Leaky Flex PVC/Wye joint - Help!

[Guest Kimo]

Hey everyone -

 

I have just set up my new 180, plumbed witha closed loop and ampmaster 3000 with 1.5" flex PVC.

 

One of my joints is leaking where the flex PVC meets the Wye.  What would be the best method to repair this joint?  I would rather not pull everything apart - will applying pvc solvent to the joint fix it?  What if I pull the pipe apart from the fitting (if I can) and reglue the joint?

 

It took me SO LONG to get everything fit correctly.  The flex PVC just doesn't seem to bond as easily as the hard PVC.

 

Thanks for the advice -

 

Jamie

[michaelg]

If it is leaking from where the flexible tubing joins the ridgid tubing, use silicon and put a hose clamp on it.  Another option might be to fit a hose barb, which I would recommend and then just use a hose clamp on that.  I would not use PVC solvent on the flexible tubing- it just won't quite work, and if the tube is move at all, it will likely start leaking again.

[Guest cbo]

I think he is using flexible pvc which is acually pvc, although with a slightly different composition from rigid.  There is special flex pvc solvent which should be used for it, although some people use heavy duty rigid solvent.  Since the rigid solvent would be more brittle and work for a while, then have the possiblity of catastrophic failure, I would recommend the flex solvent.  As for fixing your current problem, I would try an locate a union joint and cut out the old fitting, replacing it with a union.  I think they make special unions for flex pvc too.

 

cbo

 

The union is just a conveniant way to make up the space removed when the old joint is cut out, plus it provides future utility, a ball valve could also be used.  Especially one with a union, ha ha.

[Guest Kimo]

Ok - Update:

 

I fixed the leaky Wye by just ripping the pipe out and re-gluing it.  Easy enough.  It holds well now.

 

I have a very small leak in my closed loop input that causes millions of microbubbles to spew into the tank.  If I shut off the ampmaster, they joint gets wet and drips VERY slowly, not even a drip an hour.  But it's plenty.

 

How should I go about fixing this?  I have tried silicone but it doesn't work, it still leaks a little.

 

Thanks,

 

Jamie

[Guest Kimo]

Oh yeah - here's a pic:

 

 

Jamie

[michaelg]

did you teflon tape the threaded fittings?  It is the pump in the back of the photo, no?  or is it the small one in the front with the flex tubing?

As you are starting to learn, but the time you finish a lot of tank plumbing, you are a plumbing master with plastic (copper is another issue, but don't use in our apps).  In the event you need to take it apart, seriously consider putting a union fitting on the input and output of the pump- it make servicing the pump so much easier.

[Guest Kimo]

I did not teflon tape the Unions - but no leaks so far.  The leak I am now talking about is between the small piece of PVC above the ball valve on the inlet side of the Ampmaster 3000 (in the back).

 

The Ampmaster has unions built in to the inputs and outputs.  I figured that an additional union would not be necessary.  Looking back on it, however, I should have added them, just so I can change my plumbing more easily without having to special order the union pieces made for the ampmaster.

 

The pump with the flex tubing is my return pump (connected to my temporary rubbermaid sump).

 

The input side of the ampmaster is quite literally the FIRST PVC I have ever glued.  That's probably why it is so leaky

 

I should take a bunch of pics of my closed loop plumbing - I'm fairly proud of how it turned out aside from the leaks.

 

The input comes from 2 1.5" bulkheads 10" down from the top of the tank at the 2' marks (it's a 180, 6'x2'x2').  These go to the Wye in the picture, into the ampmaster.  Then I split the output three ways (with the double Wye in the pic.)

 

The left output goes to the left 1" sea swirl (at the 2' mark), the middle output goes to the right 1" sea swirl (at the next 2' mark), and the right output going to another manifold.  That manifold splits the output into two 1.5" static returns which go over the overflows and down into the tank.  I currently have street elbows in those outputs directed across the length of the tank.  I did not glue these in but they fit tightly and I don't think they will come loose (especially once the corraline takes off!)  There is a union and a ball valve on the right output behind the tank where I can get to it that allows me to remove the static outputs completely.  There are union ball valves on each static output above the overflows so I can adjust the flow.

 

Overall, it moves a lot of water with the ampmaster (3000Gal/hr).  I have to play with the ball valves to get it balanced, but the sea swirls have a lot of flow and the static outputs just move water without much velocity.  I was looking for a lot of flow without too much velocity and I think I've gotten just that.  

 

I plan for this tank to be SPS dominated.  I am moving my established 58 Gallon SPS reef tank into it once it has cycled.

 

Perhaps I should start a new thread with all of this info...

 

Thanks for the response michael, we need more activity on the board!

 

Regards,

 

Jamie

[michaelg]

If you don't want to cut it out and re-glue it, I would recommend a heavy amount of 2 part plumber's epoxy- same stuff that's used for mounting corals.  I had a leak and a crack in my calcium reactor, and this fixed both of them.  Try to do it dry if you can, and use plenty- pressed real well into that gap area where the leak is coming from.  It dries hard as a rock, and as I have said, I've used it to fix leaks that nothing else could.