Best brand of bulkheads?
- Thread starter monsterK
- Start date
Ive ordered the "lifegard aquatics" schedule 40 bulkheads many times from amazon over the years and ive actually received several distinctly different style bulkheads. I guess schedule 40 means schedule 40 regardless of the factory they come from. All of them seem to work fine. The only real difference in quality i can see is if you upgrade to schedule 80 fittings which are usually more than twice what 40 costs. Be aware that if you do switch to 80 the hole size needs to be ever so slightly larger than for schedule 40, so if its really tight on a 40 it might not fit an 80.
Ok awesome, what's your preference with slip vs thread for the bulkhead side outside the tank? I hear mix thing about threads will leak eventually
I i use mostly slip/thread with slip out/thread in. If they say slip/thread they should match that pattern. Idk if ive seen them the other way. But to answer your question it really depends.
How will your overflow drains and returns be set up inside the tank? If youre using strainers, nozzles or other fittings for the drains than get the end that fits best. For instance if its a loc-line fitting than you want threads inside to mount the threaded adapter flush. Or if its a strainer with slip ends you should opt for the slip. A DIY spray bar? You probably want slip inside.
The main reason i get slip on the outside is you usually need another fitting to hook up threads which takes up more space behind the tank, more joints to potentially leak. But if you happen to want to hook up your lines with flexible hose and barb fittings, then you will want threads on the outside since most all barb fittings will be threaded.
For instance, heres the backside of my 200g tank with 4x 1.5" slip/slip drains and 2x 1" thread/thread return bulkheads with the barb fittings for flexible vinyl hose:
In summation, its best to plan out every centimeter of your plumbing and then order your hardware imo. Or you could be like me who just has a garage full of odds and ends because i never did that lol.
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I am going to play Devil's Advocate here. I agree that slip fittings allow in some cases for more compact connections and this can sometimes be an advantage. But, personally, I will always choose threaded connections if possible, and will even allow extra space for their use, simply because they are not permanent and allow relatively easy modification or disassembly if future changes are needed or desired. Slip fittings require gluing; once together...they are together for good. Future alterations or mods then become far more difficult, and involve much cutting, cursing and effort.
Another minor point is that threaded connections can be assembled and put into service immediately, with no waiting for solvent-cemented slip connections to cure and become safe.
I of course agree that, ideally, one plans out the entire plumbing project ahead of time, ensuring that everything is purchased and ready to go. I follow this procedure religiously; and, in over 5 decades of fishkeeping DIY...it has never once worked out that way! There's always some forgotten detail, some unforeseen glitch, some accidentally broken part, some wrong-sized piece...something...that demands another trip to the hardware store or, worse yet, another mail-order delay, before the project can "get wet".
Nowadays, if I need an XYZ widget...I will buy three of them. Use one, drop the other two into the parts/junk bin, in hopes that it will come in handy at some point in future. The first time that happens...the first time that you plunge your arm into the bin and pull out the magic gizmo which will allow you to connect this to that and thus save the day...you will be chortling and grinning from ear to ear.
0h, and regarding the worry about threaded couplings leaking eventually? I use teflon tape on all threads, tighten snugly but not excessively...and can't remember the last time I had such joints leak. I have at least a half-dozen threaded bulkheads right now that have been in service for a decade, haven't been touched or serviced...and don't leak. I'm pretty sure that I had others that were considerably older in my previous house. How long do you need them to last?
If one did begin to drip...I'd unscrew it, clean the threads carefully, reapplly teflon tape, screw it back together...and sit back for another decade.
Another minor point is that threaded connections can be assembled and put into service immediately, with no waiting for solvent-cemented slip connections to cure and become safe.
I of course agree that, ideally, one plans out the entire plumbing project ahead of time, ensuring that everything is purchased and ready to go. I follow this procedure religiously; and, in over 5 decades of fishkeeping DIY...it has never once worked out that way! There's always some forgotten detail, some unforeseen glitch, some accidentally broken part, some wrong-sized piece...something...that demands another trip to the hardware store or, worse yet, another mail-order delay, before the project can "get wet".
Nowadays, if I need an XYZ widget...I will buy three of them. Use one, drop the other two into the parts/junk bin, in hopes that it will come in handy at some point in future. The first time that happens...the first time that you plunge your arm into the bin and pull out the magic gizmo which will allow you to connect this to that and thus save the day...you will be chortling and grinning from ear to ear.
0h, and regarding the worry about threaded couplings leaking eventually? I use teflon tape on all threads, tighten snugly but not excessively...and can't remember the last time I had such joints leak. I have at least a half-dozen threaded bulkheads right now that have been in service for a decade, haven't been touched or serviced...and don't leak. I'm pretty sure that I had others that were considerably older in my previous house. How long do you need them to last?
If one did begin to drip...I'd unscrew it, clean the threads carefully, reapplly teflon tape, screw it back together...and sit back for another decade.
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I had trouble with leaks on these schedule 40 type, after a couple tremors loosened them up..
And had to cut them off.
But I'm in and earthquake zone, so this may not be problematic in your case.
They were replaced with schedule 80s, and even after a couple tremors of late, the 80s have held up nicely.
Beside having a larger screwing base filling around the hole better than the 40s.
They came with a threaded cap, so in case I want to stop gravitational flow to the sump after the pump is shut off, they caps can be screwed in.
I like threaded because they can be (in theory) removed without cutting, but that has a caveat....
If your water is mineral rich (like mine) mineral buildup makes it almost impossible to unthread, after a couple years.
They were a couple dollars more than the 40s, but not much.
And I'm with John about buying a couple extras, I have the tendency to screw up, and/or readjust my plans, so extras help, especially because hardware stores are a an hours ferry ride way.
And had to cut them off.
But I'm in and earthquake zone, so this may not be problematic in your case.
They were replaced with schedule 80s, and even after a couple tremors of late, the 80s have held up nicely.
Beside having a larger screwing base filling around the hole better than the 40s.
They came with a threaded cap, so in case I want to stop gravitational flow to the sump after the pump is shut off, they caps can be screwed in.
I like threaded because they can be (in theory) removed without cutting, but that has a caveat....
If your water is mineral rich (like mine) mineral buildup makes it almost impossible to unthread, after a couple years.
They were a couple dollars more than the 40s, but not much.
And I'm with John about buying a couple extras, I have the tendency to screw up, and/or readjust my plans, so extras help, especially because hardware stores are a an hours ferry ride way.
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This is a concern for my water as well. But the exposed thread that juts out beyond the locking nut after the bulkhead is installed is easily covered with something like a thin coat of silicone, or even something as simple as electrical tape. Those threads should never be wet in most cases; maybe in some set-ups they might be splashed a bit, but covering them keeps them pristine.
If the exposed external threads on an installed bulkhead are wet...there is something amiss somewhere in the system.
Threaded caps are available separately and inexpensively, and are a handy thing to keep available.
