can o-rings go bad?

[dotc0m]

I'm trying to tighten a gasket/bulkhead whatever it is, where a leak seems to be coming from but in the overflow, the oring seems to be squeezing out of its place hwen I tighten it too much.

Am I doing something wrong? Or is the O-ring gone bad?

Thanks

 

[mellotang]

Sounds like a tricky situation you got there. Its pretty hard to tighten a bulkhead too much, but in this hobby i have learned anything is possible.

Is the leak getting worse as you tighten the bulkhead?

Is it possible for you to remove the bulkhead completely, clean all parts, glass hole, then reassemble?

How old is the bulkhead?

 

[Imbarrie]

If you are squeezing the oring out then you are doing something wrong or there is a piece missing. A washer maybe.
Orings work between two flat spaces or in grooves where they don't get squeezed out.


Sent from my iPhone using Reefs

 

[JonnyJ]

hey,

Take a photo and post it here. Are your bulkhead bottoms slip fit? or threaded?

are you attaching pvc to slip? if so did you use plumbers glue to glue it? if you didnt it will be sure to leak. [happened to me an a member last week]

when setting up a bulkhead you need to make sure the gasket is wider than the holes. I just recently had my tanked plumbed by a member and my gasket was only slightly larger than the hole and when he was tightening it the gasket would not sit comfortably. we ended up using a different wider gasket for the bulkhead to prevent a chance of it leaking.

If the gasket is only a little larger than the hole you have a possibilty of it leaking when you tighten it because it can shift it.

just my 2 cents

 

[jaa1456]

And yes you can over tighten a bulkehad, which can cause the leak as well. Also it could crack the bulkhead or worse the glass or acrylic. You only wanna give it a 1/4 turn with the wrench after you tighten it up by hand.

 

[greg 45]

Yes a o ring can go bad .
They are made of rubber.

 

[masterswimmer]

Do you have the rubber gasket against the fixed/flanged part of the bulkhead? Or, on the side that would be against the large nut that you screw onto the threaded outside of the bulkhead?

Russ

 

[albano]

do you have the rubber gasket against the fixed/flanged part of the bulkhead? or, on the side that would be against the large nut that you screw onto the threaded outside of the bulkhead?

+1

and yes you can over tighten a bulkhead, which can cause the leak as well. Also it could crack the bulkhead or worse the glass or acrylic. you only wanna give it a 1/4 turn with the wrench after you tighten it up by hand.

+1

Yes a o ring can go bad .
They are made of rubber.

+1...you may have ruined the gasket , by over tightening