Bulkhead Question

[heavyp83]

I got a Bulkhead fitting and it only has one rubber gasket. Which side does it go on, or am I missing one?

[ronrca]

I put it on the outside of the tank! Why? I dont necessarily prefer rubber exposed over time in water. Nothing may occur just a precaution! You dont need gaskets on both sides, just one! ;)

[heavyp83]

Thanks Buddy! ;D

[heavyp83]

One more question, are bulkheads strictly a mail order item, or can I find them in any stores locally?

[ronrca]

Your local hardware stores have them however not sold together. All a bulkhead is, is a male and female threaded connector sold in the PVC plumbing area. By threading the two together using a rubber gasket, you make the 'bulkhead'!. Btw, dont ask the store people that! I did and they had no clue what I was talking about. ;)

[Jason]

Here's a pic I found on the net that illustrates what Ronrca was describing. If you want to go the hardware store route.

The only thing I do diferently that the one in the pic is I use a ballshank washer instead of the flat rubber gaskets shown.

Also if I'm putting one on a tank with really thick glass, I'll use two female adapters coupled together with a pvc closed threaded nipple.

btw been making these for 8 or more years, never had one fail, although I have had store bought ones fail, if you make them yourself they are far more durable and not prone to cracking and warping like the manufactured ones.

HTH!

[heavyp83]

Jason,
Just what i needed, thanks!

[Jason]

WHOA! Hold up dude!

I forgot to mention something VERY! important.

when your using pvc fittings to make bulkheads, the hole sizes you need to drill will be different than for the manufactured ones.

for example if you buy a manufactured bulkhead, they will require a 1.3/4" hole for a 1" bulkhead.

if you make your own 1" bulkhead from fittings you'll need a hole around 1.5/8"

for a 3/4" bulkhead drill your hole size around 1.050"

for a 1" bulkhead drill your hole 1.315"

if you cant pass the threads through the hole use the side of the diamond bit too widen the hole a bit.

If you have any question,s ask before you drill.

[Angels Only]

It may work with the gasket on either side but it is meant to go on the inside, assuming that the nut is being tightened on the outside of the tank. This way you will not deform the gasket while turning the nut.
A good place to get them on line is Aquatic Ecosystems.
www.aquaticeco.com

[ronrca]

Good point on 'deforming' the gasket! I actually use the male connector on the inside of the tank which is also the connector I use to tighten! Thus, I use the rubber outside. But, very important which connector to tighten with!

I also use oversized rubber gaskets. This way I dont have to worry about the holes fitting exactly and then trying to force the connector thru the hole.

[Smokey]

Now that is a great pic ron. Job well done.
I.m proud of ya .

smokey

[Smokey]

BTW - Ron, you know that if were to put a 90 and a pvc pipe all the way to the bottom of the tank, on the surface overflow - you would syphon the water from the tank . Talk about an easy way to empty a tank. Say for a 50% w/c. have the pipe go down only 1/2 way.

Smokey

[ronrca]

U da man, Smokey! Great thinking!

I was already trying to figure out a way to a large water change. Thanks for solving that one! At the moment, just emptying the sump only allows for around 30G. By using the 90 and pipe, you would create a siphon effect until it reaches the desired water level. However, now you have to compensate the size of the sump if the pump would shut off.

Maybe not! When not doing a water change you can remove the pipes or turn the 90 up. Cool! ;D

[Smokey]

Hang on a minute Ron; you already have a valve on that line, right. well just open the valve when you what to remove water from any particular tank.

The large 90' elbow ... on the vertical water outlet. ... turn it so it just 1/8'' below the the water surface level ... this is your ''SURFACE SKIMMER''.

The second overflow line ... 1/2'' can now be used to individual tank water changes.
JUST OPEN THE VALVE ... and let the water syphon out. Syphon breaks once the water drops and air enters the line. SHUT the valve and let the tank fill. Your setup cannot be over filled.
Just adjust the flow valves!

Smokey

[ronrca]

Aaa! Wrong pipe! I was thinking of the 1" pipe 90 not the 1/2". Yes! Much better because of the valve already in place!

[Smokey]

O.K. now I see why you were confused !!! lol.
Smokey

[Lance_Krueger]

In the pictures above of the homemade bulkhead, I think those are the gaskets that come on sediment and carbon filters for RO units. I use them, and they fit very snugly over a 1" male adapters threads. Obviously potable water safe, and they're free when you change out the filters on your R/O.
Another thing that works better than PVC male and female adapters is the grey ones used in electrical. With PVC made for water, the threads are made to cinch down, thus you can't screw them together enough on thin glass. The grey electrical plastic pipe fittings don't have these kinds of threads, and you can screw them all the way together, thus being able to tighten down more on thin glass tanks.
Lance

[Jason]

Hi Lance,

Great tips!

I've used the grey pvc fittings you mentioned, here in canada its easier to get than white pvc(in my area anyway)

do you have any problems mating it to white pvc? last time I built something with it I noticed the outside diameter of the 3/4" grey electrical conduit I was using was smaller than white pvc.

[Smokey]

I have noticed the same thing, Lance. What I have done is mix the white with the gray. The threads seem more compatiable.

Jason - I have never noticed your problem; unless you are using different wall thickness pipe. Different scheduals - thicknesses.

A little heat from a heat gun should remidy the proplem [???]. Worked for me !

I guess Jason will just have to leave Thunder Bay and make a trip to a ''BIG'' city. LOL. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;)

Smokey

[Jason]

That could be it, maybe It was schedule 120 or something else, it did seem more rigid and less flexible than the white stuff.

leave Thunder Bay for the big city? last time I did that I met some nice folks at the airport with flowers and tambourines, even got a free haircut!

[Smokey]

OK. J. ... that explanes a few things. Haahahahahahaha.

Back to the pvc ... the gray - electrical conduet ... is usually schedual 40. The CPVC - water potable ... comes in either schedual 40 or thinner schedual 20.
I mix the white and gray ... all the time. white threads with the gray threads seem to work fine ... no binding. Some times I have to break them in first ... thread and unthread a couple of times, lightly sand the males threads a bit.

Either way I do use a pair of water pump plyers to tighten them. A bit of teflon tape is also a good Idea.

great fittings ...the white cpvc type do have more styles and sizes... tees, 45, 90, reducers, etc.

To shape or mildly bend the pipe ,,, I just use a hot air paint stripper electric gun. 1500 watts !!!
Easy to enlarge the pipe/fitting is easy.

Keep shaking that tamberien...

Smokey