Almost done...but one problem

[ClayWagner]

Just got done with my DIY skimmer and it's gettin' a dirty foam head out of some simple tap water! Thing is...I used PVC sheet and some PVC cement for the base and it has a minor leak between this and the 8" PVC. I knew it would happen somewhere and was going to seal it regardless, but now I'm unsure what to seal it with. I was going to use some marine adhesive I have around the house or GE Silicone I, but am contemplating now. I would think silicone would work and I could just put a bead around the inside, would I be correct with my assumption? I'm worried the marine adhesive will leak toxins in the tank though, and I'm probably right. Any suggestions are appreciated.

Clay

[LedZep fan2]

We need to see some pics!

[Octopussie]

use dap 2 part epoxy. i used it on my skimmer when the base came off and never had a problem since.

[ClayWagner]

I have some 2 part epoxy I might try. Structurally it's sound (you can't pull it off the base) but I wouldn't mind some extra support to help me sleep at night.

[richofoz]

Is there any way you can seal up and pressurize the skimmer body? or run a vacuum through it?

If so, you could put a bit of normal pvc glue inside the skimmer where the hole is and push the glue (with air pressure) through the hole.

Or suck it through from the outide... Either way, it's a good way to get the glue exactly where you need it...

Rich.

[ClayWagner]

Good idea, but I'd probably mess it up . But will silicone be a good sealer on the PVC and last long?

[JCTewks]

Originally posted by ClayWagner
Good idea, but I'd probably mess it up . But will silicone be a good sealer on the PVC and last long?

Not really

You could take a couple handfuls of PVC shavings and mix them with PVC adhesive and put that over the leak.

[alpine]

Personally I have never tried it,but you could weld it.PVC is just another form of plastic.I weld abs all the time at work,and my welds hold very well.

If you decide to go this route,there are two simple ways.

1.Buy a plastic welder.(I have one and honestly I have used it twice since I owned it,the welds that it makes really suck and they dont stand up well to abuse).

2.You can grab a soldering iron and do a great weld with it.

All you gotta do is let the iron get hot,slowly run the tip of the iron at your seam,so you heat up and make a shallow groove on the seam.After you got your grove,go back and slowy heat up the pvc until it starts to melt and use the tip of the iron to push the melted pvc into your groove.

Your basically melting and fusing the pvc together.Kind of hard to explain,but its real easy to do.Practice on some cheap fittings first so you can get the hang of what your doing,then do your skimmer from the inside.If you need a few pics to get you started let me know and in the morning I will do a couple of fittings and take pics of the process.

HTH

[MikeTV1]

How tall is the skimmer? And is it sitting in a sump or external?

If external, then by all means weld it or epoxy it. But if it is sitting in a sump, with 5-8 inches of water around it, I don't think you would get enough pressure to cause a problem on just using silicon. You could even just leave it leaking, but it may give you a little more trouble dialing it in.

[hebygb]

yes... my question exactly, is this an internal or external skimmer. If it is a small leak... and I mean small you could try the shavings and weldon method... create a paste and "caulk" the outside(and inside if you can reach... I would do the entire circumference. If it is internal, and really small, I wouldnt worry about it.

[ClayWagner]

It is very small, but unfortunately it's externally so I need any and all leaks to be completely sealed. I can fit my whole hand in the skimmer to get the inside bottom because the neck is a 4" union and it's 18" tall. What's the problem with silicone. I see that everyone steers away from this option...is it because of the longevity of it? I mean...won't it adhere to the PVC and make a seal? Or am I living a fairy tail?

Thanks for all the options...keep em' coming!

Clay

[MikeTV1]

I think silicon would work for a while, but being external it is one of those things that could turn into a failure point. It will have increased pressure on it and silicon really does not hold well to the plastic long term.

[hebygb]

A tube of Weldon 16, try placing a bead on inside and on outside. If you can mix in shavings, you will be golden. It will work and you will know within an hour. You can creat the shavings with a dremel or even a rasp using a scrap piece of acryilic.

Silicone will not adhere well to acrylic, and while it may seal for a while, it will not be forever, and will probably elect a weekend/vacation when you are away to leak.

You havent exactly shared just what size of a gap this is, but I am guessing it is fairly small or you wouldnt have tried to weld it in the first place.

[RandyStacyE]

I like JCTewks idea ... use the PVC cement and melt some PVC shavings (this should thicken it up). I'd try to apply it to the inside if at all possible. It will be messy, but you’ll never see it.

Silicone will likely not hold even a low pressure leak on the negative side. Silicone is applied on the interior of tanks (positive pressure side) and doesn't adhere well to much of anything.

I personally would try to not do too much on the exterior only for aesthetic reasons, but if it doesn't bother you much then you could seal the seam on the exterior too.

I’m trying to think of what you can use to apply the thickened PVC cement, but I keep coming up with a syringe from your local pharmacy. I would imagine that the plunger would melt though. You could pour it out of a very small 1-2 oz cup (on the inside) and smear it with your finger Maybe you can find a squirt bottle at your local dollar store or even a beauty supply store. Beauty supply stores always have small chemical resistant squirt bottles … don’t ask me how I know that.

[RandyStacyE]

hebygb is right too, but if ya don't happen to have any Weldon #16 then you could probably solve this problem on the interior alone with what ya already have.