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  1. #1
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    System Issues...any advice on IBC FT filling to GB??

    I have a system that I built that is having major leaking problems. I fixed it once and it recently started leaking again, so I think that I need to go with a whole new way of getting the water from the fish tanks to the grow beds...

    Currently the IBCs have holes cut into the sides near the top and a PVC fitting is screwed on so that there is a rubber seal between the plastic of the IBC and the fitting. Then I put a water proof "putty" cement around the outside to seal it even further. This is not working at all. The seal breaks and every time the system turns on there is a major leaking problem.

    The FT are propped up on wooden structures so that the bottom of the FT are level with the top of the GB and the GB and FT are about 2 feet away from each other. I currently have a pump in a sump tank in the ground that pumps water into the FT, which then gravity drains through the PVC piping to the GB (which eventually gravity drain back to the ST).

    Does anyone have any ideas on how I can change the system to fill the grow beds? I am trying to stay with only one pump in the ST and gravity drain the rest. Can I go out of the top of the IBCs somehow and not have to worry about putting holes in the side of them? Is there a better way to seal?

  2. #2
    Members Apollo's Avatar
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    Re: System Issues...any advice on IBC FT filling to GB??

    You stated that, "I have a system that I built that is having major leaking problems. I fixed it once and it recently started leaking again,"

    I have something that has never failed me. It's "Plumbing Goop" I have used it on; Rain Barrel, Whirlpool Filter / Fry Catcher, Verticgrow Towers, Breeding Tank and my Floating Duckweed Raft. If you have a fairly good fitting connection...no need for gaskets, putty, etc. Just put it together and leave it alone for 24 to 48 hrs.
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  3. #3
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    Re: System Issues...any advice on IBC FT filling to GB??

    Your IBCs are made out of polyethylene which is a great plastic, but basically impossible for any kind of glue or cement to bond to... so if you are trying to glue or cement, then that is likely your problem. Polyethylene is great to weld! but crap to glue.

    Goop can be helpful. It doesn't need to be any particular goop, anyu old oil or silicon based grease that will not harm your fish should be fine, but remember that this is not glue! It is completely non-structural. It is only there to fill gaps, and can only really fill very small gaps at that. Anything more than about 0.010" and grease/goop is out. Caulk = goop.

    But goop shouldn't really be necessary in a water based system like an aquaponics system because water is a pretty good sealer itself.

    It sounds to me as though your bulk-head fitting is not fitting that well. With a bulk head, the trick is a smooth surface, a squishy rubber gasket, and pressure.

    If the wall of the IBC is scratched under the bulk head, then the scratch with leak. Take some sand paper and buff that scratch out to a nice smooth surface. Normal sand paper routine. Start with something like 100 grit, to knock things down, then follow up with 220 to get a nice surface again.

    Once the surace around the hole in the IBC is smooth and clean on *both* sides, then it is time to install the bulk head. I just use normal PVC pipe fittings that I have cleaned up the shoulders on.

    You can get "red rubber" gasket material at the hardware store and that should work great. I've also had great luck using pieces I've cut out of my wife's old yoga mat as gasket material. It has got a lot of squish to it and so it is nice and forgiving. While you can get away with only 1 gasket it is best to have a gasket on both sides of the IBC wall.

    Then the real important part is to make sure that when you tighten down on your bulk head fitting, you are actually tightening on the gasket and squishing it really good. I've made the mistake of tightening the fitting as tight as I can, only to find that I still have a leak because the fitting is tightening on itself... not on the gasket and tank wall! If the gasket is not visibly squishing when you tighten, then take the thing apart and ad some kind of shim or another gasket until the fitting does squish the gasket in a clear and obvious way.

    A thin film of grease or goop on the gaskets can't hurt, but really it should not be necessary if you have a properly fitted bulkhead with smooth surfaces, and a good squish on the gasket.

    B

  4. #4
    Members Apollo's Avatar
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    Re: System Issues...any advice on IBC FT filling to GB??

    This statement is as wrong as wrong can be!!!! "Goop can be helpful. It doesn't need to be any particular goop, anyu old oil or silicon based grease that will not harm your fish should be fine, but remember that this is not glue! It is completely non-structural. It is only there to fill gaps, and can only really fill very small gaps at that. Anything more than about 0.010" and grease/goop is out. Caulk = goop."


    I'm a paint contractor by trade, have been in the painting business since 1972. I have used all types of caulking and sealers. "Plumbing Goop" It's meant to be used as both a cement and sealer on pressurized (60 psi) plumbing joints...it's like a very high grade silicone but soo much better. It's strong, flexible and adheres to anything, including your fingers. Just buff area with some 180 grit sandpaper, don't over tighten...you want to have some mill thickness for additional strength.

    PS. To compare this product to silicone or any other caulking or sealer...there is no comparison. Once again I have used this product on everything, even my Rain Barrels that are the same IBC that most of you are using for your AP Systems.

  5. #5
    Members Apollo's Avatar
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    Re: System Issues...any advice on IBC FT filling to GB??

    If a picture is worth a 1000 word…here a 5000 word retake on “Amazing Plumbing Goop.”

    Pictures taken of my light bank / heater, for my Japanese Quail Cage. All lights and wires are fasten down with this very flexible, adhesive, water proof, sealer. After taping the wires and lights in place I squeezed the goop over area’s that needed to be held in place, waited about 2 hrs. before removing the masking tape. Just below the toothpick you will see a small strand of goop about the size of a needle.

    I took a paper clip and hung a coffee mug from the strand, it stretched about 2.5 inches…never broke. Now what’s more amazing is after I remove the weight, the strand returned back to it’s original shape and size.

    Light Bank / Heater was assembled on Monday, on Tuesday I heated the box below the heater to 108 degrees using the lights. Light assembly; lights, metal, Goop, wires, all get too hot to touch when lights where on. Pictures were taken on Wednesday morning after about 40 hrs. of cure time .
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  6. #6
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    Re: System Issues...any advice on IBC FT filling to GB??

    Apollo,

    You are right, I have no experience with "Plumbing Goop" brand goop... maybe I should get some.

    All I was saying is that HDPE is one of the most difficult materials in the world to bond to. I've never come across a product that can make a reliable structural bond to it... but I've never tried "Plumbing Goop".

    My point really is that gooping everything up might sound easy as a solution, but it is really not necessary if you simply make a good seal in the first place. Getting good seals can be tricky sometimes, but they are not rocket science. A job well done is DONE done, and asking goop to play a structural role (goop/clauk/grease/gasket maker in general, not your special stuff) has always come back to haunt me in the end.

    Bill

  7. #7
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    Re: System Issues...any advice on IBC FT filling to GB??

    I ended up using Uniseals and they worked very well. Thank you for your help, information, and ideas!

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