leaking bulkhead
- Thread starter jag1979
- Start date
crumbletop
New member
how do you have them installed? What is on the inside and what is on the outside. Also, how did you tighten them -- did you turn the inside, the outside part or both? Were they clean and the glass clean (no sand, etc.)?
crumbletop
New member
Okay -- so that all sounds good. I'd tighten them a bit more and test. Also, if the water is coming from inside the bulkhead, then there is a leak in the plumbing on top. If it is coming from outside, then it likely isn't tight enough. It doesn't sound like you bunched up / kinked the gasket. The bulkhead itself shouldn't move while you tighten -- just the outside nut.
crumbletop
New member
It's possible. If you can't budge it now, you may have done that. Wow, you really have them on there. If you can get someone to push down on the bulkhead from the top, then you should have an easier time loosening the nut.
I had the same problem on my 300 gal. Nothing I did stopped the drip. Had to empty 300 gals of salt water into a lot of plastic garbage containers and move sand around. I replaced all 12. Do'nt go cheep on bulkhead fittings!!!!! It will save you more than you know. I did the ebay thing on my first bulkhead fittings never again.
Ron
Ron
luckily I was just setting up the tank and just poured a few cups of water into the overflow to test them out.
I am using the bulkheads that came w/ the aga overflow kit, they feel pretty cheap maybe I should get some better ones...if I can get those off. any suggestions, if they work well I really dont care how much they cost
I am using the bulkheads that came w/ the aga overflow kit, they feel pretty cheap maybe I should get some better ones...if I can get those off. any suggestions, if they work well I really dont care how much they cost
crumbletop
New member
Yeah, "tight enough" is what I do. It's really hard to describe. Not as tight as you can.
RE better bulkheads. I don't think the oceanic or AGA tanks have holes that accommodate Schedule 80 bulkheads. The ones you have should work fine. I originally tried schedule 80 bulkheads for my 90 gallon and quickly found out that the outside diameter of the bulkhead (with threads) was too thick for the holes in my tank unless I really dropped down the inner diameter size. The regular schedule 40 bulkheads work fine, but are nowhere near as heavy duty as the schedule 80.
RE better bulkheads. I don't think the oceanic or AGA tanks have holes that accommodate Schedule 80 bulkheads. The ones you have should work fine. I originally tried schedule 80 bulkheads for my 90 gallon and quickly found out that the outside diameter of the bulkhead (with threads) was too thick for the holes in my tank unless I really dropped down the inner diameter size. The regular schedule 40 bulkheads work fine, but are nowhere near as heavy duty as the schedule 80.
crumbletop
New member
Yeah, "tight enough" is what I do. It's really hard to describe. Not as tight as you can.
RE better bulkheads. I don't think the oceanic or AGA tanks have holes that accommodate Schedule 80 bulkheads. The ones you have should work fine. I originally tried schedule 80 bulkheads for my 90 gallon and quickly found out that the outside diameter of the bulkhead (with threads) was too thick for the holes in my tank unless I really dropped down the inner diameter size. The regular schedule 40 bulkheads work fine, but are nowhere near as heavy duty as the schedule 80.
Make sure sure it is leaking around the bulkhead and not the inside. The inside would mean there is either a crack or a leak in the plumbing in the overflow.
RE better bulkheads. I don't think the oceanic or AGA tanks have holes that accommodate Schedule 80 bulkheads. The ones you have should work fine. I originally tried schedule 80 bulkheads for my 90 gallon and quickly found out that the outside diameter of the bulkhead (with threads) was too thick for the holes in my tank unless I really dropped down the inner diameter size. The regular schedule 40 bulkheads work fine, but are nowhere near as heavy duty as the schedule 80.
Make sure sure it is leaking around the bulkhead and not the inside. The inside would mean there is either a crack or a leak in the plumbing in the overflow.
