Bulkhead gaskets

[jgsensor]

Ok, I went brain dead here. I am replacing a sump and refugium and I'm getting ready to install the bulkheads, but forgot where the gasket goes. Do you install the gasket on the water side or the dry side of the sump? Also, does the flat side or the ribbed side of the gasket go against the acrylic? I thought the gasket goes on the inside with the flat side against the acrylic, but the came installed with the gasket on the dry side. Anyone know for sure, I would hate to have a 125 gal leak?

 

[Josh125]

It can go on either side, wet or dry. The key point is to put it opposite of the nut. Spinning down the nut will twist the gasket and potentially cause it to fail.

 

[jgsensor]

I guess that makes since. I have a couple of BH that will have gaskets on both sides, but was wondering on the two that will only have one gasket. Thanks for the help.

 

[dweakl01]

I normally place the bulkhead in the hole with the gasket on the inside of the tank. I then place a bead of aquarium silicone around the backside of the hole (outside of the tank) and thread the nut on the bulkhead.

 

[jgsensor]

I think on my current sump I have them mounted that way also, with the gasket to the inside. I will have to double check them when I start disassembling them here shortly.

 

[javajaws]

The gasket should always go between the glass/acrylic and the flange. NEVER between the glass/acrylic and the nut. Doesn't matter if the flange is inside or outside the tank.

 

[BeanAnimal]

and you should not ever need to use silicone.

For bulkheads that come with 2 gaskets (larger haywards) Use the rubber gasket on the flange side, and the paper backed gasket on the nut side ONLY if the nut side is the dry side. You can really discard the paper backed gasket 100% of the time and not have a problem.

 

[jgsensor]

Just for the record, I went with the gasket on the outside and it worked great. My problem I had was with the BH that runs between the sump and refugium. The two are mounted back to bac with no space between the two. I ended up putting a gasket on the inside of both tanks and one gasket between the two tanks. Worked like a champ. Thanks for all the help.

 

[javajaws]

Yeah, you can bolt two pieces of glass/acrylic together by placing an additional gasket between the two pieces. You still don't need the gasket next to the nut though. This technique is commonly used with bolt-on overflow boxes when the drain pipe exits near the top/side of the tank and you don't want an overflow box to run the full height of the tank.