Bulkheads - Does anybody need any???

[Tim Marvin]

Your probably right. I just don't like the thin glass. I think filters and sumps need to be big, strong, and good looking. We put to much stuff in and out of them to worry about glass breaking or leaking.

[TexasState]

I really cranked down on the bulkhead with a good sized wrench to tighten it up, seems to be solid.

You should not tighten down bulk head with a wrench. You only need it to be hand tight. If you over tighten, it will strip the thread, or kink/ruin the rubber gasket. If you must use a wrench to feel good, don't go to far.
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Instead of the silicone, you can also use cooking oil. Use cooking oil to coat the rubber gasket, then hand tight the bulkhead. My muscular friend had a hard time trying to remove the bulk head two months later.
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If you read the manual for Oceanic tank, they only recommend that you hand tighten it.

[Tim Marvin]

Right, all you need to do is get the rubber to just barely compress. This way you will also have room to tighten more later if it starts to leak a little , but unlikely. I only used that 2 foot pipewrech to see if I could break one. I would never use one to put it in with. I like the silicon better than oil.

[Tim Marvin]

While they are still new you can loosen them a little if you want. They can be tightened with a wrench. I usually hand tighten then about 1/2 turn with a wrench, just enough to smash the gasket a little. Don't make the gasket bulge out though. A tiny bulge is OK.

[DeletedAccount]

I know yours are better quality than mine (the ones that come w/ Oceanic), but mine have always been leaking b****es. Hand tight by a strong man with mine still left them wobbley and leaking. We had to add silicone and wrench them! But, they have been taken off and put back on quite a few times, so loosening them shouldn't hurt. I don't believe in hand tightening, it is always leaky with us.

[Tim Marvin]

Try the ones from Savko. I bet your problems will be over.