bulkhead question

TXStateUnivReef · 08/28/2007, 01:41 PM

ok so if i am wanting to hook a bulkhead up to my tank and in the past i could just screw some pvc or glue it inside of the bulkhead. however the question i have is with the threads on the outside if it is a 2" bulkhead can you just screw a 2" female piece over the outside of the bulkhead?

vegaskid11 · 08/28/2007, 01:49 PM

No you cant. The threads on the outside of the bulhead are for the bulkhead nut. If you want to pipe out of a bulkhead, you have to go on the inside. If its slip you glue it or if its threaded you use teflon tape and screw it in. The bulkhead gasket (rubber ring) must be on the water side of the bulkead. If the gasket has ridges then that side faces the glass.

vegaskid11 · 08/28/2007, 01:50 PM

ha Tex, I just noticed you were the poster. lol

anyway bud, yeah you cant use the outside of the bulhead. Those threads are only for the bulkhead nut.

vegaskid11 · 08/28/2007, 01:53 PM

I suppose you could thread over those but then you would block your bulhead nut and wouldnt be able to easily replace or tighten. You would deffinately have to cut it (to remove it) if you glued it that way.

TXStateUnivReef · 08/28/2007, 01:58 PM

i was just thinking about doing it that way because that would keep me from draining my tank to replace the current bulkhead becuase its already glued up and reduced to 1" for my iwaki

vegaskid11 · 08/28/2007, 02:05 PM

Is it in the overflow. If so, you would have to just drain the overflow. Its reduced to 1: on the output side of the bulkhead. Is the reducer bushing glued in or screwed in. If you thread over the top you would still only have a 1" hole if that reducer is glued in and on the output. If you have any picks of the situation maybe I can help come up with something

If the bulhead drains straight down then you could pull it and quickly put in another.

You could set up a bucket or a funnel to a remote bucket and quickly pull it and put the new one in.

TXStateUnivReef · 08/28/2007, 02:23 PM

no the bulkhead is on the lower left side in the display area about 4 in from the base of the tank the idea which i will try anyways is to plug the hole and remove the pipe and coupler which has the reducing bushing in it. if i can do that then, no new BH is needed however i dont think thats gonna happen.

I think what i am planning on doing is quickly draining the tank into rubbermaids, then removing the old bulkhead which i will glue on a true union ballvalve that way i can pop it in shut the valve and refill, afterwards completing the plumbing on the CL. the master plan is to insert the dart and OM 4way into the existing CL which most of the plumbing will be replaced.

The current CL has 2 1" outputs that Y off to double outputs on each BH @3/4" locline. i will be adding 2 more for the OM so the plumbing that will need to be done is removing the old BH inserting the new plumbing down into the intake of a reeflo dart. the taking the output up to the OM 4way which #1 will go up and over the top to the front left corner of the display and will Y off to double outputs pointing toward the reef wall. #4 will be the same on the right side. while 2 and 3 will output on the current drilled CL holes. so from L to R it will order 1,2,3,4 which is the drum style i got from you. all of the plumbing after the OM will be a mixture of flex PVC and regular PVC. then the next fun part which i will do. is to remove the cheap submersable return pump from my wet dry and replace it with my iwaki that is currently on my CL.

so that is the plan. i am hoping if the RPM is fast enough on the 4 way then it will give me a little bit of occilation.

sorry about any spelling etc

vegaskid11 · 08/28/2007, 11:22 PM

That sounds cool. Its probably safer to drain into rubbermaids. That sucks. But, a good time to re-aquascape if you had something different in mind. Plus, you could re-arrange some of your coral to either be in more or less flow from your new CL. Sounds like fun.

AZDesertRat · 08/28/2007, 11:28 PM

Exterior threads on a bulkhead are not standard NPT pipe threads. Standard PVC will not fit.

vegaskid11 · 08/29/2007, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Exterior threads on a bulkhead are not standard NPT pipe threads. Standard PVC will not fit.

Really, hmm I didnt know that. So what kind of thread is it. Just curious. Is it like a hose bib type thread.

AZDesertRat · 08/29/2007, 11:23 AM

Its a straight thread, as in no taper so fittings do not get tighter the further you screw them on. They can also be a different thread count and actual outside diameter than a similar sized pipe fitting depending on manufacturer. There is no standard and Spears is different than US Plastic which is different from Savco. One will not normally fit the other brand so remember where you got them so you can get the exact replacement if its critical. I have run into this with unions, I wanted to keep one side since it was already hard plumbed but the other brands opposite half would not mate up. Same with the locking nuts and flanged sides on bulkheads.

vegaskid11 · 08/29/2007, 12:50 PM

Oh. Good info. Thanks. I noticed that with one of my 2" true unions as well. Cost me a bulkhead and a new union. I didnt realize you could purchase just the nuts for union valves. Cool. Those puppies add up quick on a large system. I spent near 200 dollars on F-ing valves.

Thanks again.

08/28/2007, 01:58 PM	#5
TXStateUnivReef Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Rosenberg Texas Posts: 197	i was just thinking about doing it that way because that would keep me from draining my tank to replace the current bulkhead becuase its already glued up and reduced to 1" for my iwaki __________________ -Chris 90 gallon

08/28/2007, 02:23 PM	#7
TXStateUnivReef Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Rosenberg Texas Posts: 197	no the bulkhead is on the lower left side in the display area about 4 in from the base of the tank the idea which i will try anyways is to plug the hole and remove the pipe and coupler which has the reducing bushing in it. if i can do that then, no new BH is needed however i dont think thats gonna happen. I think what i am planning on doing is quickly draining the tank into rubbermaids, then removing the old bulkhead which i will glue on a true union ballvalve that way i can pop it in shut the valve and refill, afterwards completing the plumbing on the CL. the master plan is to insert the dart and OM 4way into the existing CL which most of the plumbing will be replaced. The current CL has 2 1" outputs that Y off to double outputs on each BH @3/4" locline. i will be adding 2 more for the OM so the plumbing that will need to be done is removing the old BH inserting the new plumbing down into the intake of a reeflo dart. the taking the output up to the OM 4way which #1 will go up and over the top to the front left corner of the display and will Y off to double outputs pointing toward the reef wall. #4 will be the same on the right side. while 2 and 3 will output on the current drilled CL holes. so from L to R it will order 1,2,3,4 which is the drum style i got from you. all of the plumbing after the OM will be a mixture of flex PVC and regular PVC. then the next fun part which i will do. is to remove the cheap submersable return pump from my wet dry and replace it with my iwaki that is currently on my CL. so that is the plan. i am hoping if the RPM is fast enough on the 4 way then it will give me a little bit of occilation. sorry about any spelling etc __________________ -Chris 90 gallon

08/28/2007, 01:41 PM	#1
TXStateUnivReef Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Rosenberg Texas Posts: 197	bulkhead question ok so if i am wanting to hook a bulkhead up to my tank and in the past i could just screw some pvc or glue it inside of the bulkhead. however the question i have is with the threads on the outside if it is a 2" bulkhead can you just screw a 2" female piece over the outside of the bulkhead? __________________ -Chris 90 gallon

08/28/2007, 01:49 PM	#2
vegaskid11 vegasreefers.com Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 742	No you cant. The threads on the outside of the bulhead are for the bulkhead nut. If you want to pipe out of a bulkhead, you have to go on the inside. If its slip you glue it or if its threaded you use teflon tape and screw it in. The bulkhead gasket (rubber ring) must be on the water side of the bulkead. If the gasket has ridges then that side faces the glass.

08/28/2007, 01:50 PM	#3
vegaskid11 vegasreefers.com Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 742	ha Tex, I just noticed you were the poster. lol anyway bud, yeah you cant use the outside of the bulhead. Those threads are only for the bulkhead nut.

08/28/2007, 01:53 PM	#4
vegaskid11 vegasreefers.com Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 742	I suppose you could thread over those but then you would block your bulhead nut and wouldnt be able to easily replace or tighten. You would deffinately have to cut it (to remove it) if you glued it that way.

08/28/2007, 02:05 PM	#6
vegaskid11 vegasreefers.com Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 742	Is it in the overflow. If so, you would have to just drain the overflow. Its reduced to 1: on the output side of the bulkhead. Is the reducer bushing glued in or screwed in. If you thread over the top you would still only have a 1" hole if that reducer is glued in and on the output. If you have any picks of the situation maybe I can help come up with something If the bulhead drains straight down then you could pull it and quickly put in another. You could set up a bucket or a funnel to a remote bucket and quickly pull it and put the new one in.

08/28/2007, 11:22 PM	#8
vegaskid11 vegasreefers.com Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 742	That sounds cool. Its probably safer to drain into rubbermaids. That sucks. But, a good time to re-aquascape if you had something different in mind. Plus, you could re-arrange some of your coral to either be in more or less flow from your new CL. Sounds like fun.

08/28/2007, 11:28 PM	#9
AZDesertRat Moved On Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: NW Phoenix Posts: 16,621	Exterior threads on a bulkhead are not standard NPT pipe threads. Standard PVC will not fit.

08/29/2007, 11:23 AM	#11
AZDesertRat Moved On Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: NW Phoenix Posts: 16,621	Its a straight thread, as in no taper so fittings do not get tighter the further you screw them on. They can also be a different thread count and actual outside diameter than a similar sized pipe fitting depending on manufacturer. There is no standard and Spears is different than US Plastic which is different from Savco. One will not normally fit the other brand so remember where you got them so you can get the exact replacement if its critical. I have run into this with unions, I wanted to keep one side since it was already hard plumbed but the other brands opposite half would not mate up. Same with the locking nuts and flanged sides on bulkheads.

08/29/2007, 12:50 PM	#12
vegaskid11 vegasreefers.com Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 742	Oh. Good info. Thanks. I noticed that with one of my 2" true unions as well. Cost me a bulkhead and a new union. I didnt realize you could purchase just the nuts for union valves. Cool. Those puppies add up quick on a large system. I spent near 200 dollars on F-ing valves. Thanks again.