How hard can you tighten a bulkhead?

[scsinet]

I've got a tank with 3/8" drilled tempered bottom. I am getting ready to finalize my bulkheads, and having never done this on a glass tank that I've cared about before, I don't know how hard I can tighten the locknuts without risking glass breakage.
I've got them as tight as I can turn them by hand, but I'm wondering if an extra little push with a locknut wrench carries any risk.

 

[trippkid]

I usually just snug it up a little with a pair of channel locks, maybe a 1/16-1/8th of a turn not much at all, you should be able to tell what's good.

Matt

 

[al mc]

Personally I hand tighten only and have never had a leak. I would rather have to tighten more if it leaks during a test run then crack the glass.

 

[jonthefishguy]

You need to ONLY tighten the bulkhead slightly over hand tight. If you over tighten, you will warp the gasket and it will leak. Or you will over tighten and it will crack the bulkhead and glass and then you will have a bigger problem. I have a wrench that is specifically made for the aquarium gaskets. The tighten just to the point they are supposed to be and then slip off not allowing you to tighten anymore. That has been the best tool I have ever invested for installing aquariums that I have ever purchased for my business.

 

[scsinet]

Originally Posted by jonthefishguy
You need to ONLY tighten the bulkhead slightly over hand tight. If you over tighten, you will warp the gasket and it will leak. Or you will over tighten and it will crack the bulkhead and glass and then you will have a bigger problem. I have a wrench that is specifically made for the aquarium gaskets. The tighten just to the point they are supposed to be and then slip off not allowing you to tighten anymore. That has been the best tool I have ever invested for installing aquariums that I have ever purchased for my business.
Where did you find this tool? Sounds cool.
That's what I'm gathering... a fraction of a turn past hand tight'll do me.

 

[jonthefishguy]

I get them when I order tanks from oceanic. I leave them with the customer since technically it is theirs but if I find one laying around here, I will let you know and ship it if you still want it.

 

[zman1]

Hand tight then as said earlier 1/8 turn. It may sound nasty but I spit on the gaskets and rub it around. This lubes and helps seal the gasket when tightening. Same when using teflon tape it makes teflon even more slippery.

 

[acrylic51]

I agree just hand tight and then a smidge more as zman1 stated.....You should be able to get a wrench from Savko or AquaticEco has them as well.

 

[al mc]

Acrylic...Instead of buying the wrench wouldn't a plumber's wrench work just as well?

 

[scsinet]

When I'd tightened them before on acrylic tanks, I had always used a pair of channelocks, but I found a locknut wrench at Lowe's that works even better.

 

[acrylic51]

Originally Posted by Al Mc
Acrylic...Instead of buying the wrench wouldn't a plumber's wrench work just as well?
I guess it would work??? Never paid to much attention to plumbers wrenches at Lowes....I'm a mechanic by trade, but at $3-4.00 not a ton to spend on a bulkhead wrench IMO.

 

[notsonoob]

I agree.
Just about every gasket will leak if you over compress it.
I would be more worried about the plastic cracking than the the glass if you over tighten it though. Nothing worse than stripping out a plastic thread

 

[scsinet]

Originally Posted by NOTSONOOB
I agree.
Just about every gasket will leak if you over compress it.
I would be more worried about the plastic cracking than the the glass if you over tighten it though. Nothing worse than stripping out a plastic thread
Ummm...
I have to disagree with you.
I think destroying a $700 tank is worse than stripping out a $6 bulkhead

Sorry.. couldn't resist.

I ended up hand tightening plus 1/8 - 1/6 of a turn like the guys were saying. So far everything's good... we'll find out tomorrow when I flood it.

 

[acrylic51]

Your good.....better it's a little loose, and if you get a drip give it a slight snug.......Are you using sched 80 or 40 SCSInet?

 

[scsinet]

Well that depends. All my drain plumbing is Schedule 40, but all of my supply plumbing is the thinwall SDR-20, 26, etc. with Schedule 40 fitting and valves, and some spa-flex sprinkled in for flavor.
I'll be posting my plumbing over on my build thread one of these days.

 

[acrylic51]

Can you do all my electrical on my new setup?

 

[scsinet]

Buy me a plane ticket!
Actually if you did and I could spare the PTO I would, but I'm getting married this... err... next year (the one that starts in 62 minutes) so I need to save my vacation days.

 

[scsinet]

Well I flooded the overflox boxes and checked this morning... 3 out of the four bulkheads were fine, one was leaking around the threads and through the threaded connection to my plumbing.
So I took everything apart and compared the gasket on the bulkhead I had to another one I had in my spares. I found that the gasket on the one I was using was much more hard and inflexible than the one on the spare one I had, so I swapped gaskets around, and tightened it a little more... about 1/3 turn. Then I used pipe thread sealant as opposed to teflon tape for my connection and I think that fixed me right up.
Now I can finally start aquascaping!

 

[acrylic51]

Originally Posted by SCSInet
Buy me a plane ticket!
Actually if you did and I could spare the PTO I would, but I'm getting married this... err... next year (the one that starts in 62 minutes) so I need to save my vacation days.

Just kidding......Congrats!!!!!!

Love your electrical work.....Know anything about actuators?

 

[scsinet]

Like linear actuators?