bulkhead fittings keep leaking

did you put the fittings in the tank yourself? if yes are the holes to big for the fittings if not are the fittings to lose or two tight is there trash or something in the seals?maybe use some Teflon tape on the threads. make sure there are seals on the inside and out side of the tank. how old are the seals? maybe replace them. just some thoughts ,hope this helps
 
Donny Jackson said:
did you put the fittings in the tank yourself? if yes are the holes to big for the fittings if not are the fittings to lose or two tight is there trash or something in the seals?maybe use some Teflon tape on the threads. make sure there are seals on the inside and out side of the tank. how old are the seals? maybe replace them. just some thoughts ,hope this helps
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I put them myself. The holes are the right size. I put some caulk (with the idea to remove them if I need to, later on) and that fixed the problem, but next day with full tank of water, both fittings started leaking again. 50 pounds of water was gone during the night. I might got some cheap, crappy bulkheads.. Here is where I got them from: Click
 
Did you use the gaskets that came with them?

If so, did you use the gasket on the inside or outside of the tank?

Did you use the silicone with the gaskets? If so, that is probably your problem, those viton or epdm (sp?) are not designed to be used with a sealer. Just install the bulkhead and tighten.

They might be poor quality bulkhead fittings, you can get better ones at Tractor Supply, U.S. Plastic and a lot of other places online.

I would go with 2" bulkhead fittings so if/when you add another machine you can put a "T" right at the tank and run lines from there, you do not want to "T" off a 1" line for 2 or more machines.
 
Christopher said:
Did you use the gaskets that came with them?

If so, did you use the gasket on the inside or outside of the tank?

Did you use the silicone with the gaskets? If so, that is probably your problem, those viton or epdm (sp?) are not designed to be used with a sealer. Just install the bulkhead and tighten.

They might be poor quality bulkhead fittings, you can get better ones at Tractor Supply, U.S. Plastic and a lot of other places online.

I would go with 2" bulkhead fittings so if/when you add another machine you can put a "T" right at the tank and run lines from there, you do not want to "T" off a 1" line for 2 or more machines.
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I didnt use any sealing the first time, gasket from the inside and it leaked, second time I put a little tape and some bath caulking; it leaked again. I'll buy new fittings, those I guess are crap.
 
Or PVC. Bulk tank fittings do not need Teflon tape. They just need to have the gasket and be tight.
 
Scott Stone said:
Or PVC. Bulk tank fittings do not need Teflon tape. They just need to have the gasket and be tight.
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I know that, but these leaked the first time I put them on the way they were supposed to (no tape, no seal, only gasket) :(. I think those are made of Poly, I will look for some heavier duty PVC ones. Apparently these cant handle 325gal of water..

Thanks
 
Teflon tape is good for everything in the world! I have never had a bulkhead leak one drop, my guess is not tight enough. If the dont have 2 gaskets, maybe add another one.
 
Donny Jackson said:
I use Teflon tape on everything and never had a leak
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Whenever you have gasket on a fitting, teflon tape is wrong. The tape just adds up pressure on the thread but the actual gasket does all the sealing of the fitting. The fittings I purchased were the cheapest and that's why now I will pay double the price, cuz I got what I paid for. One of the fittings flipped today, so that was the end of it.
I know this thread might not be directly related to PW, but whoever build their own PW system, DO NOT use poly cheap bulkhead fittings on 325gal water tank. They can not handle the weight. I will now buy 2" PVC or ABC fittings that will do the job.
Chris, you made a good point. I might add another machine on the truck in the future if we get bigger flat work contracts. Therefore 2" and bushing to 1" is the way to go for now. I would add another tip here for those who could be in my situation. Make sure you cover the smaller (old) hole on the tank and glue it, because otherwise you will never be able to widen up the hole from 1" to 2" without a pilot drill bit in the middle.
 
FoxSweeping said:
Whenever you have gasket on a fitting, teflon tape is wrong. The tape just adds up pressure on the thread but the actual gasket does all the sealing of the fitting. The fittings I purchased were the cheapest and that's why now I will pay double the price, cuz I got what I paid for. One of the fittings flipped today, so that was the end of it.
I know this thread might not be directly related to PW, but whoever build their own PW system, DO NOT use poly cheap bulkhead fittings on 325gal water tank. They can not handle the weight. I will now buy 2" PVC or ABC fittings that will do the job.
Chris, you made a good point. I might add another machine on the truck in the future if we get bigger flat work contracts. Therefore 2" and bushing to 1" is the way to go for now. I would add another tip here for those who could be in my situation. Make sure you cover the smaller (old) hole on the tank and glue it, because otherwise you will never be able to widen up the hole from 1" to 2" without a pilot drill bit in the middle.
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A good Sharpie and round file work great for fitting bulkheads, I use a paddle bit thats almost the right size then use a file to get it snug and to where i have to thread the bulkhead into the tank. Keeps a snug fit and there is no play in the bulkhead
 
tomtucson said:
Teflon tape is good for everything in the world! I have never had a bulkhead leak one drop, my guess is not tight enough. If the dont have 2 gaskets, maybe add another one.
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I have always had great luck with the teflon tape but always had bad luck with the teflon paste or dope. I did a few connections on the bandit wand a while back and had good luck but on the rest of the bandit when I was changing out the pressure relief valve, every part leaked where I used the teflon paste so I had to take everything apart and clean the fittings and use the teflon tape and no leaks.

One of many reasons why I like to use only the teflon tape.
 
Everyone of my bulkhead fittings are poly, no pvc or anything else.

They only have one rubber gasket.

What you can do is get the good bulkhead fitting and get a 1" plug, wrap it with teflon tape and plug the other side and run both off the other side with the 2" bulkhead fitting and a 2" "T" and bushings back down to 1" on each.

OR

Just get good quality bulkhead fittings (1" and 2" and use the 2" to 1" bushing and replace the fittings you have now and put the new ones in and you are set.
 
Christopher said:
Everyone of my bulkhead fittings are poly, no pvc or anything else.

They only have one rubber gasket.

What you can do is get the good bulkhead fitting and get a 1" plug, wrap it with teflon tape and plug the other side and run both off the other side with the 2" bulkhead fitting and a 2" "T" and bushings back down to 1" on each.

OR

Just get good quality bulkhead fittings (1" and 2" and use the 2" to 1" bushing and replace the fittings you have now and put the new ones in and you are set.
Click to expand...

I am definitely getting rid of these bulkheads. I wanted to buy 2' good ones today at some local supplier and fix the problem right away, but unfortunately HomeDepot dont have an idea what bulkhead fitting is, Barnett didnt know either. I went to a pools supplier and they had none :(.
 
If you are not in a big hurry for the bulkhead fittings, order them online, you will save a lot compared to buying them locally, if you can find them.

Most places like those you have looked at do not have them and most of the people you ask will not know what you are talking about.

Try the places that have been recommended here and you will have a lot better luck.





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