Any chance i can save this?

[Rubblereefer]

I bumped my reefer sump while moving it. Is there any chance I could use it if I apply silicone to the whole area?

 

[Rubblereefer]

Here's a Shot from inside

 

[xxkenny90xx]

I can't really tell, pics are dark. is it damaged inside and out? Is there a crack or just a clamshell?

 

[Rubblereefer]

I can't really tell, pics are dark. is it damaged inside and out? Is there a crack or just a clamshell?

Here are some more pics, it’s flush to the touch and from the inside you wouldn’t know it was cracked, but looking down the sides you can see it,

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Looks like it's cracked all of the way through. Silicone could seal it up for the time being, but it wouldn't be a very good seal and one day it would most likely leak (usually when your on vacation!). Unfortunately I have to 100% recommend replacing either the cracked panel or the sump.

 

[Barks]

I think it would be fine, over fill it with tap water and test it for a few days.

 

[Rubblereefer]

Would a massive blob of silicone covering that whole corner do the trick assuming it is holding water now?

 

[rastareefs]

I'd have to agree with @xxkenny90xx to replace it. That crack looks like it made its way through the glass so for the piece of mind I would replace it.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

I'm not a tank builder but I am a Glazier, so here's my opinion. It's not leaking now, great, cover it in a big blob of silicone, even better. But with the pressure it will have on it and the way the crack appears to me in the pic, one day that crack will run and turn into a big crack and a big leak. I could be seeing the picture wrong but I don't want to see you flooding your house (been there...)

 

[ca1ore]

No way to know, of course. Thing that would worry me the most is what appears to be the beginnings of a crack going diagonally out from the busted corner. If it were me, I would try to fix it by using glass patches on the inside. Won’t look good, but it’s only a sump. You’d need to be vigilant to make sure the crack doesn’t travel. I ran a cracked sump with a glass patch for years .... it never leaked or failed. Doesn’t mean this would be that same, but give it a shot and don’t listen to the doomsday crowd LOL.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

[/QUOTE]

No way to know, of course. Thing that would worry me the most is what appears to be the beginnings of a crack going diagonally out from the busted corner. If it were me, I would try to fix it by using glass patches on the inside. Won’t look good, but it’s only a sump. You’d need to be vigilant to make sure the crack doesn’t travel. I ran a cracked sump with a glass patch for years .... it never leaked or failed. Doesn’t mean this would be that same, but give it a shot and don’t listen to the doomsday crowd LOL.

Lol! Maybe a big glass patch that covers the whole panel would do the trick? I would want to seal anywhere that the crack could possibly run too

 

[ca1ore]

I guess it depends on how badly you want to save it. Thinking outside the box ..... grind/drill a hole so that the crack cannot run. Then patch the corner and the hole.

 

[Rubblereefer]

Well it’s holding water so far. Wish I could get better pics but it’s like nearly impossible to get it to show up on camera. I noticed the other back corner is cracked too, so I’ll probably silicone everything and look into an ACRYLIC upgrade in the next year, hopefully it holds till then

 

[Rubblereefer]

Oh can someone point me in the direction of glass patching I’ve never heard of that

 

[Malifry97]

Id epoxy it Then cover it in sillicone.

 

[rastareefs]

Not sure how you're setup but would it be possible to shift the sump all the way against a cabinet side? May help relieve some of the pressure if the wall is also there to support.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

No epoxy or silicone will prevent that crack from spreading. Drilling a hole like ca1ore said is a good idea if your comfortable drilling glass. For a patch I would have a local glass shop cut you a piece of glass the same size as the cracked panel (cost is probably between $30-$50)and silicone it on the inside of the cracked panel. Your basically replacing the panel by putting a new one over it.

 

[Rubblereefer]

Man that sucks but I think I’m just going to say screw it and buy a new acrylic sump now. Might as well bite the bullet as it was on my upgrade list eventually anyway since the reefer sump is really not set up for a refugium. I’m thinking it’s Just not worth the risk running this one ... If it was going in a garage fish room I guess I’d chance it but not in the living room.