that have built-in overflows they are in there. So you pretty much just drop the water level a few inches inside the tank to stop the water from spilling into the overflow and the bulkheads are usually readily accessible.

Unless you find yourself in my case where the bulkheads in my overflows were not accessable and then I just cleaned out and dried the overflows, mixed a 2-part epoxy resin and poured enough in until it came up even with the top of the bulkhead. Instant leak stopper.

Brett

02/24/2007, 09:33 PM	#1
mmotown Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Dallas TX Posts: 1,520	HELP ME PLEASE!!!! Leak at drain bulkhead Guys I just noticed a leak at my drain bulk head. Tried to tighten it but the leak is still there. It is a small drip. Meanwhile I have a bowl catching the water. Must have been going on a while because my carpet is a little damp around where the leak is. Tonight I hand tightened the bottom while someone held the inside durso pipe. Tighened it as tight as I could get it but the leak is still there. Tomorrow I have a friend of mine coming over who is a DIY'er and he's going to help out. What could the problem be and if I need to take the bulk head off, can I seal it with something or do I not want to do that? Just trying to be proactive in gathering info just in case my friend doesn't come through for me. Thanks

02/24/2007, 09:58 PM	#2
aharrow Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: St Augustine FL Posts: 328	I had the same problem and it freaked my wife out. I had to take off the nut for the bulkhead, while she put pressure down on the bulkhead by pushing the durso pipe creating a seal, then I re-taped and put the nut back on. If you can't get to the nut to put on tape on the threads, I don't know. __________________ Andrew "It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission" Current Tank Info: 180 gallon starphire custom tank, 3 zone benthic refugium system, royal exclusive alpha 250, Sfiligoi custom fixture t-5, LED combo

02/25/2007, 03:27 AM	#6
Putawaywet 20 and over club Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Long Beach, CA. Posts: 2,720	Well, for those that have built-in overflows they are in there. So you pretty much just drop the water level a few inches inside the tank to stop the water from spilling into the overflow and the bulkheads are usually readily accessible. Unless you find yourself in my case where the bulkheads in my overflows were not accessable and then I just cleaned out and dried the overflows, mixed a 2-part epoxy resin and poured enough in until it came up even with the top of the bulkhead. Instant leak stopper. Brett __________________ She ain't broke, but can we fix her more better? Current Tank Info: A big box of water with some stuff in it.

02/24/2007, 10:02 PM	#3
teen Registered Member. Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: MB, long island NY Posts: 963	if its at the top of your tank you can just drain some water to your sump and leave a powerhead and heter in your tank. this should drop the water level so you can pull the bulkhead out and put a new one in if needed. if its at the bottom or middle of your tank, i dont have any advice. sry.

02/24/2007, 10:03 PM	#4
sjlesq99 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 271	if nothing else works, I have used plumber's goop. You can get it home depot or lowe's. Works great, even if there is a small leak. I would shut your pump off for about an hour as the goop hardens. like silicone but better sticks to everything

02/25/2007, 12:04 AM	#5
mmotown Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Dallas TX Posts: 1,520	Thanks guys. It is at the bottom of my tank. We'll work on this in the morning and I will update you. If bulk heads aren't at the bottom of the tank as it is in my case, then where are yours located if you had the same problem?