Bulkheads???

[firefightersfish]

Which bulkheads do I want to use for drains and returns Single od Double thread???whats the difference???

[firefightersfish]

anyone please??

[mhurley]

Depends on your plumbing plans...double threaded means both interior sides of the bulkheads (wet and dry side) have threads, to screw in fittings. Versus slip fittings where you have to glue things in.

[firefightersfish]

which are better?? can you use single all the time??

[firefightersfish]

anyone else???

[acropora]

I like the slip B.H. fittings which make it very easy to glue PVC straight into them on the external side.This makes for a secure connection.Threads on the internal tank side don't matter too much.You can either use a slip type screen or a threaded screen,and you don't have to worry about leaks at this end.If you are not using PVC,then maybe you would want a threaded B.H. to screw in a MTF x hose conn.This could also be accomplished with a slip fitting.Good luck with the new tank,as you know I am still waiting for mine. Anthony

[firefightersfish]

so threaded bulkheads are no good??

[mhurley]

firefighterfish,

relax man...give people some time to respond. It's not a matter of one being "better" than the other. It's a function of how you wish to connect your plumbing.

With slip, you have to glue PVC pipe into it (permanent). With threaded fittings, it's not permanent-so you can repair and change out things if necessary.

For example, in my previous 120, I have double slip fittings. I glued my 90 elbow-barb into the bottom to drain out to my sump and hooked vinyl tubing to it. The problem was, eventually (after about 5 years) that bulkhead grew a small leak. Since the 90 was glued in there, it was physically impossible to remove the bulkhead from the tank. I had to saw off the elbow to get it all out.

Mike

[firefightersfish]

so double threaded is best?

[firefightersfish]

*

[acropora]

Originally posted by mhurley
firefighterfish,

relax man...give people some time to respond. It's not a matter of one being "better" than the other. It's a function of how you wish to connect your plumbing.

With slip, you have to glue PVC pipe into it (permanent). With threaded fittings, it's not permanent-so you can repair and change out things if necessary.

For example, in my previous 120, I have double slip fittings. I glued my 90 elbow-barb into the bottom to drain out to my sump and hooked vinyl tubing to it. The problem was, eventually (after about 5 years) that bulkhead grew a small leak. Since the 90 was glued in there, it was physically impossible to remove the bulkhead from the tank. I had to saw off the elbow to get it all out.

Mike

Well said.So firefighterfish when you glue in PVC make sure you add a small lenght of PVC pipe before you connect any fittings.This way you can always just cut the PVC pipe and change over to anything you want.It is also advisable to place a ball valve in line to turn the waterworks off.

[David Corbett]

This is funny

[mhurley]

ok....one last time...There is no best. It depends on your preference on how you wish to plumb your system.

[DougSupreme]

where can I purchase bulkheads? Is it something I can pick up at Lowes, or do I need to find a specialized supplier?

[FunkieReefJunkie]

My experience has been places like Home Depot will have some of the plumbing parts the hobbiest needs, and maybe in the size you like. So it may be less frustrating to use some company like Marine Depot, Custom Aquatic, or Aquatic Ecosystems to get specifically what you want. My HD had no idea what kind of bulkheads I wanted and just stared at me like a deer into headlights. So now if I do need something quick I'll head to a smaller store where the workers are older and know what the hell a bulkhead is. One guy just stood there looked at me and said "Bulkhead? What's a bulkhead?" Hmmm. And I'm a woman who knows literally squat about plumbing. Keep up this hobby long enough though and you'll know how to plumb and wire your house