Leaky Bulkhead?

[cm11599ps]

So I just connected my new sump/fuge and did a water test. Here's a pic.

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e191/yourbasicdj/f4b3e38d.jpg

At the front of the setup you can see the tubing entering the fuge via bulkhead. Directly behind that you can see anotehr bulkhead connecting the two tanks with a 90 drain pipe returning into the sump. The fuge gets full of water so the bulkheads are under water there and the sump side doesn't get more than a few inches high so that side of the bulkhead doesn't get wet. The nuts for the bulkheads are on the fuge side. My instructions said to run a ring of silicone around the holes of each bulkhead between the sump and fuge.

When I first connected everything I placed the rugger gasket on the fuge side which meant it was on the nut side. When I went to fill my fuge it sprung a leak from the bulkheads. I also didn't teflon tape the bulkhead.

So I then wrapped teflon tape around each bulkhead and put the gasket on the flange side which is the dry side. I filled the sump/fuge with water again and there was no major leak. I do seem to see a tiny bit of water dropping down from the rear bulkhead. It's not much and I've never seen it drip but I'll wipe it dry and then look a few minutes later and you can clearly see a drop ran down the inside part of the sump by the bulkhead.

Your thoughts?

[jeff@zina.com]

Bulkhead gaskets always go on the flange side, never the nut side. In your case, it drips from one wet area to the next wet area, there's no real issue if it leaks.

Jeff

[cm11599ps]

Bulkhead gaskets always go on the flange side, never the nut side. In your case, it drips from one wet area to the next wet area, there's no real issue if it leaks.

Jeff


I have the same exact setup for the feed into the fuge as in the return from the fuge, just different sizes. I have silicone around the holes between the sump and fuge and you can clearly see those silicone rings got flattened once I installed the bulkheads and there doesn't seem to be any water actually getting OUT from the system.

I just don't get why it's leaking though as I have the gasket on the flange side on the sump side. The little leak is coming from the flange/gasket area. Even if water got through the nut side and through the threads it wouldn;t go out of my system due to the rings of silicone between the sump and fuge, but then the water should stop when it hits the gasket and flange, right? It' snothing major, just a drip every few minutes.

[James77]

There should be no need for any silicone or teflon tape on bulkheads. The rubber gasket goes against the flange of the BH, regardless of whether you have it on the insode or outisde. They should be tightened about 1/4-1/3 of a turn past hand tight, obviously a b
it tighter if it does leak.

[cm11599ps]

There should be no need for any silicone or teflon tape on bulkheads. The rubber gasket goes against the flange of the BH, regardless of whether you have it on the insode or outisde. They should be tightened about 1/4-1/3 of a turn past hand tight, obviously a b
it tighter if it does leak.

There's no silicone on the bulkeahds at all. The sump and fuge are two different tanks so there's a ring of silicone sandwiched between the two tanks around the openings. It's like having a gasket between the tanks.

[kcrush4989]

There's no silicone on the bulkeahds at all. The sump and fuge are two different tanks so there's a ring of silicone sandwiched between the two tanks around the openings. It's like having a gasket between the tanks.

When you are connection two tanks there should be 2 gaskets. one on the flange side and one inbetween the two tanks. Its just like adding and overflow box. There are two gaskets. Check out the instruction at gl*******s. com.

Keith

[cm11599ps]

When you are connection two tanks there should be 2 gaskets. one on the flange side and one inbetween the two tanks. Its just like adding and overflow box. There are two gaskets. Check out the instruction at gl*******s. com.

Keith


That's where the silicone between the tanks comes into play.

[on the spot]

So the flange with the gasket is on the sump side, and not the fuge side? And these boxes of water are acrylic?

If those two questions are true, I'd reverse the bulkhead, putting the flange with the gasket on the fuge side. I wouldn't trust the silicone gasket to be or remain water tight. As these things go it will stick together just fine making it difficult to separate, but leak.

Also remove the teflon tape. Bulkhead threads are not tapered. They don't seal, they just hold the seal (gasket) in place. The tape may actually hinder a good seal by making you believe the nut is tight when it is not or break the nut or the bulkhead.

[Midnightsun]

A bulkhead fitting is not made to seal on 2 sides. The problem is the treads of the bulkhead will leak water as nothing is sealing them. Even using a second gasket on the treaded side will not seal the threads. Silicone does not adhere well at all to acrylic or plastic but it is probably the only solution to your problem.

I suggest using a gasket on both sides and smear some silicone on the last portion of the thread before tightening up which will pretty much seal up the threads.