qestion about bulkheads

reefmanwannabe · 03-20-2008, 06:42 PM

ok , I have a 150 gallon tank that has 2" holes ( i know odd size) drilled in the side . I found some bulkheads on a site but don't know what ones to get . They have two types listed , ones " SLIP" and the others "FPT" . I have now idea what that means .

<---he pretty much says it all .

thanks

Fly Guy · 03-20-2008, 06:48 PM

slip means to hook them up they accept the standard respective pipe size the bulkhead is.

FPT means they are female pipe thread and it will require a male pipe threaded fitting to hook it up.

to be sure......is the hole in the tank you have 2"?? thats an odd size. a standard 1" bulkhead takes a 1.75" hole. an 1.5" bullhead takes a 2 3/8" hole. a 2" ulklhead takes a 3" hole

this can get further complicated by what kind of bulkhead. those are schedule 40 sizers I just listed. If a schedule 80 bulkhead they will be larger

reefmanwannabe · 03-20-2008, 06:57 PM

thanks fly , yeah its 2" for sure . Measured more them once just to make sure . The bulkhead i was looking at says they'll fit holes 1 5/8 to 2 1/8 . hers a link to the bulkheads i was looking at ( i hope this works)Bulkhead Fittings

reefmanwannabe · 03-20-2008, 06:59 PM

one more thing which one would be better you use in your oppinion ?

mg · 03-20-2008, 07:03 PM

A 1" schedule 80 bulkhead uses a 1 7/8" hole. Might be your best option. I started using these on my last tank as they are a little stronger anyway. They have hole sizes for standard and schedule 80 fitting at Marine Deopt

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_Aquari...strainers.html

david426 · 03-20-2008, 07:24 PM

fpt is cool because it leaves you the option of removing the pipe from the bulkhead if you ever need to in case of clogged pipe or the bulkhead cracks or something. Just be sure to use lots of the heavy duty (pink case) teflon tape; don't skimp. You'll know you did it right if you have to struggle to screw the fitting on, even better if you have to use a channel lock for the last few turns. Then you'll know it won't leak.

Fly Guy · 03-20-2008, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by david426

Just be sure to use lots of the heavy duty (pink case) teflon tape; don't skimp. You'll know you did it right if you have to struggle to screw the fitting on, even better if you have to use a channel lock for the last few turns. Then you'll know it won't leak.

no offense but that is awful advice and you should NEVER do this. cranking on a tapered fitting into a bulklhead that is. unless you dont mind the chance of the bulkhead exploding down the road and flooding the room.

teflon can be ok, but silicone is better. You dont have to thread it in very far to get a perfect seal. this is especially important if using schedule 40 vs schedule 80 bulkheads

same thing goes for hooking up pumps with tapered fittings. use silcione instead of tape and it will always seal without having to thread it in all the way and stressing the volute

reefmanwannabe · 03-20-2008, 08:28 PM

thanks dave , it looked like a good idea untill the channel locks came into play , with my luck the bulkhead would hold and the tank would crack .Thats the kind of luck I have .
Fly did you happen to look at the link i gave above ? just wanted to know if they look like they would be ok to use ?

Fly Guy · 03-20-2008, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reefmanwannabe

thanks dave , it looked like a good idea untill the channel locks came into play , with my luck the bulkhead would hold and the tank would crack .Thats the kind of luck I have .
Fly did you happen to look at the link i gave above ? just wanted to know if they look like they would be ok to use ?

yes they would work. They arent the best quality though. They arent even scheduole 40 it doesnt look like. With the hole size you have I would opt for the schedule 80 that mike mentioned. they are going to cost twice as much but will fill the hole and make a good seal between the tank and the bulkhead

reefmanwannabe · 03-20-2008, 09:37 PM

sounds good to me , do you happen to know any sites that sells them ? I've tried looking at Home Depot and Lowes but didn't find anything . And thanks for all your help .

Fly Guy · 03-20-2008, 10:26 PM

http://www.savko.com/ViewPart.asp?pa...m=orderdetails

here is the main page it came off of.

http://www.savko.com/partlist.asp?pgid=2

I figured they would be more actually. I have my dad order all my plumbing supplies...or I steal them from his shop when he isnt looking......

david426 · 03-20-2008, 11:21 PM

Yeah you're probably right fly; I was thinking the pipe was going onto the outside of the bulkhead, not the other way around.

tdwyatt · 03-21-2008, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fly Guy

no offense but that is awful advice and you should NEVER do this. cranking on a tapered fitting into a bulklhead that is. unless you dont mind the chance of the bulkhead exploding down the road and flooding the room.

teflon can be ok, but silicone is better. You dont have to thread it in very far to get a perfect seal. this is especially important if using schedule 40 vs schedule 80 bulkheads

same thing goes for hooking up pumps with tapered fittings. use silcione instead of tape and it will always seal without having to thread it in all the way and stressing the volute

Ditto, thank you, Bill.

Savko is a greak site for aquarium plumbing supplies, they also sell clear PVC and clear acrylic pipe (not really so clear as is PVC) in big diameters (hint: for skimmers...), and if need be, you can call them for help on finding what you need.

HTH

tdwyatt · 03-21-2008, 09:53 AM

As far as tightening down the bulkhead nut, if it is too tight, the rubber gasket will deform and start to leak. Just a little more than contact (hand-tight) is plenty tight for this nut, I usually make a long PVC socket wrench out of an appropriately-sized piece of PVC with a dremel tool to tighten up the nut in the tight quarters of under most tanks (doing it while the tank is empty and tilted up is a lot easier). By using the socket tool and hand power, you'll get the tightness you need.