Bulk Head Threads Leaking - Do Over?

[rowdyreefing]

Hi Guys,

First off I apologize for making this post as I know there are similar. I want to make an educated decesion before draining my 330 and calling 2-3 friends to help move it off the wall. I have plumbed several tanks without issues, so please send me your critiques. I can handle it.

I have 4 - 1" abs bulk heads threaded to a sch80 thread to slip adapter. 3 of the 4 have very slow leaks that salt creep has not stopped over 3 days. The threads have several layers of PTFE Teflon tape. All seem very tight by hand. I can also not see any visible cracks. BRS has recommended silcone or just gluing them together. I worry the silcone wont be a long term solution.

1. Should I drain and move the tank?
2. If so, should I use sch40 adapters instead of sch80. I read on Lasco website to not use sch80.
3. Should I assume these bulk heads are trash and replace?
4. Is a pipe cement better than teflon
5. Any suggestions would be great!

Thanks!!

 

[DrZoidburg]

Teflon tape not always 100%, also not recommended by pipe companies. Silicone does work great for drains. I like this for a few different reasons. Could also use a transition cement. The only real big difference between sch40, and 80 is the wall thickness. Also if the leak is slow enough it could stop, but could also start again. Would only trash bulkhead if you know its cracked.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Hi Guys,

First off I apologize for making this post as I know there are similar. I want to make an educated decesion before draining my 330 and calling 2-3 friends to help move it off the wall. I have plumbed several tanks without issues, so please send me your critiques. I can handle it.

I have 4 - 1" abs bulk heads threaded to a sch80 thread to slip adapter. 3 of the 4 have very slow leaks that salt creep has not stopped over 3 days. The threads have several layers of PTFE Teflon tape. All seem very tight by hand. I can also not see any visible cracks. BRS has recommended silcone or just gluing them together. I worry the silcone wont be a long term solution.

1. Should I drain and move the tank?
2. If so, should I use sch40 adapters instead of sch80. I read on Lasco website to not use sch80.
3. Should I assume these bulk heads are trash and replace?
4. Is a pipe cement better than teflon
5. Any suggestions would be great!

Thanks!!

I would cement it all and add unions in your case. When I’ve done leak test in the past I’ve gotten by with just Teflon on threads. But if a leak would spring in a tight spot like that, I would glue it for peace of mind and be done with it.

 

[rowdyreefing]

Teflon tape not always 100%, also not recommended by pipe companies. Silicone does work great for drains. I like this for a few different reasons. Could also use a transition cement. The only real big difference between sch40, and 80 is the wall thickness. Also if the leak is slow enough it could stop, but could also start again. Would only trash bulkhead if you know its cracked.

The bulkheads are for returns, not drain. Does this change anything?

 

[rowdyreefing]

I would cement it all and add unions in your case. When I’ve done leak test in the past I’ve gotten by with just Teflon on threads. But if a leak would spring in a tight spot like that, I would glue it for peace of mind and be done with it.

Remove tape and use same cement I use for pvc pipe?

 

[Hectaka]

I had this same leak and went with a non setting thread sealant. I think I used the rectorseal 5 stuff but here are a few links that I used to figure out what to use.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/what-do-you-use-for-sealing-threaded-fittings.855582/#post-9316164

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/sealing-threaded-plumbing-on-circulating-pump.855862/#post-9319746

 

[rowdyreefing]

I had this same leak and went with a non setting thread sealant. I think I used the rectorseal 5 stuff but here are a few links that I used to figure out what to use.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/what-do-you-use-for-sealing-threaded-fittings.855582/#post-9316164

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/sealing-threaded-plumbing-on-circulating-pump.855862/#post-9319746

What did you end up using? Seems like answers are all over the place.

 

[Hectaka]

What did you end up using? Seems like answers are all over the place.

I'll have to check for sure when I get home from work but it was similar to the Rectorseal 5. Smallish bottle with a brush attached to the lid though mine was a blue paste.

I just used a wire brush to get all the Teflon tape off and put a generous amount of the sealant all the way around, most of it came out as I tightened it so probably don't need as much as you think. I had dealt with 1 leak after another so I went very generous to hopefully stop all the leaks.

When I get home in a few hours I'll take a picture of what I ended up getting and I'll upload it here.

 

[rowdyreefing]

I'll have to check for sure when I get home from work but it was similar to the Rectorseal 5. Smallish bottle with a brush attached to the lid though mine was a blue paste.

I just used a wire brush to get all the Teflon tape off and put a generous amount of the sealant all the way around, most of it came out as I tightened it so probably don't need as much as you think. I had dealt with 1 leak after another so I went very generous to hopefully stop all the leaks.

When I get home in a few hours I'll take a picture of what I ended up getting and I'll upload it here.

No issues now? Leaks were at bulk head?

 

[NowGlazeIT]

The bulkheads are for returns, not drain. Does this change anything?

No doesn’t change, makes more since to glue because of the water pressure.

Remove tape and use same cement I use for pvc pipe?

Yes that’s what I did but I found a cement at Home Depot or Lowe’s that works for ABS and pvc, the bulkheads are ABS

 

[NowGlazeIT]

The retaining nut (used to tighten the bulkhead) will not slip over unions or elbows. So buy some spare bulkheads if you plan to move. That way you can cut and replace should you decide to glue

 

[Hectaka]

No issues now? Leaks were at bulk head?

So I had 3 bulkheads, 2 drains and 1 return all leaked at the threads between the bulkhead and pipe adapter, where I used Teflon tape. After I switched them to sealant no more leaks from that point on any bulkheads. I did have 1 additional leak after but that was due to a crack in the bulkhead itself, once I replaced that bulkhead and screwed the pipe adapter back in with fresh sealant it was all good again.

 

[Hectaka]

What did you end up using? Seems like answers are all over the place.

This is what I was able to pick up at my local home improvement store so I went with that. I might be wrong but it seemed like most of the stuff like this from Rectorseal were very similar.

 

[DrZoidburg]

The bulkheads are for returns, not drain. Does this change anything?

Maybe not so much, unless your pump is putting major psi on fittings. I figure one of mine runs about 3+ psi. Three of the drains are siliconed with threaded fittings vertically but strapped so they don't move. The return is glued because I didn't want to change it. The drain lines are also siliconed, and run about the max of dwv fittings because of how I customized it. There is only a few places I would not use this. Think also the threads will help the silicone. I'm sure either of the two would work silicone or ptfe. I avoid the ptfe for what it has in in other than ptfe.