I need reassurance on my plumbing!!

parkpark · 05/08/2008, 01:26 AM

I have just set up my RR 90 gallon w/ homemade sump and simple plumbing. the drain pipe is spaflex and the return piping is pvc with a few 45 degree elbows going straight up to the bottom of the tank. I just tested it out tonight and nothing is leaking, have to make an ajustment with the return pipe in the tank, (I made the anti-siphon holes too far up and now with the pump on there is 2 little streams of water shooting out over each side out of the tank) but other than that everything looks ok. The problem i'm afraid of is I glued all the pipes together with silicone and I know that silicone doesnt bonds to plastic very well and I'm woried it will start randomly leaking one day, it seems like the pump to bulkhead pipes will be ok since they cant really come apart, but the top part worries me since there is so much pressure as the water comes up and goes through the elbow to the lock-line, I can just see that think blowing off and water spewing straight up in the air. I also siliconed the spaflex into the bulkhead...any thoughts?

VisionsSS · 05/08/2008, 01:38 AM

Unfortunately I believe you will need to remove all of the silcone and redo everything with PVC primer and glue. I would just not trust silicone and plastic against coming home to saltwater spewing out all over your floor.

I have not had any real experience with siliconing bulkheads and pvc but I have with PVC primer and glue and with PVC glue it will never be a question (or concern).

kau_cinta_ku · 05/08/2008, 02:01 AM

i agree redo it all now with pvc primer and glue or it may end up in a bad way later on.

parkpark · 05/08/2008, 02:03 AM

any special kind of glue?

scbauer · 05/08/2008, 03:04 AM

Yes, it's called PVC cement. Go into ANY hardware store (Home Depot, Lowes, Billy-Bob's) and tell them you need PVC primer and PVC cement... they will know exactly what you're talking about.

I agree 100% with the previous posts... you must undo all of your plumbing, spend a few hours scraping the silicone off, then redoing everything with PVC cement.

It is going to be a real pain to remove all the silicone, but spending a few hours now will be worth it because if you don't, you will end up with 90 gallons of water sprayed all over your house.

-Scott

scbauer · 05/08/2008, 03:08 AM

If you don't have a hardware store near you, savko now sells Oatey cements. I would recommend the "Clear Primer for PVC and CPVC" and the "Medium Cement for PVC"

http://www.savko.com/partlist.asp?pgid=8

-Scott

parkpark · 05/08/2008, 03:09 AM

sigh...im not looking forward to redoing this...... also @ the bottom of the return bulkhead, LFS guy told me that i didnt have to glue this just twist the pipe in and the friction would heat the pipe up enough to hold it and it worked, just wondering if this is OK long term, I would hate to have to glue it and then have to saw it off if god forbid I were to move and break down the tank

scbauer · 05/08/2008, 03:11 AM

I think I know what you're talking about, but I think in this case, a picture would definately be worth 1,000,000,000 words. Can you take a picture of your plumbing and post it here? That might help to clear things up.

-Scott

kau_cinta_ku · 05/08/2008, 04:35 AM

use "union's" in places of your plumbing that you may need to take off later. that will save you from having to reglue it all later if you need to move.

Avi · 05/08/2008, 06:35 AM

http://www.viewdo.com/now_viewing.php?id=113

Tswifty · 05/08/2008, 06:46 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by parkpark
any special kind of glue?

Gtstricky · 05/08/2008, 07:17 AM

ParkPark

You have to use PVC cement as posted above. The way you have it will leak very soon.
Any place you want to be able to disconnect the plumbing you will need to have a union.

If all your joints are glued (cemented) then there is no way to spin them on or off for connections. So where the pipes connect to the pumps or to the bulkheads or to your skimmer. You will want to be able to disconnect these items and they will require something that can unscrew. Along those lines any place you want to be able to slow down or stop water flow needs a valve (gate or ball). Here is the tricky part, some ball valves are also unions! This is great in an area where you want both. Here is a ball valve that is also a union:

Here is a standard ball valve:

and a gate valve (preferred as they do not get "stuck" but they cost a bit more...$20ish)

Typically you want valves on the input and output of your pumps so you can shut all the water off, unscrew and replace the pump if it breaks or needs to be cleaned.

I just finished plumbing my first tank two nights ago. I learned so much here it prevented me from making many mistakes. There are people here the have plumbed many, many tanks. If you can make a sketch of the plumbing and take some photos and post them here for feedback.

05/08/2008, 01:26 AM	#1
parkpark Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Bloomington, Indiana Posts: 261	I need reassurance on my plumbing!! I have just set up my RR 90 gallon w/ homemade sump and simple plumbing. the drain pipe is spaflex and the return piping is pvc with a few 45 degree elbows going straight up to the bottom of the tank. I just tested it out tonight and nothing is leaking, have to make an ajustment with the return pipe in the tank, (I made the anti-siphon holes too far up and now with the pump on there is 2 little streams of water shooting out over each side out of the tank) but other than that everything looks ok. The problem i'm afraid of is I glued all the pipes together with silicone and I know that silicone doesnt bonds to plastic very well and I'm woried it will start randomly leaking one day, it seems like the pump to bulkhead pipes will be ok since they cant really come apart, but the top part worries me since there is so much pressure as the water comes up and goes through the elbow to the lock-line, I can just see that think blowing off and water spewing straight up in the air. I also siliconed the spaflex into the bulkhead...any thoughts?

05/08/2008, 03:04 AM	#5
scbauer The Buff Reefer Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Northern California Posts: 1,699	Yes, it's called PVC cement. Go into ANY hardware store (Home Depot, Lowes, Billy-Bob's) and tell them you need PVC primer and PVC cement... they will know exactly what you're talking about. I agree 100% with the previous posts... you must undo all of your plumbing, spend a few hours scraping the silicone off, then redoing everything with PVC cement. It is going to be a real pain to remove all the silicone, but spending a few hours now will be worth it because if you don't, you will end up with 90 gallons of water sprayed all over your house. -Scott __________________ offical member of the "WIAGAS" club "Wondering If Anybody Gives A ...." ...for when your thread has 50 posts, and 48 of them are yours Current Tank Info: No tank. Got out of the hobby in 2011 but I’ll be back one day!

05/08/2008, 03:08 AM	#6
scbauer The Buff Reefer Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Northern California Posts: 1,699	If you don't have a hardware store near you, savko now sells Oatey cements. I would recommend the "Clear Primer for PVC and CPVC" and the "Medium Cement for PVC" http://www.savko.com/partlist.asp?pgid=8 -Scott __________________ offical member of the "WIAGAS" club "Wondering If Anybody Gives A ...." ...for when your thread has 50 posts, and 48 of them are yours Current Tank Info: No tank. Got out of the hobby in 2011 but I’ll be back one day!

05/08/2008, 03:11 AM	#8
scbauer The Buff Reefer Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Northern California Posts: 1,699	I think I know what you're talking about, but I think in this case, a picture would definately be worth 1,000,000,000 words. Can you take a picture of your plumbing and post it here? That might help to clear things up. -Scott __________________ offical member of the "WIAGAS" club "Wondering If Anybody Gives A ...." ...for when your thread has 50 posts, and 48 of them are yours Current Tank Info: No tank. Got out of the hobby in 2011 but I’ll be back one day!

05/08/2008, 06:35 AM	#10
Avi Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Westchester County, NY Posts: 7,327	http://www.viewdo.com/now_viewing.php?id=113 __________________ I'd keep the whole ocean if my den were big enough Current Tank Info: 120 gallon reef with 210 lbs. of live rock, Aqua-C EV180 Skimmer, Aquactinic double 250W MH with blue plus t5 support; 58 gallon freshwater planted tank using CO2 and T5s; 30-gallon cube with a few fancy goldfish; and a 110 gallon FOWLR

05/08/2008, 01:38 AM	#2
VisionsSS Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Tacoma, WA Posts: 146	Unfortunately I believe you will need to remove all of the silcone and redo everything with PVC primer and glue. I would just not trust silicone and plastic against coming home to saltwater spewing out all over your floor. I have not had any real experience with siliconing bulkheads and pvc but I have with PVC primer and glue and with PVC glue it will never be a question (or concern).

05/08/2008, 02:01 AM	#3
kau_cinta_ku Moved On Join Date: May 2005 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 8,669	i agree redo it all now with pvc primer and glue or it may end up in a bad way later on.

05/08/2008, 02:03 AM	#4
parkpark Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Bloomington, Indiana Posts: 261	any special kind of glue?

05/08/2008, 03:09 AM	#7
parkpark Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Bloomington, Indiana Posts: 261	sigh...im not looking forward to redoing this...... also @ the bottom of the return bulkhead, LFS guy told me that i didnt have to glue this just twist the pipe in and the friction would heat the pipe up enough to hold it and it worked, just wondering if this is OK long term, I would hate to have to glue it and then have to saw it off if god forbid I were to move and break down the tank

05/08/2008, 04:35 AM	#9
kau_cinta_ku Moved On Join Date: May 2005 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 8,669	use "union's" in places of your plumbing that you may need to take off later. that will save you from having to reglue it all later if you need to move.

05/08/2008, 07:17 AM	#12
Gtstricky Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Kennett Sq, PA Posts: 496	ParkPark You have to use PVC cement as posted above. The way you have it will leak very soon. Any place you want to be able to disconnect the plumbing you will need to have a union. If all your joints are glued (cemented) then there is no way to spin them on or off for connections. So where the pipes connect to the pumps or to the bulkheads or to your skimmer. You will want to be able to disconnect these items and they will require something that can unscrew. Along those lines any place you want to be able to slow down or stop water flow needs a valve (gate or ball). Here is the tricky part, some ball valves are also unions! This is great in an area where you want both. Here is a ball valve that is also a union: Here is a standard ball valve: and a gate valve (preferred as they do not get "stuck" but they cost a bit more...$20ish) Typically you want valves on the input and output of your pumps so you can shut all the water off, unscrew and replace the pump if it breaks or needs to be cleaned. I just finished plumbing my first tank two nights ago. I learned so much here it prevented me from making many mistakes. There are people here the have plumbed many, many tanks. If you can make a sketch of the plumbing and take some photos and post them here for feedback.