Return bulkhead leaking

[Dsekula]

I agree some bulkheads do have a washer on the nutt side but 90% of the bulkheads used in the hobby do not have a washer on the nutt side. By using a washer on the nutt side it is more likely to cause a leak then to prevent one. In the op's case, that bulkhead is meant for only one washer & it is meant to be on the flange side

Well maybe op just needs to get one of the good bulk heads with two washers, ijk lol. But really at this point your best bet is probably to get a new one. I'm just saying that in the meantime some reef putty may seal it for long enough to prep up the new plumbing parts and do the job right instead of rushing it just to get the tank back up.

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[praveen956]

That doesn't look like the right washer to me? You want the ridged kind on the outside.

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I picked up 4 to 5 washer from home depot.. will try them one by one..


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[praveen956]

Well maybe op just needs to get one of the good bulk heads with two washers, ijk lol. But really at this point your best bet is probably to get a new one. I'm just saying that in the meantime some reef putty may seal it for long enough to prep up the new plumbing parts and do the job right instead of rushing it just to get the tank back up.

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Lol.. I actually ordered another backup bulkhead but cant use that since i glued this one.. dumb dumb dumb me.. if nothing works will cut the pvc and try the other bulkhead.. thanks!


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[praveen956]

That doesn't look like the right washer to me? You want the ridged kind on the outside.

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This is the washer that came with the bulkhead.. will try different washers on the wet side and post here.. will get the silicone grease tomorrow..


..

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[whiteshark]

How long has this tank been running? Did it leak on the first fill?

 

[Lsufan]

How are u replacing the gasket without cutting out the bulkhead? U will have to eighther loosen the bulkhead so u can clean it up & try again or cut out the bulkhead.

 

[praveen956]

How long has this tank been running? Did it leak on the first fill?

This is the first fill.. its a new build as my tank doesn't have a sump..


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[praveen956]

How are u replacing the gasket without cutting out the bulkhead? U will have to eighther loosen the bulkhead so u can clean it up & try again or cut out the bulkhead.

I thought the same.. but since these are rubber, they stretch and come out of the union


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[whiteshark]

This is the first fill.. its a new build as my tank doesn't have a sump..


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What does the hole in the glass look like? Any chips on the wet side?

 

[Lsufan]

I thought the same.. but since these are rubber, they stretch and come out of the union


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That is how I thought u were trying to do it. That will damage the gasket though. U aren’t going to seal the leak from the nutt side of the bulkhead, it will have to be fixed from the flange side.

Usually the hole in the glass is a little bigger then the bulkhead, so make sure the bulkhead is centered in the hole.

 

[praveen956]

That is how I thought u were trying to do it. That will damage the gasket though. U aren't going to seal the leak from the nutt side of the bulkhead, it will have to be fixed from the flange side.

Yes.. thats what im gonna try next.. gonna replace the default washer on the wet side as i got many other washers from hardware store today.. hope something will work.


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[praveen956]

I really appreciate all your help in this situation.. I had to pause this as some guests are home but will resume once they leave.. will update if anything works..


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[lapin]

Here is my 2 pennys worth from experience. As a last resort before cutting it apart. Since its the return side coming out of the tank it has very little pressure to cause a leak. If cleaning and using silicone grease does not work, go with pure clear silicone. Get one with no additives. Prevents mold means dead livestock. Back off the nut so you can get between the gasket and the tank. Make sure there is no sand between the gasket and the tank wall. Put a bead between the gasket and the tank. Tighten it down by hand really tight. Before the silicone cures do a leak test. If its leaking you will need to tighten it down with a wrench about a 1/4 turn at max. This has worked for me in the past with stubborn leaks, Usually when someone has drilled the hole a mm too large.

 

[Dsekula]

I really appreciate all your help in this situation.. I had to pause this as some guests are home but will resume once they leave.. will update if anything works..


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Np and good luck!! You want to find a washer that fits snug as possible and completely covers the hole. Make sure everything is as dry as possible and not to over tighten just do it by hand and then tighten more if there is still a drip.
The only other thing you could try I could think of, beside redoing all the plumbing, is if you have extra glass dry everything and patch a piece over both or just the inside with Aquarium grade silicone and just let the inlet come over the top scrapping the whole bulkhead.

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[praveen956]

Leak is stopped now .. i replaced the washer on the wet side of the bulkhead with the washer from my backup bulk head.. it did the trick.. thank you all soo much for all the assistance yesterday!!

Below is the picture of the washer that didn't work.. I'm guessing the inner circle in the washer didn't align with the glass hole.. the one I replaced with is flat rubber..

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[Dsekula]

Leak is stopped now .. i replaced the washer on the wet side of the bulkhead with the washer from my backup bulk head.. it did the trick.. thank you all soo much for all the assistance yesterday!!

Below is the picture of the washer that didn't work.. I'm guessing the inner circle in the washer didn't align with the glass hole.. the one I replaced with is flat rubber..

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Yay!!! Happy for you, glad you found a solution. I'd grab a few extra of those washer (the one that worked) and keep them for a backup that way when you need to replace it eventually you don't have to do an insane search. Congratulations!!

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[mitch91175]

Don't know if you have already fixed this or not, but like someone else suggested, you should fix it properly or you could end up in the near future with more of a leak than you have now.

I had a leak in on one of my returns and I just bit the bullet and shutoff the return, drained the water from the drain section and fixed it.


Edit: HAHA, I see you fixed it, lol

 

[Dr. Reef]

Don't know if you have already fixed this or not, but like someone else suggested, you should fix it properly or you could end up in the near future with more of a leak than you have now.

I had a leak in on one of my returns and I just bit the bullet and shutoff the return, drained the water from the drain section and fixed it.


Edit: HAHA, I see you fixed it, lol

that is the only way to go on bulkheads. fix it the first time the right way. like i said before if done right, there is no need for anything but a bulkhead with washer on wet side and nut on dry.

 

[praveen956]

Don't know if you have already fixed this or not, but like someone else suggested, you should fix it properly or you could end up in the near future with more of a leak than you have now.

I had a leak in on one of my returns and I just bit the bullet and shutoff the return, drained the water from the drain section and fixed it.


Edit: HAHA, I see you fixed it, lol

Yes. Its fixed afrer replacing the washer and i also used silicone grease and gave a quarter turn with a bulkhead wrench .. thank you for your comments!


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[praveen956]

that is the only way to go on bulkheads. fix it the first time the right way. like i said before if done right, there is no need for anything but a bulkhead with washer on wet side and nut on dry.

Cant agree more.. since im doing the plumbing for the first time, got upset to see it leak.. glad everything worked out.. will be moving the livestock to the new tank this weekend..


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