View Full Version : Advice for first time plumber?
DonaldLL
06/10/2011, 09:45 PM
Hello,
I have been and will continue to do my research but the thing that scares me most about my first tank build is the plumbing work that needs to be done. Once I know which skimmer, pump, lights, overflow, etc etc I want to buy I just have this phobia about doing my plumbing work. I know I can get someone else to do it but I wanna do it myself. It ain't rocket science but it's new to me. I can handle a wrench, fix my motorcycle, and work on my car; I am OK but not good at woodworking. I do like to tinker? How did you get a good feel for this when you were a PVC virgin?
hollister
06/10/2011, 09:55 PM
To get started on a basic tank u need no plumbing. A few good powerheads and a good pile of LR will get u started. Plumbing comes later when u want or if u want to add a refugium.
DonaldLL
06/10/2011, 10:00 PM
Yeah Hollister, I hear you. Actually I didn't even think of that but I want the skimmer and the sump. I am not sure about tank size yet but somewhere in the 100g to 150g range shallow reef.
pmrossetti
06/10/2011, 10:02 PM
plumbing can be as simple or as complex as you want.
other than bulkheads and barbed hose fittings I always used just pool hose and vinyl tubing on my tanks. easy, quiet, cheap, easy to clean and change and never had a leak.
for pvc just go by a bunch and practice. it's pretty easy. just dry fit everything first and don't skimp on the unions.
walkerbrody
06/10/2011, 10:45 PM
Pvc is cheap and easy. Just lightly sand the inside of the fittings and outside of the pipes. Dry fit everything. Coat the pipe and the fitting with pipe cement. Turn the pipe 1/4 turn after putting together let dry a few hours.
jinks
06/10/2011, 11:42 PM
Buy a bunch of different fittings and plum them down a pipe. At one end of the pipe put a cap and the other end a threaded female fitting. Screw it on a faucet and turn the water on. This will show you any leaks in your fittings.
wizzbane15
06/10/2011, 11:44 PM
Unless you already plan on adding some advanced components (ie. fuge, sump, ect) I would not worry about plumbing. Flexible tubing and barb fittings are the way to go, they are cheap, easy, and readily fixable/changeable.
What size system are you looking to set up? One idea if you do plan on adding some advanced components would be to ask a fellow reefer to help, not do. That way you get an experienced person to help and get some good preliminary hands on work. I will caution you in that doing your own plumbing is like the dark side of the force, once you go down that path you will be ever consumed with doing more and better plumbing things......... Stay strong young skywalker
Toddrtrex
06/10/2011, 11:51 PM
Dry fit, like was mentioned above. One thing to remember, when you dry fit, and then glue/bond the PVC will slide in further when they are wet from the solvent; IME, a good 1/4 inch.
ive never had the need to sand the pipe as you would with copper but previos comments are true. It will slide together further with the glue on but dry fitting is still a good idea. Always do a 1/4 to a 1/2 twist once glued and put together (makes sure glue goes the whole way around) and once you put the pieces together the glue sets fast like 10-15 seconds fast to the point your not going to pull it apart. easy to do if you make a mistake cut it and add a coupling and keep going good luck
malac0da13
06/11/2011, 06:43 AM
Like previous person stated if plumbing all in pvc unions are your friend and union ball valves are great around pumps in case you need to remove the pump for replacement.
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Lynnmw1208
06/11/2011, 09:03 AM
I just went the easy route with flexible tubing and barbed adapters. The only thing I had to glue was the adapters into some pvc piping that went to my overflow box kit. I used teflon tape around the threaded parts, and I also siliconed the outside just to be sure. Also use clamps on the barbed fittings for safety!!
This is what I did. I used the glass-holes.com overflow kit and return kit. I did add clamps after this pic was taken.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_q5zxJxS9jm4/TUtqgsyInTI/AAAAAAAAE4s/xcILqUkaTf4/s800/DSC_0004-3.JPG
kruserm
06/11/2011, 01:05 PM
Flexible pipe is your friend, just tighten up the hose clamps and you are good to go. Although PVC is not difficult at all...use your primer and glue and you should be good to go. Dont make PVC harder then it is, the hardest part is making sure you measure correctly.
kurens
06/11/2011, 06:41 PM
+1 on unions,unions valves,i should use them when started plumbing for fisrt time:)
kruserm
06/11/2011, 10:13 PM
I would agree on the unions....I just bought a used 125 where the guy plumbed everything straight through. When I got it to my place I redesigned the plumbing with unions and shut offs.
DonaldLL
06/12/2011, 09:17 PM
Thanks for the tips and support. I never thought about the extra slippage that the glue would cause...
For the record, I am looking at building a shallow reef something like 60x30x16 or maybe a little longer like 72". I plan on a sump and a refugium. Also considering an external overflow
You'll find putting PVC plumbing together is super easy... child's play compared to working on motorcycles and cars.
After you cut your pipe pieces, clean then end off with a utility knife or sandpaper. Then loosely dry fit to make sure you got your design and angles and stuff like you want. Like mentioned above, the pipe will go into the fittings further with glue on them than they will dry, so account for that. Also, as mentioned, put unions on it where needed so that you can take your plumbing apart in the future when needed. It's not required to use unions, but one day you may be glad you did. Oh, and don't skimp on the glue, glob it on there and make sure it's coved all the way around... not using enough glue and not getting it fully covered is the #1 cause of it leaking at a fitting, IMO. And after everything is done and the glue is dry, leak test it before the final setup.
jr_casteel1999
06/13/2011, 01:10 AM
on pvc i used the 2 part with primer and then the cement. also dry fitted . was a piece of cake, never had a leak. but i did the first go round when i just used the cement with no primer. no need to sand..
NirvanaFan
06/13/2011, 05:26 AM
One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that once you use put the cement on and push the pieces together they will want to push away from each other. You have to hold the two pieces together for 20 seconds or so.
DonaldLL
06/13/2011, 09:13 PM
I'm still following. Feeling a bit better about this, thanks
Don't stress it. PVC is way cheap, so even if you mess it up or it ends up not how you want it, just cut if off and redo it. And if you put unions in good places, you don't even have to redo all of it, just the section to where the union is.
NirvanaFan is right, sometimes you'll have the glue try to push the pipe back out of the fitting and need to hold in it for a few seconds. It doesn't take long. But that works the other way as well, you don't have long to turn it and make any adjustment before it becomes immovable, so get it were it's supposed to be pretty quickly, or you'll be doing the "start over" thing as I said above. :fun4:
Oh, and putting the purple primer on it first is good too. I'm not sure that it's necessary to get a good seal, but it doesn't hurt.
biecacka
06/14/2011, 06:13 AM
it really can be as simple as you wanna make it! i chose to make mine very simple, now i love the clean look of a lot of plumbing out here but too much for me. i have 2 bulkheads on the back of my tank and they are attached to spa flex that runs to my sump(no valves of any sort) then for return i have spa flex running back up to pvc 90* to get back into the tank. now for the return i DID use valves and a union due to simple fact that if you need to take your pump offline for any reason the unions make life easier
corey
I never used the purple stuff on my tank plumbing (pondside, yes)---just teflon tape on screw-in pieces. You can always take it apart if you have to.
Ask at a good store when you need a particular fitting: take a piece of hose with you to assure you end up with the right thing, for example. Hose is measured both by inside diameter and exterior diameter, and that can be a huge difference. Joining two hoses is done by a 'hose barb', and hose barbs come in one-ended and two-ended, with one screw-in side, and with all sorts of variations---and one of the beauties of plumbing technology is how you can fit 2-3 separate pieces together to solve a problem. You can expand or reduce by fittings that have a bigger opening at one end than another.
Main thing, if you really need something to hold, use a screw/teflon tape connection. You can use a 'hose clamp' to assure a hose stays on, but you CANNOT use any metal fitting where it comes in contact with salt water. Fresh water, yes, but not salt: it will eat it up within a short time and you will have no connector---just a leak; and metal is a poison to your fish and specimens.
Use drinking-water quality pvc pipe (white) NOT the drain pvc, which is black.
Most of all, don't be shy about asking for help. The guys in the plumbing dept are good at solving problems, and I'll guarantee you they're used to questions. I started out just plugging airline tubing together, and a couple of years ago had no hesitation about plumbing the pond out back, with a big pump, skimmer, and 2" hose with the purple stuff. So go to it. It's not rocket science. Or it sort of is, but not the hard part of it.
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