DoubleChecking Bulkhead

RyanG

Reef enthusiast
When Install ing a bulkhead rubber gasket on anvil(flat side) nut side bare correct? No silcone? Thanks for answering a dumb noob question that I should know.
 
as far as i know no silcone at least mine is not all you need is the gasket on the top side ant that will seal the hole.
 
I put rubber seal on the inside and nut underneath. I did not use silcone. All you need to do is tighten it.
 
Use a little silicone plumbers lubricant avalable at all hardware stores, or even some food grade cooking oil to lubricate the rubber gasket. It will make tightening the nut a lot easier. Nothing has to go on the threads that the nut goes om, but some people do use some silicone tape to make dissaembly easier if it becomes necessary. The bulkhead nut goes on hand tight, not wrench tight. The rubber seal goes on the wet side (inside tank or sump etc), but the bulkhead can be placed with either the nut or the other side of thee bulk head on the wet side. That part does not matter. However, most people do not want the larger portion of the bulk head inside the tank so usually the nut is on the outside. This is usually only an issue if one side is internally threaded and the other side is not.
 
Use a little silicone plumbers lubricant avalable at all hardware stores, or even some food grade cooking oil to lubricate the rubber gasket. It will make tightening the nut a lot easier. Nothing has to go on the threads that the nut goes om, but some people do use some silicone tape to make dissaembly easier if it becomes necessary. The bulkhead nut goes on hand tight, not wrench tight. The rubber seal goes on the wet side (inside tank or sump etc), but the bulkhead can be placed with either the nut or the other side of thee bulk head on the wet side. That part does not matter. However, most people do not want the larger portion of the bulk head inside the tank so usually the nut is on the outside. This is usually only an issue if one side is internally threaded and the other side is not.

my bulkhead leaked pretty bad when I put it on hand tight. I had to use a wrench on it. Didnt tighten it up to to much, just enouph to stop the leak. And no fatman, im not ust weak. =P :bounce:
 
Mega flow provides a special wrench for their bulkheads overflow tube kits which just fits over the nuts but has no handle in between, that works good. I have found that when I used a wrench in the past that I screwed up the threads. They did not leak, but the could not be unscrewed all the way and had to be cut off. Pretty soft plastic in the bulk heads. Now I just use a damp rag to increase my grip and have no problem with drips.
 
Thanks for all of the help guys, It is appreciated. Both is a slip by slip bulkhead kit which Im not really impressed by but its what they had and I need to get this tank up ASAP probably going to have to cut them off regardless.
 
Mega flow provides a special wrench for their bulkheads overflow tube kits which just fits over the nuts but has no handle in between, that works good. I have found that when I used a wrench in the past that I screwed up the threads. They did not leak, but the could not be unscrewed all the way and had to be cut off. Pretty soft plastic in the bulk heads. Now I just use a damp rag to increase my grip and have no problem with drips.

Yea, but my tank is "reef ready" with its holes drilled on the bottom of the overflows. Its hard to get a decent angle when im squeezing myself under my stand and next to my sump. :^:
 
Per directions on the kit.I tightened them hand tight plus a quarter turn.I also use plain water to lubricate the rubber gasket according to the direction.
 
Per directions on the kit.I tightened them hand tight plus a quarter turn.I also use plain water to lubricate the rubber gasket according to the direction.
:bounce: Kit? You also got took for the price of a mass market (MegaFlow or Oceanic) overflow kit. I bought two once and they are both around some where gathering dust. I was on a spending spree, but then I opened the boxes after getting thm home and saw the schedule 20 plastic pipe and built my own Durso's. I no longer use "Reef Ready" tanks and no longer use over flow tubes. Big bucks for cheap light weight stuff. But they do include a little Loc-Line. I'll stick with plumbers silicone for a gasket lubricant, it works for millions of plumbers and is recommended by lots of aquarium experts. And it works real well. I would definitly recommend a DIY Durso before a kit overflow system from MegaFlow or Oceanic for anyone with a "Reef Ready" tank. :^:
 
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They work so there is nothing inherently wrong with them.They look just like all other DIY durso plans I've seen.

Just for the record(as in my PM to you Fatman)....I like reef ready tanks!!!
 
Cheaper lighter weight tubing and a much, much higher cost, and they are typically noisier as one size hole venting the over flow does most work best for all applications. No body should have to settle for just they work when they can obviously have better than just they work for even less money.
 
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:bounce: Kit? You also got took for the price of a mass market (MegaFlow or Oceanic) overflow kit. I bought two once and they are both around some where gathering dust. I was on a spending spree, but then I opened the boxes after getting thm home and saw the schedule 20 plastic pipe and built my own Durso's. I no longer use "Reef Ready" tanks and no longer use over flow tubes. Big bucks for cheap light weight stuff. But they do include a little Loc-Line. I'll stick with plumbers silicone for a gasket lubricant, it works for millions of plumbers and is recommended by lots of aquarium experts. And it works real well. I would definitly recommend a DIY Durso before a kit overflow system from MegaFlow or Oceanic for anyone with a "Reef Ready" tank. :^:
:frustrat: Excuse my mistake in typing, they are made with schedule 10 PVC pipe not the better, thicker schedule 20 PVC pipe, which is what is sold in hardware stores that people make Durso overflows out of. They may look a lot a like because the outside diameter is the same. However the inside diameter is different because the Megaflow and Oceanic overflows are made with thinner walled cheaper pipe which is not visible in a picture of an assembled over flow. :Cheers:
 
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Can I ask a silly question?

Dont durso's go ontop of your overflow piping for silencing? They really dont have any internal pressures correct? External only? Why would I want to spend more money on thicker schedule pvc? Just for the durability over time or having to tear down and reasemble a system? Just wondering.
 
The thicker pipe for making a Durso can be bought cheaper at any hardware store than you will pay for the cheap thin wall pipe that is used by Megaflow and Oceanaic. Just like you bought a skimmer made of heavy wall cast cell acrylic pipe instead of light weight extruded acrylic pipe and it is not a pressure vessel quality materials when affordable should be purchased rather than cheap poorer quality materials offer at a higher price. Durso's are a cheap DIY overflow pipe that works better and cost less and is made of a better quality of materials tahn the mass produced overflow that apparently want to squeeze every penny of profit out of a product it can.
 
i used some aquarium silicone on both sides of the bulkhead so that when i sandwiched the glass it put a nice bead of silicone around the bulkhead to prevent any leaking and i have had no problem with it.
 
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