I've always wondered why one side of a bulkhead seal is flat and the other has two standing beads.
Any ideas?
Any ideas?
Bulkhead seals.
- Thread starter Randys
- Start date
Not sure what you mean by standing beads. But the seal/ gasket always goes on the head side of the bulkhead, whether it's inside the tank or out. Otherwise water travels down the threads and bypasses the gasket. Hope this helps
Yes I know what you are speaking of. A flat side and a ridged side. Not sure why though I always put the ridged side to the glass as thats how they come assembled usually.
I am under the opinion its for tightening, as you button it down you need give to not crack the glass and still get a seal and pressure remaining to keep the seal and not relaxed out. the ridges give this as they have some room/ give and pressure before terminal pressure/tightening is reached. call it a lock washer, fits probably best.
I've been thinking about this and come up with another theory. See what ya think:
Maybe the beads should go towards the nut (if used on that side of the glass) to reduce the turning friction of the nut as it's tightened.
Maybe the beads should go towards the nut (if used on that side of the glass) to reduce the turning friction of the nut as it's tightened.
I guess that is what happens since the nut is on the other side of the glass so "threads" out from bulkhead flange, against glass, screw on nut on other side of glass, done.
You did not read or you did not understand what Johnny said in post #2. The seal should NEVER be used on the nut side of the glass. The seal should ALWAYS be on the flange side of the glass. If you put the seal on the nut side of the glass instead of the flange side of the glass you are going to have a very slow dripping leak.... the water will find its way through the gap between the nut female thread and the flange male thread.
The seal ALWAYS goes on the FLANGE side of the glass... NEVER on the NUT side of the glass. Would you like me to explain how I figured this out? ...it involves a puddle!
P.S. I always put the beaded side of the seal against the glass and the flat side against the flange. I always assumed the beads were there to increase the pressure directly beneath the bead to fill in any surface imperfections in the glass (acrylic) and provide a better seal. Of course everyone I know always puts a tiny bit of silicone sealant on each side of the seal when they install a bulkhead that will be there for any length of time. No, the sealant is not required and not needed... but I have never known it to hurt either.
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OH MAN! OH MAN!
TALK ABOUT A BRAIN FART!!!!!!
I KNEW THAT! Ya put the seal under the nut and the water leaks through the threads!!! I knew that!
GESH! Must be my old feeble mind was thinking too much about those damn standing ribs!!!
Wow! Do I ever feel foolish! Is it too late to delete this entire thread?
Hahahaha
Thanks gang
TALK ABOUT A BRAIN FART!!!!!!
I KNEW THAT! Ya put the seal under the nut and the water leaks through the threads!!! I knew that!
GESH! Must be my old feeble mind was thinking too much about those damn standing ribs!!!
Wow! Do I ever feel foolish! Is it too late to delete this entire thread?
Hahahaha
Thanks gang
No harm, no foul!
Even though you were aware of the proper location of the seal someone else wasn't and has learned how to properly install a bulkhead. Hopefully the thread has saved someone a leak! Leaky tanks suck! When I made this mistake it was because I wanted to install a bulkhead "backwards" with the flange on the outside of the tank so the tank would not have to be as far away from the wall. Once I figured out why I had a small dripping leak I moved the seal to the flange side of the bulkhead... which was on the outside of the tank... and the leak stopped. 15+ years later that tank is still running fine, with the bulkhead flange on the outside of the tank, the seal on the outside of the tank and no leak! Sorry if I sounded rude... just trying to let others learn from my mistakes.