bulkhead slowly leaking

monty · 02/03/2008, 02:16 PM

After changing some plumming in my tank after a few years, i think i may have jarred one of my bulkheads for my drain in a way that is causing it to slowly lead and build up salt around the seal on the bottom/outside. I've taken some channel locks and re-tightened it about a total of a half of a turn, which made it tight, but it still has a slow drizzle down the threads. I am hesitant to keep tightening it to the point that it is difficult to go any further - - should I?

ostrow · 02/03/2008, 02:51 PM

What size/kind of bulkhead? Possible that you cracked it somewhere? Happened to me once.

kgross · 02/03/2008, 02:56 PM

If possible take it out clean off the gasket and then put it back in. I would guess that you got some sand or something inside of the gasket which is keeping it from sealing.

Kim

ostrow · 02/03/2008, 02:57 PM

Kim: makes sense if he had removed the bulkhead in the first place. But this sounds worse to me.

monty · 02/03/2008, 02:59 PM

im not sure what kind of bulkhead it is, its been in there for years...i didnt actually take it out when i changed my plumming, just think i bumpped/jolted it to compromise the seal. i guess what ill do some time over the next few days is check out the seal/drain the overflow and take it out...kind of was the last thing i wanted to do, but better safe than sorry. tempted to just seal it on the outside with somehting, but instincts tell me that that is a no no.

ostrow · 02/03/2008, 03:03 PM

If water is comign through, no something will keep it out. It is wet. You need to drain/dry anyway so might as well do it right.

Remember to clean the surface around the hole on the inside of the tank so no sand, detritus is in there. A very thin application of silicone grease to the gasket may not be a bad idea, or just get a new bulkhead.

monty · 02/03/2008, 03:13 PM

good call

datablitz · 02/03/2008, 03:53 PM

do not use silocone on the seal, it will make it very difficult to fix if you ever had to change it inthe futre. i would just take it apart and clean the seal, it is very probable that you just got some sand/gunk under the seal. bulkheads are not meant to be used with sealants suck as silicone, that is why they have a rubber gasket. if you seal it with silicone and bumped it again, you would have to drain the over flow, clean the gasket, and razorblade the silicone off the tank before it would ever seal again. much too much work imo.

ostrow · 02/03/2008, 09:36 PM

Silicone grease on the gasket, however, is wonderful.

monty · 02/04/2008, 02:07 PM

Well, I drained the overflow and removed the leaky bulkhead. At first, I took a long time to clean the area as best as i could, as well as the mechanism/gasket. I put it back on, and it was still drizzling. Went out and got two heavier gaskets (one for each side of the glass)...cleaned all the gunk again, dried it and really spent time on it...so far so good, in fact, i think im going to do the rest of them at some point.
on a side note, there was a lot of gunk in my overflow at the base, i've never cleaned it.

ostrow · 02/04/2008, 02:08 PM

A gasket on each side? I've never heard of that done. Let us know how that works out long term! I would think it would have been hard to tighten with the gasket on the nut side.

monty · 02/04/2008, 02:11 PM

me too...but actually it was a guy at my local west marine who told me about it - said that a lot of people have been re-doing bait wells that way. i used teflon tape on the threads as well. only been about two hours, but dry as a bone...knock on wood! I used channel locks to make it tight...but made sure not to overtighten

02/03/2008, 02:16 PM	#1
monty Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Old Saybrook, CT Posts: 895	bulkhead slowly leaking After changing some plumming in my tank after a few years, i think i may have jarred one of my bulkheads for my drain in a way that is causing it to slowly lead and build up salt around the seal on the bottom/outside. I've taken some channel locks and re-tightened it about a total of a half of a turn, which made it tight, but it still has a slow drizzle down the threads. I am hesitant to keep tightening it to the point that it is difficult to go any further - - should I?

02/03/2008, 02:51 PM	#2
ostrow It's Dr. Goodluck Himself Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Oak Park, IL Posts: 11,654	What size/kind of bulkhead? Possible that you cracked it somewhere? Happened to me once. __________________ It's the return of Dr. Goodluck Himself. fml! Current Tank Info: 156G "brick", 150 sump and 75 fuge replaces Fire, Destruction, Sad :(

02/03/2008, 02:56 PM	#3
kgross Premium Member Join Date: Nov 1999 Location: Nampa, ID Posts: 5,870	If possible take it out clean off the gasket and then put it back in. I would guess that you got some sand or something inside of the gasket which is keeping it from sealing. Kim __________________ Proud Member of the Idaho Marine Aquarium Society America will only be the Land of the Free as long as it is the Home of the Brave. Current Tank Info: AGA 180gallon tank, VHO/MH lighting, DSB, calcium reactor, Also a 7 Gallon Nano softy tank, and a 32 gallon cube

02/03/2008, 02:57 PM	#4
ostrow It's Dr. Goodluck Himself Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Oak Park, IL Posts: 11,654	Kim: makes sense if he had removed the bulkhead in the first place. But this sounds worse to me. __________________ It's the return of Dr. Goodluck Himself. fml! Current Tank Info: 156G "brick", 150 sump and 75 fuge replaces Fire, Destruction, Sad :(

02/03/2008, 03:03 PM	#6
ostrow It's Dr. Goodluck Himself Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Oak Park, IL Posts: 11,654	If water is comign through, no something will keep it out. It is wet. You need to drain/dry anyway so might as well do it right. Remember to clean the surface around the hole on the inside of the tank so no sand, detritus is in there. A very thin application of silicone grease to the gasket may not be a bad idea, or just get a new bulkhead. __________________ It's the return of Dr. Goodluck Himself. fml! Current Tank Info: 156G "brick", 150 sump and 75 fuge replaces Fire, Destruction, Sad :(

02/03/2008, 02:59 PM	#5
monty Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Old Saybrook, CT Posts: 895	im not sure what kind of bulkhead it is, its been in there for years...i didnt actually take it out when i changed my plumming, just think i bumpped/jolted it to compromise the seal. i guess what ill do some time over the next few days is check out the seal/drain the overflow and take it out...kind of was the last thing i wanted to do, but better safe than sorry. tempted to just seal it on the outside with somehting, but instincts tell me that that is a no no.

02/03/2008, 03:13 PM	#7
monty Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Old Saybrook, CT Posts: 895	good call

02/03/2008, 03:53 PM	#8
datablitz Moved On Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Blacklick, Ohio Posts: 347	do not use silocone on the seal, it will make it very difficult to fix if you ever had to change it inthe futre. i would just take it apart and clean the seal, it is very probable that you just got some sand/gunk under the seal. bulkheads are not meant to be used with sealants suck as silicone, that is why they have a rubber gasket. if you seal it with silicone and bumped it again, you would have to drain the over flow, clean the gasket, and razorblade the silicone off the tank before it would ever seal again. much too much work imo.

02/03/2008, 09:36 PM	#9
ostrow It's Dr. Goodluck Himself Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Oak Park, IL Posts: 11,654	Silicone grease on the gasket, however, is wonderful. __________________ It's the return of Dr. Goodluck Himself. fml! Current Tank Info: 156G "brick", 150 sump and 75 fuge replaces Fire, Destruction, Sad :(

02/04/2008, 02:07 PM	#10
monty Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Old Saybrook, CT Posts: 895	Well, I drained the overflow and removed the leaky bulkhead. At first, I took a long time to clean the area as best as i could, as well as the mechanism/gasket. I put it back on, and it was still drizzling. Went out and got two heavier gaskets (one for each side of the glass)...cleaned all the gunk again, dried it and really spent time on it...so far so good, in fact, i think im going to do the rest of them at some point. on a side note, there was a lot of gunk in my overflow at the base, i've never cleaned it.

02/04/2008, 02:08 PM	#11
ostrow It's Dr. Goodluck Himself Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Oak Park, IL Posts: 11,654	A gasket on each side? I've never heard of that done. Let us know how that works out long term! I would think it would have been hard to tighten with the gasket on the nut side. __________________ It's the return of Dr. Goodluck Himself. fml! Current Tank Info: 156G "brick", 150 sump and 75 fuge replaces Fire, Destruction, Sad :(

02/04/2008, 02:11 PM	#12
monty Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Old Saybrook, CT Posts: 895	me too...but actually it was a guy at my local west marine who told me about it - said that a lot of people have been re-doing bait wells that way. i used teflon tape on the threads as well. only been about two hours, but dry as a bone...knock on wood! I used channel locks to make it tight...but made sure not to overtighten