Sand Filter - what to use for bonding sand filter base to sand filter body?

[XRAYTIM]

Hello! Help!

tl;dr? What I can I use to bond the sand-filter-base to the sand-filter?

I have a sta-rite t-200bp-1 sand filter.

The problem was that the top of the sand filter was not level with the base of the filter. Looking at the sand filter I could see that the base is not centered to the bowl bottom of sand filter. The sand filter was tilted. I would compensate for this by putting a wedge under one side of the filter base. The unions wouldn't align at the same height or square to each other - but I had perfected the art of fiddling with them until it worked.

I poked at the "glue" that attaches the base to the sand filter and found it be a soft grey adhesive. The sand filter is 8 years and this adhesive is still rubber like. Not hardened at all.

A-HA! moment I realized I could fix this annoying tilt.

So I decided to separate the base from the sand filter so that I could correct the sand-filter-base to sand-filter alignment..

Disassemble went without any trouble - adhesive cut away and residue adhesive removed with acetone. With base apart from sand filter I could see that the base interfered with the centering boss on the bottom of the sand filter. I fixed the interference by modifying the base and now the sand filter can sit perfectly on the base.



OH-OH moment I realized I don't know what adhesive to use to re-bond the base to the filter.

I think the the sand filter is made from Polypropylene. A quick internet search tells me this stuff is hard to attach to with an adhesive. I found some glues that come with an adhesive promoter - adhesive combo. They come in 1.5 oz tubes and are very expensive. The adhesive that was bonding the parts was very much like the grey polyurethane masonry sealant-calk used around windows.

Does anyone know what I can I use to bond the sand-filter-base to the sand-filter?

Thanks for your suggestions.

 

[duraleigh]

Of course, I can't see your filter but I see no reason to bond anything. Allow gravity to do it's job and the filter will position nicely where you want it, right?

 

[XRAYTIM]

Great idea - my palm to my forehead. I was keyed into the fact that it was originally bonded. I have two adhesives currently curing so I can test the bond. After I test those bonds I will try out the $0.00 dollar solution. I will fill it with water and see how easily it shifts about on the base. The base is much smaller diameter than the sand filter. The base surface does offer some grip. The sand-filter outer surfaces feels slippery - like the plastic used on a children playground slide. It has a slight texture. It slips and slides about on top of the base easily when empty. I will try it filled with water as soon as I can. There may be enough grip to settle the issue.

LOL you reminded me of when I worked with two shop guys fixing wheelchairs, electric wheelchairs and disabled scooters etc. One of them skilled in everything to restore manufactures specifications,beautiful skilled workmanship - hard on the wallet. He typically said "if you are going to fix it, fix it right or not at all" The other had a knack for simplifying repairs. He was criticized, his repairs were reliable but didn't look pretty. He typically said "Why bring a $75 solution to a $7 problem?" I admired both of these guys.

 

[JohnT]

3M double sided body molding tape from an auto parts store if you want to stick it.

 

[XRAYTIM]

My two bonding tests (Lepage Pl premium construction adhesive and Dap sealant) failed so badly ..... no grip to the filter tank at all.

I tried the filter tank just sitting on the pedestal with a tank of water and it was nearly stable enough to leave - but it was still easy to shift around.

I used the 3m body moulding tape to bond the tank pedestal - that stuff is impressive. So the tank and pedestal are bonded together again, and the tank top is level with the base!



Thanks for the great suggestions.