Leaking 1 inch bulkhead question in sump/refugium

Krazy · 07/10/2012, 09:55 AM

I just set up my 75 gallon reef ready tank and ADHI model 30 refugium/sump....

I had it running over night with no issues other then I noticed some water under the stand, went over everything 2-3-4-5 times til I found the culprit, the bulkhead for the external iwaki pump... It was leaking a drip every 1 min... I tightened the bulkhead with a bulkhead wrench and now its leaking a drip every 5 mins or so... How can I get it to NOT leak at all ??? I need help here as I dont wanna take anything apart if I dont have to and re plump anything... please help me out...

Thanks,
Keith

Krazy · 07/10/2012, 12:37 PM

anyone got a quick fix solution??

medic155 · 07/10/2012, 01:18 PM

Maybe some JB water weld around the bulkhead where it touches the glass, but that would just be a bandaid fix. I'm not an expert on plumbing either, so maybe someone else could chime in.

Daimyo68 · 07/10/2012, 01:18 PM

Is it leaking at the glass or the where you have your plumbing connected to it?

If it's at the glass, you need to drain the water from the chamber, remove the bulkhead and clean the glass and gasket. Install it back in place and recheck.

If it is at the spot where you have your plumbing going into the bulkhead, you should "redo" it. A quick fix is not a solution if it's leaking. You want it dry.

jrsydevi1 · 07/10/2012, 01:28 PM

Licensed Master Plumber here... All of the bulkhead fittings I have ever used or seen have a rubber gasket on the 'wet' side of the joint... and they rarely leak...

As with all joints made up with a rubber gasket or washer.. Hand tight plus 1/2 turn with a tool is all you need...

Overtightening is by far the most common cause of leaks on joints like this... It can cause the rubber to spin out of place.. or it can crack the plastic on the threads.. (less likely)

A pic of the offending joint would be helpful..

Entropy · 07/10/2012, 01:46 PM

I don't think you are going to find a quick fix (but I think you already knew that). Since it is a sump chamber bulkhead I would just drain that chamber and redo the bulkhead. You might also want to think about pump maintenance while you are at it. The Iwaki should be easy to remove for cleaning so a couple of unions would be a good idea.

Krazy · 07/14/2012, 07:06 PM

drained the 3rd chamber of my refugium/sump and replaced the bulkhead gasket... All is well now...

Did it the right way the 1st time, I don't wanna leaking mess that could get worse or w/e....

bluewater921 · 07/14/2012, 07:09 PM

good deal krazy .. glad to see you got it fixed ..

cadeyrn_orlu · 07/14/2012, 07:13 PM

The other big problem with bulkheads is when you first assemble people leave the rubber washer dry and as you tighten this can make it leak (my 2cents/dime worth )

Mussin · 07/14/2012, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cadeyrn_orlu

The other big problem with bulkheads is when you first assemble people leave the rubber washer dry and as you tighten this can make it leak (my 2cents/dime worth )

You mean on the dry side or does the rubber need lubed?

Sandia97 · 07/14/2012, 07:18 PM

yeah I was told to lube it with some vegetable oil or even spit for a tight grip

jrsydevi1 · 07/14/2012, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cadeyrn_orlu

The other big problem with bulkheads is when you first assemble people leave the rubber washer dry and as you tighten this can make it leak (my 2cents/dime worth )

If your bulkhead fitting has a rubber washer on the dry side (ie: the side you screw down) it 'should' also have a friction ring of cardboard-like or plastic material to prevent the rubber from grabbing as you tighten the big nut...

If it doesnt... then yes.. any form of lubrication will at least help to prevent the rubber from 'spinning out'..

However... a lubricated rubber gasket is also far more prone to squeezing out of position due to overtightening..

husslr187 · 07/14/2012, 07:48 PM

silicone grease works good for seals

EDIT: all the bulkheads i have seen only have the seal on the wetside

billdogg · 07/15/2012, 07:50 AM

This has been gone over time and again. The gasket goes on the flange side, regardless of which side of the tank it is on - wet or dry, not the nut side. Period. Some bulkheads are supplied with two gaskets, one for each side.

Silicone plumbers grease can be used - sparingly - just enough to make it shiny, but really should not be needed at all.

If it is leaking, it is usually because a tiny grain of sand or other crud is in there somewhere, and the only real fix is to take it apart, clean it all, and try again. Tightening it more probably won't stop the leak, and may very well crack the tank.

Utah Fatman · 07/15/2012, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrsydevi1

Licensed Master Plumber here... All of the bulkhead fittings I have ever used or seen have a rubber gasket on the 'wet' side of the joint... and they rarely leak...

As with all joints made up with a rubber gasket or washer.. Hand tight plus 1/2 turn with a tool is all you need...

Overtightening is by far the most common cause of leaks on joints like this... It can cause the rubber to spin out of place.. or it can crack the plastic on the threads.. (less likely)

A pic of the offending joint would be helpful..

Plus one on the over-tightening of fittings. Very bad practice, about as bad as throwing 12 wraps of Teflon tape on a threaded joint.

07/10/2012, 09:55 AM	#1
Krazy Registered Member. Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Albany, NY Posts: 2,941	Leaking 1 inch bulkhead question in sump/refugium I just set up my 75 gallon reef ready tank and ADHI model 30 refugium/sump.... I had it running over night with no issues other then I noticed some water under the stand, went over everything 2-3-4-5 times til I found the culprit, the bulkhead for the external iwaki pump... It was leaking a drip every 1 min... I tightened the bulkhead with a bulkhead wrench and now its leaking a drip every 5 mins or so... How can I get it to NOT leak at all ??? I need help here as I dont wanna take anything apart if I dont have to and re plump anything... please help me out... Thanks, Keith

07/10/2012, 01:18 PM	#4
Daimyo68 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: North Palm Beach, FL Posts: 2,270	Is it leaking at the glass or the where you have your plumbing connected to it? If it's at the glass, you need to drain the water from the chamber, remove the bulkhead and clean the glass and gasket. Install it back in place and recheck. If it is at the spot where you have your plumbing going into the bulkhead, you should "redo" it. A quick fix is not a solution if it's leaking. You want it dry. __________________ 120g, 50g Sump, SRO XP2000i, MP40W x2, DIY Hybrid LED/T5 Fixture, Apex PBMAS VP 2010-11 PBMAS 2017 President

07/10/2012, 01:28 PM	#5
jrsydevi1 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 266	Licensed Master Plumber here... All of the bulkhead fittings I have ever used or seen have a rubber gasket on the 'wet' side of the joint... and they rarely leak... As with all joints made up with a rubber gasket or washer.. Hand tight plus 1/2 turn with a tool is all you need... Overtightening is by far the most common cause of leaks on joints like this... It can cause the rubber to spin out of place.. or it can crack the plastic on the threads.. (less likely) A pic of the offending joint would be helpful.. __________________ Aqueon 8 Nano Reef - Stock lighting + 8W LED - DIY Protein Skimmer - Floss and Purigen 8 lbs. Live Rock - 5 lbs. Live Sand 1 Pom Pom Crab - 2 Blue-leg Hermits - 1 Astrea Snail - 5 Nass. snails Torch coral - Frogspawn - 6 Tiny Zoa Frags - 6 shrooms - 2 FLA Ricordias 2 Little Oc. Clownfish

07/10/2012, 01:46 PM	#6
Entropy Texas Reefer Join Date: May 2003 Location: Round Rock, TX Posts: 13,656	I don't think you are going to find a quick fix (but I think you already knew that). Since it is a sump chamber bulkhead I would just drain that chamber and redo the bulkhead. You might also want to think about pump maintenance while you are at it. The Iwaki should be easy to remove for cleaning so a couple of unions would be a good idea. __________________ Rich Overton 150G cube FOWLR, 30g sump, ReefKeeperII, 3x Koralia 1400's, QuiteOne 3000, Reef Octopus DNWB150, 4x 30w Par38 LED. Current Tank Info: 36x36x27 150g

07/14/2012, 07:09 PM	#8
bluewater921 Registered Member. Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: melbourne fla Posts: 605	good deal krazy .. glad to see you got it fixed .. __________________ if i was a fish i would play on the reef & swim in the surf Current Tank Info: 180 in the wall reef

07/10/2012, 12:37 PM	#2
Krazy Registered Member. Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Albany, NY Posts: 2,941	anyone got a quick fix solution??

07/10/2012, 01:18 PM	#3
medic155 Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 165	Maybe some JB water weld around the bulkhead where it touches the glass, but that would just be a bandaid fix. I'm not an expert on plumbing either, so maybe someone else could chime in.

07/14/2012, 07:06 PM	#7
Krazy Registered Member. Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Albany, NY Posts: 2,941	drained the 3rd chamber of my refugium/sump and replaced the bulkhead gasket... All is well now... Did it the right way the 1st time, I don't wanna leaking mess that could get worse or w/e....

07/14/2012, 07:13 PM	#9
cadeyrn_orlu Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Port Macquarie,Australia Posts: 8	The other big problem with bulkheads is when you first assemble people leave the rubber washer dry and as you tighten this can make it leak (my 2cents/dime worth )

07/14/2012, 07:18 PM	#11
Sandia97 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Windsor, CT Posts: 569	yeah I was told to lube it with some vegetable oil or even spit for a tight grip __________________ >>Sandra<< Current Tank Info: 90gal AGA w/55gal basement sump, 120watt CREE LEDs Saving up for a cpl Vortechs!! LMK if you have a deal :)

07/14/2012, 07:48 PM	#13
husslr187 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: perryville md Posts: 100	silicone grease works good for seals EDIT: all the bulkheads i have seen only have the seal on the wetside __________________ 210 gallon FW tank w/ 125gal sump, reeflo super dart gold 2 oscars, pleco, & 5 tinfoil barbs

07/15/2012, 07:50 AM	#14
billdogg Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Grove City, Ohio Posts: 10,806	This has been gone over time and again. The gasket goes on the flange side, regardless of which side of the tank it is on - wet or dry, not the nut side. Period. Some bulkheads are supplied with two gaskets, one for each side. Silicone plumbers grease can be used - sparingly - just enough to make it shiny, but really should not be needed at all. If it is leaking, it is usually because a tiny grain of sand or other crud is in there somewhere, and the only real fix is to take it apart, clean it all, and try again. Tightening it more probably won't stop the leak, and may very well crack the tank. __________________ 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