droyal1110 April 11, 2009 Share April 11, 2009 Ok I'm ready to rip my hair out. I worked for 4+ hours on these bulkheads in my built in overflow. No matter what I do, I cannot stop them from leaking. The seal is on the inside of the tank (portion where water sits), I have made them hand tight, used teflon tape, I even wrenched them down a bit. I made sure the seals were clean and new and still they leak. I have no idea what to do. I have already made a mistake that I'm going to pay for this sunday... I used putty to stop the leak but it didn't quite get it, I was thinking of just siliconing the rest and being done with it. I realize its going to suck they day that I move again but I'm not worried about it right now. If anyone has any suggestions on setting a bulkhead in I may cut it out and try that. Otherwise I may have just shot myself in the foot =/ Thanks for any help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami April 11, 2009 Share April 11, 2009 Was the glass clean and free from debris or deposits around the seal area? Did you inspect the gasket and the inner (sealing) face of the bulkhead to make sure they were clean and smooth? Is there some major chipping around the hole that may have interfered with the seal setting properly? Sometimes I run a light coating of silicone grease (not sealant) on the gasket to allow it to compress evenly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bamainva April 11, 2009 Share April 11, 2009 Did you possibly knock it off center when you were taking the wrench to it? I had a couple issues when replumbing mine and after I thought I had it, when I made that extra turn it knocked it off center and started leaking again. Had to drain the water out of the overflow and get things lined back up. Good luck. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
droyal1110 April 11, 2009 Author Share April 11, 2009 Thanks guys. Yea I inspected the seal and made sure it was free of debris. Most instructions say you need to make it hand tight, I knew I should use a wrench but I figured it was an awkward position trying to tighten it maybe it would help me out just a little. I suppose its possible its not centered, maybe I should look into that. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMsAquarium April 11, 2009 Share April 11, 2009 Thanks guys. Yea I inspected the seal and made sure it was free of debris. Most instructions say you need to make it hand tight, I knew I should use a wrench but I figured it was an awkward position trying to tighten it maybe it would help me out just a little. I suppose its possible its not centered, maybe I should look into that. Thanks again. IMO centering a bulkhead matters when the hole it goes through is too big. Like, drilled for a bigger bulkhead. If it is the case, get a proper sized bulkhead and use reducers to match your plumbing. It is important that a proper sized bulkhead is installed through the hole. Also another common mistake is where the gasket gis placed. It has to be between the flange of the bulkhead and the tank. Not between the tank and the nut of the bulkhead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
droyal1110 April 11, 2009 Author Share April 11, 2009 It doesn't need to be centered, its a perfect fit. The gasket was on the inside of the tank between the flange. I think I need to assess the situation because I used the putty and I need to see if I can either just seal around it are cut it. If I can cut it I will just buy a new bulkhead and replumb it. Man it is so disheartening =( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flowerseller April 11, 2009 Share April 11, 2009 Also another common mistake is where the gasket is placed. It has to be between the flange of the bulkhead and the tank. Not between the tank and the nut of the bulkhead. This is my first thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
droyal1110 April 12, 2009 Author Share April 12, 2009 I have the old gaskets and bulkheads from the previous setup. Would it be worse to double up on the gastkets? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJBoy98 April 12, 2009 Share April 12, 2009 You can't double up on gaskets. As long as the gasket is not dried out and cracked, it should work fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
droyal1110 April 12, 2009 Author Share April 12, 2009 Yea the bulkheads and gaskets were new from BRK. I just don't understand, I'm really contemplating just siliconing around the work I've already done and just calling it a day. The leak has slowed down but its still enough to saturate the stand, which is not good, and enough to irritate me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJBoy98 April 12, 2009 Share April 12, 2009 The gasket from BRK have a solid side and a ribbed side (has 2 rings on the gasket). The ribbed side should be facing down and contacting the glass. The glass area should be free of 100% sand/debris or it will leak. When you tighten the screw thing, it should be hand tighten. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YBeNormal April 12, 2009 Share April 12, 2009 Hand tight is not the same for everyone. Some people have a very strong grip and can get a good "hand tight" seal. Others need to use a wrench to get the nut that tight. Just be very careful if you use a wrench. You should only have to turn the nut 1/4 turn or less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dschflier April 13, 2009 Share April 13, 2009 I wouldn't try silicone if you are not getting a seal. It is kinda straqnge if it is clean and the gasket is in good shape that you cant get a seal. I sometimes wet the gasket before attaching it. I would try tightening it a bit more. But really it is pretty straight forward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
droyal1110 April 13, 2009 Author Share April 13, 2009 I didn't know there are 2 sides to the gasket, never noticed it, something I'll have to check into. Last night my soak was complete and the tank is clean(ish) so I drained it and broke the plumbing down. I lifted the tank with some plumbing still attached and turned the tank a bit so I had room to work with under the tank. Assessing the damage, there is actually none. The stand was a bit moist which is why I went down the putty road but doesn't appear to be damaged just yet, the putty didn't actually adhere to the glass of the tank, but it is in the threads of the bulkhead. I happened to have a drill with a small bit on hand so I decided to see how hard this stuff was... because of the moisture its actually solid but its a soft enough substance to cut away with a knife with some elbow grease. Long story short, tomorrow night I'm gonna grab my brothers dremel and see if I can salvage the bulkhead, if not I'll be heading over to BRK Thursday to pick up a new one and go for round 2 then. Also, can someone please explain this. It appears the old bulkhead the previous owner used is a 1" slip bulkhead that is about 2" wide, my 1" bulkhead is threaded on both sides but it looks like its maybe 1 1/2" wide. Could this be the issue? Maybe threaded vs slip is a different girth size? Thanks for your help guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJBoy98 April 13, 2009 Share April 13, 2009 My guess is he used a heavy duty bulkhead which is thicker than the normal one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kengar April 13, 2009 Share April 13, 2009 are you having just one bh leak or two? if just one, perhaps the bulhead itself has a small crack or fissure in it. you should not have to be going though such difficulties to get a decent bh seal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
droyal1110 April 13, 2009 Author Share April 13, 2009 No they are the same type of bulkheads. They are both black (I know color doesn't make a difference) and designed the same, the threads and nuts are the same, flange is the same, even gasket the same, but they appear different sizes. Once I get this bulkhead off I will measure and see if maybe this is why I have large amounts of leaking. Both are leaking but the 1" is the serious one. The 3/4" bulkhead is leaking down the threads, I think by just putting more teflon tape on the threads that should fix that problem, but that isn't the big issue. The 1" bulkhead is leaking not only down the threads but around the nut which is probably due to the gasket being damaged or not sealing properly. The silicone grease sounds plausible, I assume it is reef safe. Any special one to be used? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbartco April 13, 2009 Share April 13, 2009 are you sure the bulkhead itself is not cracked already? Already tightened too hard? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
droyal1110 April 13, 2009 Author Share April 13, 2009 No I'm not sure of that. Like I said tomorrow night I'm rolling out there with a dremel and see if I can get this putty off and possibly salvage the bulkhead. It could be something as stupid as some sand under the gasket, even though I vacuumed and wiped the chamber out, knowing my luck it will look perfectly normal. Worse comes to worse, I'm doubling up on teflon, hand tightening (have to remove with a wrench, I've got a decent grip), and if it still leaks I'm just going to silicone on the bottom of the tank. I figure silicone is less permanent in the sense that when cured its still a rubbery form which can be pealed off or removed by dremel. Either way I don't think it would be cracked, I know for sure its not the glass because its tempered, I'm still leaning towards the gasket. Won't know till tomorrow night =/ Tank is so behind schedule... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mountaineer April 13, 2009 Share April 13, 2009 I had one leak right after install once and it turned out that I needed to replace the gasket. It was a brand new bulkhead and gasket, but for some reason it did not seal properly. I used a new one and no problems at all. Because you have 2 of them doing this I question if this is your problem, but thought I would offer it for something to consider. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flowerseller April 13, 2009 Share April 13, 2009 If it is leaking down the threads (may actually hard to tell) then the gasket is likely in the wrong side or as dbartco mentioned, the BH could be cracked. You do not need teflon tape to seal it. Gasket is one the same side with the nut, correct? If that's correct, then it's wrong. It always goes; flange, gasket, glass, nut regardless of whether it's in water or out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
droyal1110 April 13, 2009 Author Share April 13, 2009 It is in the correct order. Flange, gasket, glass, then nut. If it is cracked it must have been before hand because I only did a light hand tight at first when it first displayed the leak, then I wrenched down with my hands, then I did about an 1/8th of a turn with the wrench. I'm thinking maybe the gasket is upside down, if there are two sides on it. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flowerseller April 13, 2009 Share April 13, 2009 Sorry it could not turn out to be simple fix. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
droyal1110 April 13, 2009 Author Share April 13, 2009 Thanks. So far with this build I've needed as much as I can get =/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
droyal1110 April 15, 2009 Author Share April 15, 2009 Well, 3 drill bits, 2 cutting blades, some pliers and sheet cutters (used what I had to), I got it off. Turns out the seals on BOTH bulkheads, were upside down. The ribbed portions were facing up, towards the flange, not down like DJBoy98 said. Hopefully that is the problem. Only issue is that now I have to wait till Friday, or just order them online... hmm. I'll post pictures of the carnage in my 90g build thread when I get around to it. I'll post when I finally get it right. Thanks again guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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