Persistent leak on DIY plumbing

[canadianeh]

I am dealing with this one persistent leak right now on Reefer 250 build. One out of three pipes that connected to the bulkhead using Red Sea Sump Pump Return Connector R42221 persistently leak between the Red Sea part and the PVC fitting. I used pink tape and wrapped it around the thread and also use waterproof chaulking, but it still leaks. I don’t understand. The other two are fine. Help?

 

[lapin]

Is this the part?
If so i believe it screws onto the pump. 16mm. The barb end is meant to have a flex hose conntected to it. I do not know why you are trying to connect it to a pvc pipe.

 

[canadianeh]

Is this the part?
If so i believe it screws onto the pump. 16mm. The barb end is meant to have a flex hose conntected to it. I do not know why you are trying to connect it to a pvc pipe.

See the Broadfield famous build:

Build Thread - Broadfield's Red Sea Reefer 450 Build - OCD Inspired... Going Back To a Reef

Current state of tank: FTS by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr FTS + Stand by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr IMG_6030 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr I am absolutely no stranger to posting build threads on a forum, just not of a reef tank... it's always been of vehicles.:) So this is my first! I...

www.reef2reef.com

First post and picture # 3.

I mod the Red Sea part so that it can be used with PVC. Just like Broadfield.

My apology for not making my post clearer and assumed that everyone knows that the red sea part can be modified to be used with PVC fittings.

 

[Reefer1978]

Can you post some pictures?

 

[canadianeh]

Can you post some pictures?

Yes here it is. The leak is causing the chaulking to turn white. I let the chaulk sit with no water for at 48 hours but it seems still not fully cured?!?

 

[mfinn]

Is that part of a hose barb fitting siliconed to a pvc fitting?
That will never work.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Yes here it is. The leak is causing the chaulking to turn white. I let the chaulk sit with no water for at 48 hours but it seems still not fully cured?!?

This is not how to pvc my friend. That barbed fittings was for soft tubing only.

 

[Waterislife]

It'll never work, btw 25 yrs pipe fitter, comm. HVAC, barbed fittings for tubing only, leave the rigs to the professionals

 

[Reefer1978]

What others have said, this won't hold. You need to get a proper adapter.

 

[canadianeh]

What others have said, this won't hold. You need to get a proper adapter.

No no no.

I guess all of you have not seen the mod done by others yet.

You can unscrew the barb section out. Then you will a threaded male on the red sea part which then you screw it into the PVC adapter (3/4 thread to 1" slip adapter). I wrapped the threaded male part on the red sea part with pink tape before I screw it into the grey pvc adapter.

 

[Reefer1978]

No no no.

I guess all of you have not seen the mod done by others yet.

You can unscrew the barb section out. Then you will a threaded male on the red sea part which then you screw it into the PVC adapter. I wrapped the threaded male part on the red sea part with pink tape before I screw it into the grey pvc adapter.

If I remember broadfield's changes correctly ( I read them 2 years ago if not more) you are going from a metric straight thread to mpt thread. It's possible it will hold with enough compound/silicone/tape and anything else you can throw in there. But there are no guarantees, and you are finding that it's not holding and leaking.

There are proper adapters for this purpose, otherwise you are gambling.

 

[Macdaddynick1]

No no no.

I guess all of you have not seen the mod done by others yet.

You can unscrew the barb section out. Then you will a threaded male on the red sea part which then you screw it into the PVC adapter (3/4 thread to 1" slip adapter). I wrapped the threaded male part on the red sea part with pink tape before I screw it into the grey pvc adapter.

Isn’t Red Sea metric? Also perhaps you know what you’re doing, and if you are looking for a clean solution, get some Flex tape, but you have to be very meticulous how you put it on. You should probably tape it from the end of the grey PVC adapter to the end of the black adapter. There isn’t much flex tape can’t hold.

 

[canadianeh]

Borrowing @Butuz picture

 

[Reefer1978]

No no no.

I guess all of you have not seen the mod done by others yet.

And yes, you can safely assume that 90% of the forum is not running red sea tanks, and that 99% of red sea tank owners are not familiar with this mod. You will only get as good of a help response as the detail you provide in your posts.

 

[canadianeh]

so I managed to peeled off the caulking and maybe I can use an 0-ring this time. Here is a picture of the Red Sea part with the barb removed and the adapter.
Is there an easy way to remove the old tape?

 

[NowGlazeIT]

No no no.

I guess all of you have not seen the mod done by others yet.

You can unscrew the barb section out. Then you will a threaded male on the red sea part which then you screw it into the PVC adapter (3/4 thread to 1" slip adapter). I wrapped the threaded male part on the red sea part with pink tape before I screw it into the grey pvc adapter.

Ohhh sorry I was not aware the barbed fittings was removable and therefore universal. Okay then in this case I believe the pink Teflon tape used was not sufficient in forming seal. I had an issue like this with a bulkhead and more tape was not the solution. I ended up glueing then threaded section using all purpose pipe cement.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

so I managed to peeled off the caulking and maybe I can use an 0-ring this time. Here is a picture of the Red Sea part with the barb removed and the adapter.

Glue that pita

 

[mfinn]

so I managed to peeled off the caulking and maybe I can use an 0-ring this time. Here is a picture of the Red Sea part with the barb removed and the adapter.
Is there an easy way to remove the old tape?

I had no idea there were threads involved.
The pink tape is used for gas connections.
Another issue is, do the threads match? If they do ( if they turn more than 2-3 turns before seizing ) then a thread paste would be more appropriate. If they don't match up very well, then a glue made for plastic may be your only option.

 

[Urtoo]

To remove old tape, use a small brush, even a toothbrush works in a pinch.

 

[fishguy242]