PDA

View Full Version : Bulkheads: Silicone or No Silicone?


d2mini
12/08/2009, 08:33 PM
on the gasket side in the tank.
Holes are drilled in the base if that matters.

And while we're at it... same question for the return bulkhead on my acrylic sump.

Thanks!

noahm
12/08/2009, 08:47 PM
silicone grease not regular silicone sealant. Yes. They are quite different. Just rub a small amount on the gasket.

montipora80
12/08/2009, 09:27 PM
Is this a must to do? Also where do you get that from I don't think I ever seen it before?

Thanks, Pete

spleify
12/08/2009, 09:35 PM
Like mentioned, silicone sealant definitely not. If I need a little lube, I just spit on it!!

Mako
12/08/2009, 11:46 PM
No silicone of any kind should be required. Just make sure your gasket and the area it will seal are squeaky clean. Hand tight, and then a 1/4 turn on the nut with channel locks and you are in business.

gilweb
12/08/2009, 11:58 PM
I have 16 bulkheads in my system. I didnt use anything to seal but gasket it came with. Tighten all by hand and 1/4 turn with wrench. Gasket always goes on bulkhead side and not the nut side whether its in the water or not.

billdogg
12/09/2009, 06:57 AM
I agree with ^^^ you should not need anything on the gasket, although many do use some silicone as "insurance" Silicone grease is nothing more than plumbers grease, found in any plumbing section at your local big box store. IF you must, use just enough to make the gasket shiny - no globs whatsoever. The downside to using it is that you can deform the gasket when snugging it up, and then have a leak to deal with. IMO, silicone around the outside is nothing but a mess waiting to be cleaned off when you replumb, as eventually everyone does. Dry, hand tight plus 1/4 to 1/2 turn BY HAND is all that should be needed.

HTH

d2mini
12/09/2009, 08:19 AM
Thanks!

leshnign
12/09/2009, 08:34 AM
In the past I've used the silicone grease also, but if you have some vasiline lying around you could use a little of that as well.

der_wille_zur_macht
12/09/2009, 09:05 AM
I didnt use anything to seal but gasket it came with.

Which is exactly how these bulkheads are designed to function.

Using grease/lubricant/sealant can cause problems:

1) If the gasket gets too slippery, it can deform (squirt out) from under the nut.
2) If the threads get too slippery, it's really easy to overtighten the bulkhead and break or deform something, if you're not used to how tight they should be.
3) Sealants that cure to a hard state (i.e. silicone sealer/adhesive) can make troubleshooting or replumbing a big mess. Especially on a glass tank - even if you toss the bulkhead, the hole will now be pretty gunked up. Silicone sticks to glass very well. You'll need to razor blade the hole clean again, which is no fun.

That said, asking this question is like talking politics. There are proponents in both camps that swear they've installed eleventybillion bulkheads without problems, but every time they try the "other" method the world comes to an end. Clearly, both methods can work, so do your research and decide for yourself.

Newreeflady
12/09/2009, 11:45 AM
silicone GREASE helps lubricate and is particularly good when tightening thinner gaskets which like to bunch.

-A

Should add I have used this method. I have only one system. I have not used the non-grease method. I work in a chemical lab, so had the grease on hand.

BigandUgly
12/09/2009, 11:48 AM
If I need a little lube, I just spit on it!!

I assume you're still talking about bulkheads?

tabwyo
12/09/2009, 11:56 AM
I am on the other end of this I guess. Anything that can potentially leak gets a bead of aquarium grade silicone around it, inside and out. don't put it betwen the gasket/bulkhead, gasket/tank or tank/nut. But I run a bead around it (inside and out) once it's installed.

Rennsport
12/09/2009, 12:00 PM
I assume you're still talking about bulkheads?

:)

WharfRat
12/09/2009, 12:04 PM
I have a crazy idea..contact Hayward mfg and ask them the proper way to install a bulkhead..I bet they tell you no anything of any kind is needed if the bulkhead is installed correctly. You could also do a search on this site and find about a bazillion replies to the exact same question.