Ping Roy

Roy,

I finally put my flowerpot Skippy filter together this weekend. I was a
little concerned, as the spots at the side of the pot where the input and
back-flush bulkheads go are slightly concave. When I tightened up the gasket
on the input bulkhead the rubber ring got twisted severely out of shape.
There's actually a gap between the washer and the lock nut.

So I filled it up to give it the leak test and it passed. It leaks.

But it's not the input bulkhead that leaks, it's actually the back-flush
bulkhead that's leaking. At first I thought it was the plug leaking, but the
Teflon tape did not stop the leak. I suspect the lock nut may not be tight
enough, as I had a little trouble getting a grip on this one, with all the
silicone I slathered on the outside of the bulkhead.

I was thinking that some neoprene gasket material might be a good solution
for the leaking bulkhead, even if tightening the lock nut does the trick.
I'd also like to redo the input bulkhead, but since the check valve is
already in place (not too bright) I'm pretty much stuck with the existing
gasket. I guess I could put some neoprene over the existing gasket or do you
think some plumbers putty would do the trick? Perhaps just slather both with
Silicone on the inside?

TIA

Yep, its kind of hard if n ot impossible unless you have a fairly
thick rubber gsaket to make the gasket conform to the shape of the
concave or covex shape and get it to seal. I usually cut a heavier
or thicker gasket for those type applications, and get what thickness
is needed by measuring how much of a gap is on the outer edges of the
flange, and then make it about 1/16" or so thicker for compression
ability.

I would not use plumbers putty, but if you got some good RTV
(silicone) and lcleaned up the area inside real good, and made sure it
was dry, and loosen up the nut itself, so you can get the silicone to
flow in and around the thing, and then just tighten a tiny bit, just
to ensure its in contact with the silicone fully it may seal up ok.
It would be easy to try......It would be better if you could run a
good bead of it around and high enough and have the nut backed way
off, so it is not in contact with the silicone until it sets up fully,
then you could tighten up on this mass of silicone and have it act
like a thicker rubber seal, without it being attached or bonded to the
nut itself.

Can you also get a abead of silicone on the flange on the outside opf
the bulkhead fitting as well?
Regards

Roy
On Sun, 19 Jun 2005 20:08:27 -0400, "Bill Stock"
wrote:

===Roy,
===
===I finally put my flowerpot Skippy filter together this weekend. I was a
===little concerned, as the spots at the side of the pot where the input and
===back-flush bulkheads go are slightly concave. When I tightened up the gasket
===on the input bulkhead the rubber ring got twisted severely out of shape.
===There's actually a gap between the washer and the lock nut.
===
===So I filled it up to give it the leak test and it passed. It leaks.
===
===But it's not the input bulkhead that leaks, it's actually the back-flush
===bulkhead that's leaking. At first I thought it was the plug leaking, but the
===Teflon tape did not stop the leak. I suspect the lock nut may not be tight
===enough, as I had a little trouble getting a grip on this one, with all the
===silicone I slathered on the outside of the bulkhead.
===
===I was thinking that some neoprene gasket material might be a good solution
===for the leaking bulkhead, even if tightening the lock nut does the trick.
===I'd also like to redo the input bulkhead, but since the check valve is
===already in place (not too bright) I'm pretty much stuck with the existing
===gasket. I guess I could put some neoprene over the existing gasket or do you
===think some plumbers putty would do the trick? Perhaps just slather both with
===Silicone on the inside?
===
===TIA
===
===


==============================================
Put some color in your cheeks...garden naked!
"The original frugal ponder"
~~~~ }((((o ~~~~~~ }{{{{o ~~~~~~~ }(((((o

"~Roy~" wrote in message
...

Yep, its kind of hard if n ot impossible unless you have a fairly
thick rubber gsaket to make the gasket conform to the shape of the
concave or covex shape and get it to seal. I usually cut a heavier
or thicker gasket for those type applications, and get what thickness
is needed by measuring how much of a gap is on the outer edges of the
flange, and then make it about 1/16" or so thicker for compression
ability.

I would not use plumbers putty, but if you got some good RTV
(silicone) and lcleaned up the area inside real good, and made sure it
was dry, and loosen up the nut itself, so you can get the silicone to
flow in and around the thing, and then just tighten a tiny bit, just
to ensure its in contact with the silicone fully it may seal up ok.
It would be easy to try......It would be better if you could run a
good bead of it around and high enough and have the nut backed way
off, so it is not in contact with the silicone until it sets up fully,
then you could tighten up on this mass of silicone and have it act
like a thicker rubber seal, without it being attached or bonded to the
nut itself.

I have some headlight gasket RTV that might do. Getting around the input
bulkhead is pretty much impossible now, as I can no longer turn it (glued to
check valve). But this one is not leaking anyway, so I think I'll just use
my finger to put some extra Silicone on the inside.


Can you also get a abead of silicone on the flange on the outside opf
the bulkhead fitting as well?
Regards

Yeah, I did this when I put them on.


Roy
On Sun, 19 Jun 2005 20:08:27 -0400, "Bill Stock"
wrote:

===Roy,
===
===I finally put my flowerpot Skippy filter together this weekend. I was
a
===little concerned, as the spots at the side of the pot where the input
and
===back-flush bulkheads go are slightly concave. When I tightened up the
gasket
===on the input bulkhead the rubber ring got twisted severely out of
shape.
===There's actually a gap between the washer and the lock nut.
===
===So I filled it up to give it the leak test and it passed. It leaks.

===
===But it's not the input bulkhead that leaks, it's actually the
back-flush
===bulkhead that's leaking. At first I thought it was the plug leaking,
but the
===Teflon tape did not stop the leak. I suspect the lock nut may not be
tight
===enough, as I had a little trouble getting a grip on this one, with
all the
===silicone I slathered on the outside of the bulkhead.
===
===I was thinking that some neoprene gasket material might be a good
solution
===for the leaking bulkhead, even if tightening the lock nut does the
trick.
===I'd also like to redo the input bulkhead, but since the check valve
is
===already in place (not too bright) I'm pretty much stuck with the
existing
===gasket. I guess I could put some neoprene over the existing gasket or
do you
===think some plumbers putty would do the trick? Perhaps just slather
both with
===Silicone on the inside?
===
===TIA
===
===


==============================================
Put some color in your cheeks...garden naked!
"The original frugal ponder"
~~~~ }((((o ~~~~~~ }{{{{o ~~~~~~~ }(((((o