A couple spots on the inside of the tanks silicone have this brown spots. I just bought the tank and it was holding water at the guys house. Is this going to be safe to fill?View attachment 43225
Is this brown silicone safe?
- Thread starter carey1465
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I am no silicone expert, by far, but I wouldn't feel comfortable using it unless a knowledgeable person enlightened me that it was only a color change, and not degradation of the material.
I'm a silicone guy-retired. Is there other silicone in the tank that's not discolored? If so, it might not be silicone at all but some other sealant laid over the seam. I've had tanks for 40 years and have never seen that color. If you can reach the sealant, touch it and see if it's still flexible. If it's hard then it's not silicone.
There's only a few spots that are like that. I did touch the spots and they do seem spongy. I have water in the tank and I'll keep it in there until I finish up with the stand. It seems to be holding water.
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I think that the fact that it holds water now, doesn't mean that it will hold it for long, vs clear regular silicone that is always used to seal tanks, IMO better safe than sorry.
Then an experienced guy on silicone already gave you his trusty opinion =)
Then an experienced guy on silicone already gave you his trusty opinion =)
I'm thinking about going that route and caulking it. On a scale of 1-10, how hard is it? I should caulk the whole tank while I'm at it? I'm very nervous about this project. Lol. I'm pretty handy around the house so I should be fine. Any tips?
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It's not hard, it takes time. For a water tight seal all the old silicone has to be removed, new silicone will not bond to the old stuff. You need to remove all the old internal silicone without damaging the silicone between the glass panels. Razor blades and time will get it done. Once you get the glass clean lay out masking tape for clean lines. Wipe down the seams with alcohol or acetone to make sure the glass is clean. Then lay down a continuous bead. Apply and smooth out the new silicone quickly. It will skin over in 15-20 mins. You have to remove the masking tape before it starts skinning so you don't risk peeling the edge of your new seal.
Personally I use Momentive Rtv 100 series. Rtv 103 is black and Rtv 108 is clear. It's available from places like McMaster Carr and Grainger. Depending on the size of your tank it comes in 2.8 oz tubes and 10. Oz cartridges for a caulking gun. I prefer the cartridge. It lets me fill the seams quickly leaving more time to smooth it out.
