joining two garbage cans

[liquidfunk]

I built a shed to house 2 garbage cans for mixing salt. I want to try and plumb the two cans together so I dont have to have 2 float valves, solenoids, heaters PH etc. I obviously want to do this cheaply, so buying bulkheads etc would probably work, but Im not to excited to pay for all that...

Can you simply cut a hole in each, squish them together and use epoxy between the cans to hold them?

Has anyone found a good way to keep two cans mixed? I have a canister filter thats not good for much else, I may have it suck from one, output in the other, but then I need some fashion to combine them via pipes.

Thoughts?

[theduckster]

pretty sure you will have to use some bulkheads i wouldn't think 4 bulkheads would cost that much
you shouldn't need any float valves or solenoids
if you put one set of bulkheads at the top of booth cans and one set at bottom of each can
you can put a pump between the bottom bulkheads to pump from one to the other and the top set of bulkheads would return the water
that should work
good luck

[PaSReef1]

you need to use uniseals.. look in my bloated gallery and here... is a drawing...

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/46913uniseal4.gif

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/46913UNISEAL_in_action.gif

read this post
http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=296183&highlight=Uni+Seals

they are way cheaper than bulkhead and will do the job nicely.. you can have hole sizes from 1" up to 8

The 6" uni only costs about 6 bux.... you dould use a 2 x 3" probably or even less... use a UNI on each side.. you just drill the openings and stuff the uni in, and then the pipe

your done.. Im using them on my DIY skimmer pics coming soon.

[Glass World]

You don't even need to do that... just use vinyl tubing and your canister filter. Loop the input for the canister filter over the top of one can and the output over the top of the other... then take another section of larger diameter vinyl tubing and fill it with water and run it from one can to the other over the tops.

The canister filter will pump water from one can to the other. The water will flow the other way through the other piece of vinyl tubing because the syphon created keep the water level in the two cans even.

HTH,
Brett

[Freed]

Originally posted by theduckster
pretty sure you will have to use some bulkheads i wouldn't think 4 bulkheads would cost that much
you shouldn't need any float valves or solenoids
if you put one set of bulkheads at the top of booth cans and one set at bottom of each can
you can put a pump between the bottom bulkheads to pump from one to the other and the top set of bulkheads would return the water
that should work
good luck

I agree with doing it this way. This is what I plan on doing sooner or later. I have a 60 gallon trash can right now and hope to add another just like it so if necessary I can do a large water change at a moments notice. Freed

[Crawdad1]

Originally posted by Glass World
The water will flow the other way through the other piece of vinyl tubing because the syphon created keeps the water level in the two cans even.

HTH,
Brett

What happens if you lose syphon for some odd reason?

[Glass World]

Originally posted by Crawdad1
What happens if you lose syphon for some odd reason?

Then the canister filter pulls water from one can and overflows the other. To make it a bit more fail safe it might not be a bad idea to use two syphon tubes.

Ideally it would probably be better to use a couple of bulkheads (or uniseals) to connect the cans under the waterline, but the original poster was looking to do this as inexpensively as possible.

[liquidfunk]

so where do you find these uniseals? Never heard of them, can you send me to some vendors or something? one 4-8" connection would be sweet.

[liquidfunk]

i still cant find the uniseals,,, did a google search, got way to many results that dont add up....

can anyone give me an idea of where to find this item?

[PaSReef1]

yes
pm me now they work GREAT btw I just build a project with them and they are fantastic.

What size pipe are you looking to tie into each other with 3" 2" 1.5" I will help you pull this off and set you up with the right contact for these

[55chadman]

why dont you just build a small platform for one of the cans -- one maby 6-8 inches higher than the other drill a hole in the top one for what ever size pvc pipe then get two slip connectors pit one on the inside of the can cut a small piece of pvc (the size of your hole) then take another slip fitting and put it on the front of the can (be sure to glue them on) then use silicon the front and back ---- put the intake of the canister in the bottom and the output on the top and let gravity do the work --- this is a cheap way -- 2.00 worth of pvc or even free if you have it all around

the uniseals can be bought at aquatic eco systems buy there catalogue it cool all the fittings youll ever find

any other ????'s just ask away

chad

[liquidfunk]

Chad, what kind of slip fitting are you talking about? is it a homedepot type item? I cant think of a slip fitting, other than a simple glued PVC joint.

[55chadman]

yep thats it i just call it a slip fitting (to join 2 peices of pvc)