Plugging a Hole in the Bottom of a Sump

Hugh Mann

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I purchased a used sump the other day, in pretty good shape. But for whatever reason there is a hole drilled in the bottom with a bulkhead siliconed in. Why, couldn't tell you. But the price is right and I figured it should be easy to plug, as I don't need it.

I'm guessing it's pretty easy, since it's a drilled hole, not a crack. My plan is to get the bulkhead out, clean it up, silicone a plate of glass over the hole on the inside. Will that suffice, or should I double up with a patch on the other side too? Or fill the hole with silicone/epoxy with a patch on top?
 

JumboShrimp

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I like the siliconed plate glass on the inside plan, but don’t skimp. You’re shooting for 100% water-proof... 99% and you’ll have a leak inside your stand that you might not detect for a while.
 
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Hugh Mann

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Definitely. I have plenty of room around it, I may oversize the plate and run 2 beads, plus one around the edge. If it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing. Especially when a failure means a volume of water best described by Samuel Jackson on the floor.
 
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Hugh Mann

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Also, what thickness of glass should I use? Sump is made of 1/2". Approximately 140 gallon volume, so should have about 70 gallons of water in it. Probably the same, I would assume?
 

John08007

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Its glass and not acrylic? I would think they used an external pump, especially for a tank-sump that size. A 1/4" piece of glass would be fine, I wouldn't just put beads under it, completely cover the underside of the glass, then a bead around edge
 
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Yes, it's glass.
That's probably what the hole on the side panel is for, which I plan to use for exactly that purpose. More room inside for a big ol' 'fuge.

Good thing silicone is cheap, that's a good idea.
 

Pntbll687

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I purchased a used sump the other day, in pretty good shape. But for whatever reason there is a hole drilled in the bottom with a bulkhead siliconed in. Why, couldn't tell you. But the price is right and I figured it should be easy to plug, as I don't need it.

I'm guessing it's pretty easy, since it's a drilled hole, not a crack. My plan is to get the bulkhead out, clean it up, silicone a plate of glass over the hole on the inside. Will that suffice, or should I double up with a patch on the other side too? Or fill the hole with silicone/epoxy with a patch on top?

Silicone and piece of glass over the hole is probably the go to.

You could also build a small frame for the sump out of 2x4, and the just plug the bulkhead if you don't want to chance the plate leaking.

Does the sump have a frame? or is it rimless?
 

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I purchased a used sump the other day, in pretty good shape. But for whatever reason there is a hole drilled in the bottom with a bulkhead siliconed in. Why, couldn't tell you. But the price is right and I figured it should be easy to plug, as I don't need it.

I'm guessing it's pretty easy, since it's a drilled hole, not a crack. My plan is to get the bulkhead out, clean it up, silicone a plate of glass over the hole on the inside. Will that suffice, or should I double up with a patch on the other side too? Or fill the hole with silicone/epoxy with a patch on top?
All you need is one patch on the inside.
 
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Hugh Mann

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It's rimmed, and it's going to sit on 2x4s under the tank stand, just from the way it was built.

Easy enough, got a glass shop in town I can get a small square of glass for like $5

DSC_2004.JPG
 
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Hugh Mann

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It sticks out of the bottom a couple inches with a piece of pipe that was glued in. No threads for a proper plug. So I'm either gluing in more pvc or patching the hole.
 

vetteguy53081

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Fuse A piece of acrylic over it exceeding hole 2” all around. Weldon or 2 part marine epoxy good
 
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Would acrylic be better than glass for this application? It's a glass sump, so I won't be able to get a fused bond. I would imagine acrylic might be less prone to cracking if I was clumsy enough to drop something on it?
 

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I purchased a used sump the other day, in pretty good shape. But for whatever reason there is a hole drilled in the bottom with a bulkhead siliconed in. Why, couldn't tell you. But the price is right and I figured it should be easy to plug, as I don't need it.

I'm guessing it's pretty easy, since it's a drilled hole, not a crack. My plan is to get the bulkhead out, clean it up, silicone a plate of glass over the hole on the inside. Will that suffice, or should I double up with a patch on the other side too? Or fill the hole with silicone/epoxy with a patch on top?
In my current tank (65gal) when I got it there was 2 holes drilled in bottom, what I did was take two glass panes I had and I turned my tank upside down, took silicone and used 25-30% of it on outside all around the drilled holes then applied glass pain then took a couple of daughters big butt college books and 5lb weight and places them on top, let it sit 3 days, then used gorilla glue duck tape and went over the area heavily, then turned it over and took the silicone and filled the holes in with rest of tube( no such thing as to much) let it sit n dry couple days then another tube silicone and half tube all around the area place another panel of glass on it and did same thing with books n weight. When dry went around edges of panel with more silicone let it dry couple days then added sand n water Never had a problem in 8 months. So go for it should work for you Best thing is you can’t see it

33BEFEBC-BA00-4A22-92B3-14E4B2708DA1.jpeg 55AC8458-599C-48B4-AE26-BE92A9B5DC2B.jpeg
 

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Fuse A piece of acrylic over it exceeding hole 2” all around. Weldon or 2 part marine epoxy good


OP’s sump is glass, not acrylic.

Would acrylic be better than glass for this application? It's a glass sump, so I won't be able to get a fused bond. I would imagine acrylic might be less prone to cracking if I was clumsy enough to drop something on it?


No, it’s a glass sump so silicone in a glass patch. If it was an acrylic sump, then I’d weld an acrylic patch, but yours isn’t, so use silicone and glass.
 

fishguy242

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agree 1/4" glass,lots of silicone on inside of tank,books and a brick let cure for 3-4 days ;)
 

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We did repairs like these when I was a kid all the time, even on cracked bottoms. A plate of glass with silicone. Never had leaks on any of the tanks we fixed. Apply a bead around the hole then mash the glass right on it. Then seal around the edge of the piece of glass you've just installed while holding the piece in place.
 

John08007

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Would acrylic be better than glass for this application? It's a glass sump, so I won't be able to get a fused bond. I would imagine acrylic might be less prone to cracking if I was clumsy enough to drop something on it?
You need to use glass, silicone does not fuse to acrylic long term
 

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