How do you get leak free ( Cooler HLT ) ?

For those who have a cooler HLT with a water heater element, how do you get "leak free" ?

I've tried many different options, some with success others without.

McMaster Carr Nut
Bargin Fittings Nut

I think part of the issue is the THIN inner liner of the cooler and the flexion under the weight of the water and the temps. Thusly:


You may be better off if you get a PVC cap, a FLAT cap. Drill a hole through it that will accomodate the element. EPOXY this sucker to the inner liner of the cooler (from the bottom, the FLAT side of the drilled cap epoxied to the inner liner from the bottom)
This will provide a robust, non flexing seat for the element and seal. Insert element and seal, tighten the nut on the inside.

Just an idea!

Good luck trying to glue anything to the polyethylene liner of the coolers, heat/melt fusion is the primary method of making connections with polyethylene materials.

kladue said:

Good luck trying to glue anything to the polyethylene liner of the coolers, heat/melt fusion is the primary method of making connections with polyethylene materials.

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I must be the luckiest guy EVAR! Cuz it dun werked.

Yall fight it out, I have to go to work in the morn. Night!

The Pol said:

I must be the luckiest guy EVAR! Cuz it dun werked.

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DUH! That's for sure !

You know what worked for me? Weldon 16. I was able to cement acrylic to the inside of the cooler. I don't know how strong of a bond it is but for this application, it doesn't really need to be. At the bond site, I roughed up the HDPE by scratching with a utility knife.

Bobby_M said:

You know what worked for me? Weldon 16. I was able to cement acrylic to the inside of the cooler. I don't know how strong of a bond it is but for this application, it doesn't really need to be. At the bond site, I roughed up the HDPE by scratching with a utility knife.

Click to expand...

So if I have this right, you glued a piece of acrylic (plexiglass) larger than the element to the bottom of the cooler liner.

Then the element goes through the plex/liner and is secured. The plex giving additional strength to support the nut and stabilize the element.

What about gasket/o-ring?

Where do you find the Weldon 16?

Sorry for the confusion. I had one situation where I wanted to cement some acrylic sheet to the inside of a cooler having no relationship to installing a heating element. Sorry for the confusion there. I was only talking about cementing something to a cooler.

Weldon 16 is a gel like cement meant to bond many dissimilar plastics and I got it from Mcmaster.com a while back.

I like Pol's idea of a PVC (or ABS) flat cap. Drill the hole in the bottom, outside liner of the cooler so that the flat part of the cap sits flat against the inside liner of the cooler. You'd drill the hole for the element through both the cap and the cooler liner at the same time. The cap provides additional rigidity to the thin cooler plastic and provides a place for you to pour in an electrically insulative encapsulation liquid. You can use epoxy or another material that might work is 3M's 5200 Urethane.

Come to think of it, while cementing the cap to the cooler is ideal, you could use a gasket there as well.

Sorry Guys,
Would you please elaborate on "Flat PVC Cap"?
The only PVC caps I've seen are made to be cemented over the OD of piping.
Thanks
-David

tipicreeper said:

Sorry Guys,
Would you please elaborate on "Flat PVC Cap"?
The only PVC caps I've seen are made to be cemented over the OD of piping.
Thanks
-David

Click to expand...

That is what we are talking about. Some caps are domed, some are flat.

Ah, I see, said the blind man. Thanks

Well, I am going to do some testing tonight. I think that the The Pol it the problem right on. It flexes.

I have a couple of HDPE pickle buckets and an old cooler with some holes in the bottom. I'll cut out a circle about 2", and drill a hole for the element. This will be sealed to the bottom of the cooler liner with some kick a$$ HiPurformer MP75 Pro Hot Glue, then a test with the Weldon 16 or other epoxy. I have never been able to separate two pieces of anything that HiPurformer glue held together!

Hopefully, this will stop my leak and help others on the way.