Shower drain as a bulkhead?

[mikej83]

I need two, 2" bulkheads, and don't want to pay $20 for them. So I've been looking at various DIY options for a bulkhead. The other day I was at Home Depot trying to put together parts for a DIY bulkhead, and came across a 2" ABS shower drain with a plastic strainer. It looked perfect for use as a bulkhead. I didn't want to use ABS though, so I checked the manufacturer's (Oatey) web site to see if they made a PVC version. Sure enough, they do:


It's part #42089.

What do you all think about that, should it work OK for a bulkhead even though it's meant to be a shower drain? I figured I'll just spray paint the strainer black so that it matches the background. Has anyone else tried something similar before?

I am having a problem though finding a retailer who carries this particular part...

[mikej83]

Sorry, forgot to mention that the cost is $5.22/ea, for a 2" bulkhead I think that's pretty decent...

[killagoby]

I don't know if I'd use spray paint on something inside of the tank. Hide it with rockwork instead.

[eshook]

A black sharpie will work.

[mikej83]

Originally posted by killagoby
I don't know if I'd use spray paint on something inside of the tank. Hide it with rockwork instead.

I had heard that Krylon Fusion spray paint worked well and was reef safe, is that not true?

[itZme]

The 2" bulkheads are $12.21 at Savko.com. I don't think it would be worth trying to make something else work to save $7 each.

If the drain adapter you are talking about is the same thing I think I have seen in the store it would require a large hole through the glass. (like 4 inches)
It seems like finding a holesaw that size would cost more than the $14 savings you are shooting for.

Also, there would be no way to adjust the water level with your DIY solution. With a regular bulkhead you could add an elbow and rotate it to adjust your level. The bottom of the shower drain would be about 3.5" from the top so your water line would be very low in the tank.

HTH
-- Kevin

[Alto]

On the subject of looking for the PVC version of this drain/bulkhead as compared with simply using the ABS one...

Just thought I would mention that I havent been able to find anything online about toxic leaching on ABS. And I have been scouring the net for info. Most ABS pipe manufacturers claim their pipe conforms to world health organization standards for pure water supply. I cant find any reason to not use ABS over PVC in terms of our reef tanks. Any site I have found that says it should only be used for waste water lines give no reason for it, or explanation, they simply pass on what appears to be myth and/or outdated information.

Does anyone have any hard evidence that ABS leaches anything into the water?

[NanoReefWanabe]

i had used krylon fusion spray paint in my tank...no problems that i can see and or test for...everything is growing well though..

as for the ABS...i have seen several people using ABS parts for certain mods...the SCWD mod is the main one i can think of where ABS is used..i believe people doing this were soaking the ABS pipes in RO but i dont know if that makes a difference or not..

some people seem to believe that ABS pipes are laced with fungicides to prevent any poop from building up in the pipes...but i havent read that anywhere on a manufactures site yet..

as for the shower drain...i dont know how large the hole would have to be...but i am pretty sure that one side of the drain...(the part in the shower) has a bell like shape to it on the under side..that would put stress on the glass...

[Tigger240]

i had the same idea, however, the only thing that prevented me from doing it was the gasket. i didnt like the material it was made out of, it isnt like the gaskets found in regular bulkheads. it could be fine, but im not going to chance it.

[Alto]

I dont know if all Ace hardware stores carry it but the one by me has 6"x6" mats of rubber gasket material. I believe you can get 1/8" or 1/4". I used this when making gaskets for my DIY bulkheads. If I am not mistaken its like $3-4 a package

[marspeed]

Dwv fittings are not made to hold much water pressure they are used for gravity flow although there won’t be much water pressure in your case. most of those fittings have a bevel under the rim which would need a gasket in other words it would not lay flat I don’t think it’s worth the effort just get the right bulk head


Marc
NJ.S. master plumber

[marspeed]

One more thing
That black gasket goes on the nut side not under the rim

marc

[1-9-06]

i've been using abs on my tank drain to my sumps/mangroves/refugiums for 6 mos. that "leaching"never even crossed my mind till now. everything sees fine so far.

[BeanAnimal]

marspeed...

a gasket on the nut side is 100% useless for stopping fluid flow. The gasket does not (and can not) prevent fluid from migrating through the threads.

The seal between a bulkhead flange and a tank wall is what prevents the flow of fluid.

A "gasket" on the nut side only allows for a soft conforming seat for the bulkhead against the tank (tub) wall. There still needs to be a gasket on the flange side. This may be rubber, plumbers putty, wax, etc.

Bean

[BeanAnimal]

ABS is fine.... most of the black pastic stuff in your tank is ABS

[NanoReefWanabe]

not only is the gasket have to be on the flange side it is awefully hard to tighten down a bulkhean when the nut is binding on rubber...

the hayward BH i have in my tank has a rubber gasket on each side...but like bean said the rubber outside is just to cushion the glass, and there is a papaer gasket between the nut and the rubber gasket aswell so the nut will spin freely against the outer rubber gasket..

[shelburn61]

krylon fusion spray paint is fine in tanks BTW

[marspeed]

BeanAnimal

Read my first post I think you repeated what I said

As for that nut being hard to tighten it’s because the wrench ovals the nut use channel locks and don’t squeeze down on the nut and don’t forget the fiber washer it keeps the rubber washer from squeezing out. Silicone works well as a gasket under the rim witch is what most of us licensed master plumbers use just let it set a little before final tightening. Free tip you also need to use this cannel lock/ wrench method on sink drains and traps


FIRST POST
Dwv fittings are not made to hold much water pressure they are used for gravity flow although there won’t be much water pressure in your case. most of those fittings have a bevel under the rim which would need a gasket in other words it would not lay flat I don’t think it’s worth the effort just get the right bulk head

[BeanAnimal]

I was responding to the

That black gasket goes on the nut side not under the rim

Statement. That would lead aquarium folks to beleive that the gasket can go on the nut side. Most of these folks do not understand how a bulkhead works and therefore have no reference for a gasket and fiber washer on the nut side or their function. Some of us know what it is for, but most do not.

Bean

[marspeed]

Good point

off topic 12 more posts and you hit 10,000

[mikej83]

Originally posted by BeanAnimal
Most of these folks do not understand how a bulkhead works and therefore have no reference for a gasket and fiber washer on the nut side or their function. Some of us know what it is for, but most do not.

Bean

Would you mine clarifying how it works, for us lowly folks? Because I definitely would've put the gasket on the "wet" side (Not the side w/ the nut). Thank you much.

-Mike

[latazyo]

that is where it goes

[marspeed]

yes that is where it goes on a bulk head but not on that shower drain in the first post by mikej83

That’s what I thought we were talking about i guess some how i missed the point or did I

[BeanAnimal]

mike,

Nobody is lowly... many people are just not armed with the mechanical understanding or prior knowledge.

There is no "wet side" to a bulkhead per say. The side with the flange is typically placed on the inside of the tank, but it does not have to be.

The seal between a bulkhead and a tank wall is achieved through compression of a gasket between the flange of the bulkhead and the tank wall.

A gasket on the NUT side would allow water to leak past the threads of the bulkhead to the flange side. Thus, the flange side is where the seal is made.

As has been mentioned, some bulkheads (like the shower drain) are sold with a rubber gasket for the NUT side as well. These will also commonly have a backing ring made of carboard or other slick material. The rubber washer for the nut side is to cushion the bulkhead and help the nut compress against iregular surfaces. It also adds some give to the bulkhead so that it can adjust to expansion and contraction of the rigid plumbing. The fiber washer (cardboard washer) is used so that the NUT does not catch on the rubber washer.

Hope that helps.

[BeanAnimal]

Originally posted by marspeed
Good point

off topic 12 more posts and you hit 10,000

Pathetic isnt it