Plumbers Putty Issues?

[eschulist]

I would like to use the soft malleable plumbers putty in my reef. What would be some negative effects it any?

I currently have the Ace Brand stuff that comes in a roll.

It most likely has similar chemical properties to Oakeys Plumbers Putty. Here is their SDS
http://pdf.lowes.com/useandcareguides/038753311661_use.pdf

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I wouldn't put a lot of it in the tank, but a small amount is likely fine.

What's the application?

 

[eschulist]

I plan to use it to hold a bulkhead screen in place and fill an air gap. The amount used would be maybe approx half a pingpong sized piece in roughly 20 gallons of total water volume.

The screen is at :18 I'd prefer to use Putty rather than epoxy for the purpose of being able to easily remove and clean them.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I'm not sure how well that will hold, but if you have activated carbon in the system, I expect it will be OK from a tox perspective.

 

[jsker]

Have you thought about cutting your own rubber gasket?

 

[wattson]

get a new bulkhead or use aquarium safe silicone,,and proper cure time,best if you get a rubber gasket,,skip the plumbers putty all together..your crazy if you use the plumbers putty..making uneccessary headaches for your self

 

[jlanger]

Would you just pet the cat already!!!

Does the screen need the putty to attach to the bulkhead? Or does the screen clip on the bulkhead and the putty is just to fill in behind the screen to eliminate the drawing in of air above the water line?

I would try to avoid using the plumbers putty because it will eventually degrade and crumble. I wouldn't want to have any particulates of that stuff getting into my tank, sand bed or corals.
We should be able to think up of a way to achieve this without relying on malleable chemical compounds.

 

[Smudge01]

I wouldn't use it in my tank. I'm a plumber and use that stuff at work. It will stain marble or stone work, I wouldn't trust it in the tank.
What about the use of magnets on that screen? Attach with epoxy to screen and use another on outside to hold in in place.
Just a thought.
Good luck

 

[eschulist]

I'm not sure how well that will hold, but if you have activated carbon in the system, I expect it will be OK from a tox perspective.

Carbon will be ran. So far its been working really well with just freshwater. This test I was running in the video has been going pretty much non stop for 2 weeks. I have to put some effort to pull the screen off the bulkhead. Its stuck rather well.

Have you thought about cutting your own rubber gasket?

The rubber gasket would be extremely difficult to form a perfect fit between the bulkhead itself and I want every air pocket eliminated.

get a new bulkhead or use aquarium safe silicone,,and proper cure time,best if you get a rubber gasket,,skip the plumbers putty all together..your crazy if you use the plumbers putty..making uneccessary headaches for your self

The putty is NOT holding the bulkhead in place. It is a normal install with the rubber gasket against the glass and the outside nut tightened. The putty is holding my slotted screen onto the flange of the bulkhead.

Would you just pet the cat already!!!

Does the screen need the putty to attach to the bulkhead? Or does the screen clip on the bulkhead and the putty is just to fill in behind the screen to eliminate the drawing in of air above the water line?

I would try to avoid using the plumbers putty because it will eventually degrade and crumble. I wouldn't want to have any particulates of that stuff getting into my tank, sand bed or corals.
We should be able to think up of a way to achieve this without relying on malleable chemical compounds.

Its the wife's cat, it can suffer

The putty isnt needed for it to necessarily stay in place. Once the water is running the force of it going through the screen actually presses it against the bulkhead and it doesn't fall off. The main point is to fill in any airgaps created at the top of the screen to allow the siphon to start faster and eliminate all noise. If its not there it can take minutes to start. The air bubble never fully purges and it creates a lot of noise.

The crumbling part is my main fear I guess. I'd hope that it would stay in the soft state forever, but the oils and other various compounds my get pulled out by the carbon and I'd just be left with the main Limestone ingredient.

The last resort is 2 part epoxy. It will fill the air gap and harden but will be permanently attached and I have to get it right on the first try.

 

[eschulist]

I wouldn't use it in my tank. I'm a plumber and use that stuff at work. It will stain marble or stone work, I wouldn't trust it in the tank.
What about the use of magnets on that screen? Attach with epoxy to screen and use another on outside to hold in in place.
Just a thought.
Good luck

Small magnets each with Epoxy is an idea I hadn't thought of. That could work for being able to remove them when needed. Another thing I thought about was just using the 2 part epoxy. Take the screen off the bulkhead. Put a large wad on the top. Press the screen onto the bulkhead to form a mold that fills in the air gap. Then try to remove it without altering the shape of the epoxy. Leave it off to harden. I just worry that its kind of sticky and that the shape would alter when I remove it or that some form of contraction would happen as it hardened and it would not longer be a good seal.

 

[cmcoker]

Maybe look at some thermomorph? I used it to bond my rocks.. It's a plastic that you heat up to mold then it hardens again at room Temps. Also reusable, didn't get the right shape, heat it back up
It is pretty sticky to other plastics (I used a plastic spoon and couldn't get all of it off) though so maybe play around with it some to get an idea if it would be good alternative.

 

[Rick.45cal]

Maybe look at some thermomorph? I used it to bond my rocks.. It's a plastic that you heat up to mold then it hardens again at room Temps. Also reusable, didn't get the right shape, heat it back up
It is pretty sticky to other plastics (I used a plastic spoon and couldn't get all of it off) though so maybe play around with it some to get an idea if it would be good alternative.

+1!!!!!

 

[eschulist]

Maybe look at some thermomorph? I used it to bond my rocks.. It's a plastic that you heat up to mold then it hardens again at room Temps. Also reusable, didn't get the right shape, heat it back up
It is pretty sticky to other plastics (I used a plastic spoon and couldn't get all of it off) though so maybe play around with it some to get an idea if it would be good alternative.

Funny you mention the formable plastic as that's exactly how I turned the screens into something useable to create a siphon and trickle side. My first attempt was really bad as it's very sticky to other plastics and isn't the easiest to form.

Once I went really slow and filled it in line by line and did a final soak in hot water to smooth it out I got something fairly nice.

I'm going to do the mold idea tonight with both epoxy and probably the formable plastics by using wax paper and or Vaseline to keep the product from sticking to the screen and or bulkhead while I make the tiny piece that fills the gap. Credit to @jlanger for suggesting items to use to keep it from sticking while I make the mold. He texted me at the same time I suggested the idea above.

 

[Roy 9121]

Plumbers Putty is not water tight, you know that right?

 

[GoVols]

I'd prefer to use Putty rather than epoxy for the purpose of being able to easily remove and clean them.

JMO...
I'd silicone those screens on and brush them clean inside the tank. Your filter socks will catch most of the funk while you clean them inside the tank.

Or I'd silicone on strong reef safe magnets and (Magnetize) them together as someone stated above.

You can lose a finger to a set of those Tunze magnets