bulkhead leaking

[bkiba]

I'm try to resetup my rubbermaid sump after my internal pump failure. This time I've gone with an external pump so I needed to add a 1" bulkhead to the sump. I added water and I get a slow drip. I cut the hole with a kitchen knife to the size of the threaded post. I hand tightened it and it leaked, then I drained the water and tightened it with channel locks (not as tight as I was able but tight) and it still leaks.

How tight does the bulkhead need to be? Super tight or can it be too tight?

If I can't figure it out I'm going to silicone the outside of the bulkhead diameter on the water side and the dry side and hope for the best.

thanks!

 

[george1098]

I silicone all my bulkheads if they need them or not. If you're putting the bulkhead on a plastic rubbermaid tub there's not harm in screwing it as right as you can

 

[bkiba]

Ok thanks for the reply george. Seems like I had the bulkhead with the gasket on the nut side this is incorrect. I switched it around and it seems to be working now.

I had to put it with the flange on the dryside due to space constraints plumbing into my new pump so I just assumed the gasket went on the wet side (with the nut in this case). After doing a search, I learned that it doesn't matter which side (dry/wet) the gasket is on, but it must be against the flange or else it will not work.

Also overtightening can strip the threads and damage the part to where it must be replaced. So I hand tightened as hard as I could and then did 1/4-1/2 turn with channel locks.

 

[BeanAnimal]

You should never have to silicone a bulkhead, if you do something is wrong.

The gasket always goes on the flange side, ALWAYS! No matter what side the water is on, the gasket goes on the flange side.

Your are corerct a 1/4 past hand tight is usually sufficient to seal make a good seal.

Bean

 

[Nammy]

BeanAnimal, I'm with you on that one..

 

[bkiba]

Yes bean and nammy I did a search and foud your opinions in a different thread. It makes sense if you think about it. I stayed off the silicone, after thinking about it, it seems like it will just iterrupt the seal of the gasket. Silicone doesn't stick well at all to the plastic rubbermaid tub material anyhow so there is no point to it.

 

[manderx]

and (just for completeness since everything else has been mentioned) never overtighten because it will deform the gasket to the point where it no longer seals.