First time plumbing disaster
- Thread starter ReefEsq
- Start date
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Flippers4pups
Fins up since 1993
Primer softens the pvc, allows the cement to bind the two surfaces.
LilElroyJetson
Valuable Member
Well what do you know...I chime in to help with a plumbing emergency, then go check my plumbing, and find a verrrry slowwwww drip leak from the bulkhead where the return re-enters the tank smh. The gasket is correctly installed on the flange side, and it looks like it had to have just recently started because there’s only a little salt creep on the return tube where the drops are dropping, and the floor and equipment are clean and dry. However, I tried to tighten the nut tighter by hand and it seems to have increased the speed of the drips (although it’s still pretty slow). About one droplet of water every minute or so. Still, that’s too fast for me and I need to get this under control.
The water is coming down the threads thru the bulkhead. The guy who drilled the tank did a really shoddy job and I think the hole he drilled for the bulkhead was just too large. Anyway, the next time this tank is taken apart is in a year when it’s being replaced, so I don’t mind function over form for the time being.
Am I fine to:
(1) drain the water below the bulkhead level to stop the drip
(2) dry it completely without removing the nut from the bulkhead
(3) silicon around the nut where the threads first become exposed in order to stop the slow leak down the threads from the inside of the bulkhead?
I’m worried if I try to unscrew the nut and re-do the plumbing I’ll get myself into a mess of a project and without Pre-planning I prefer not to do that, especially if the silicon on the nut and threads will hold up. @RobW you’re the pro here, would love your input sir!
The water is coming down the threads thru the bulkhead. The guy who drilled the tank did a really shoddy job and I think the hole he drilled for the bulkhead was just too large. Anyway, the next time this tank is taken apart is in a year when it’s being replaced, so I don’t mind function over form for the time being.
Am I fine to:
(1) drain the water below the bulkhead level to stop the drip
(2) dry it completely without removing the nut from the bulkhead
(3) silicon around the nut where the threads first become exposed in order to stop the slow leak down the threads from the inside of the bulkhead?
I’m worried if I try to unscrew the nut and re-do the plumbing I’ll get myself into a mess of a project and without Pre-planning I prefer not to do that, especially if the silicon on the nut and threads will hold up. @RobW you’re the pro here, would love your input sir!
LilElroyJetson
Valuable Member
Here’s a photo:
LilElroyJetson
Valuable Member
Update: We’re good to go. I ended up running to Lowes and plumbed it properly. It was probably a sign. Gonna head over to my LFS tomorrow and get a better bulkhead and gasket.
Hemmdog
10K Club member
Atta boy.Update: We’re good to go. I ended up running to Lowes and plumbed it properly. It was probably a sign. Gonna head over to my LFS tomorrow and get a better bulkhead and gasket.
LilElroyJetson
Valuable Member
@Hemmdog my man, happy I got it taken care of but not without a good dose of stress (and as predicted, a couple hour project I wasn’t planning on this evening) haha. ;Hilarious
Hemmdog
10K Club member
Oh man I don’t blame you. That’s a very bad place to have a leak lol, I would be super stressed as well! Glad you got a handle on it though!
RobW
Valuable Member
The bulkhead is near the top of the tank, you said? I would just order another bulkhead and change it out. You could try the silicone method. But in my opinion, you could probably change the bulkhead faster than waiting for the silicone to dry.
LilElroyJetson
Valuable Member
Thanks, @RobW. I figured if I just globbed the silicone on the bulkhead around the threads at the nut it would be thick enough to stop the slow leak and given its such a small amount of silicone on the outside of the twnk I wasn’t too worried about the acetic acid getting into the water. Just wanted something to hold me over until I could get my hands on the proper bulkhead but ended up re-plumbing and using a generic bulkhead for now. Hoping my LFS has some that fit on hand, heading over when they open in 30 minutes. I am wondering though if the globbing on method would’ve worked or if the drip would’ve sept thru the un-cured silicone. Thanks again for your reply!
