plumbing aces needed.. bulkhead under tank. what adapts to standard pvc fittings?

[WildCAught]

Hello all, I recently acquired a hundred gal with two 1" pvc overflow pipes. Underneath the tank are the corresponding bulkheads with 1.25" male thread. I've always been a hang on back or canister filter kind of guy so I initially was not planning on using these pipes and was just gonna hide them behind the 3D background I made. Recently I got a 13 gallon wet/dry sump and was able to mickey mouse an adapter using a pvc fitting with 1.25" female thread. The threading on the bulkhead looks a lot tighter than that of any pvc so I ended up adhering the pieces using pvc weld. I felt that after just a few turns I would damage the threading on the bulkhead. Is there a standard adapter from bulkhead to pvc?? So far I've used one pipe but I'd like to run the same setup using the other pipe on the other side.

Problems to consider:
the tank is already inhabited. Technically my only tank.
Tank is permanently modified with cement 3d background so I can't fiddle with the pipes.
There is not enough pvc pipe sticking out underneath to use a cuff type adapter.

Thanks,
Javi

 

[jsodwi]

Is the bulkhead threaded on the inside and outside? Are you sure you didnt cross thread while putting it together? I would unscrew check threads put some teflon tape on and try again. I dont know where your from, but in the u.s. i dont believe pvc is made in metric sizes so there shouldnt be any way to use the wrong size thread.

 

[Pharaoh]

Are you trying to put an adapter on the outside threads of the bulkhead? I would venture to guess that what you have is a slip bulkhead. This means that you should be attaching 1" PVC with glue to the inside of the bulkhead. The outer threads on a bulkhead are not standard threading.

 

[WildCAught]

Is the bulkhead threaded on the inside and outside? Are you sure you didnt cross thread while putting it together? I would unscrew check threads put some teflon tape on and try again. I dont know where your from, but in the u.s. i dont believe pvc is made in metric sizes so there shouldnt be any way to use the wrong size thread.

Thanks for the reply, Jso. I appreciate your time. Definitely not cross threaded, though.

Are you trying to put an adapter on the outside threads of the bulkhead? I would venture to guess that what you have is a slip bulkhead. This means that you should be attaching 1" PVC with glue to the inside of the bulkhead. The outer threads on a bulkhead are not standard threading.

Pharao, this is exactly what I have.

Does anyone know of an adapter that can match the threading so I can easily use PVC?

At this point my only options are to use a pvc bushing (but I don't want to lose any diameter size inside the PVC pipe) or somehow
match the threading... Any ideas? leads?

 

[jcardona1]

Nope, the threading on the outside of the bulkhead is for the bulkhead nut ONLY. It's not made to be used as a plumbing connection, and you won't find anything to match its threads. Your plumbing gets hooked up INSIDE the bulkhead, not outside.

 

[Pharaoh]

You are probably not going to be able to match the threading as is it an odd thread pattern. I would just use 1" pvc and hook it up normal with a little pvc cement. If you use the slip fitting, you shouldn't lose any diameter as the bulkhead was designed to be 1". Unfortunately, I don't know of an adapter that would match up for what you need.

 

[jsodwi]

On my 210g I just used a hose and hoseclamp that fit over the bulkhead threads. Its been running for years with no problems. It was on the overflow end. I think it was about 2" diameter nylon hose

 

[WildCAught]

Nope, the threading on the outside of the bulkhead is for the bulkhead nut ONLY. It's not made to be used as a plumbing connection, and you won't find anything to match its threads. Your plumbing gets hooked up INSIDE the bulkhead, not outside.

Man... I was really hoping that wouldn't be the case.
Wish I had looked into all this before I started doing irreversible mods..

You are probably not going to be able to match the threading as is it an odd thread pattern. I would just use 1" pvc and hook it up normal with a little pvc cement. If you use the slip fitting, you shouldn't lose any diameter as the bulkhead was designed to be 1". Unfortunately, I don't know of an adapter that would match up for what you need.

Unfortunately, there is not enough pvc pipe sticking out to securely place a slip over it. The alternative would be a bushing going inside the pipe and mating that to another pipe. I'll make figuring this out my project for next weekend as this weekend I'll be in Oakland watching the Raiders take down the Jets. Thanks for your time anyway guys!

 

[WildCAught]

On my 210g I just used a hose and hoseclamp that fit over the bulkhead threads. Its been running for years with no problems. It was on the overflow end. I think it was about 2" diameter nylon hose

This is genius! We have tons of Hose at my job too. Can't believe I didn't consider this...

 

[aaronb]

This is genius! We have tons of Hose at my job too. Can't believe I didn't consider this...

That's far from genius not to mention pointless. You said it was a 13 gallon wet/dry, so there's no way you need that big of a drain. I'd love to hear what pump you're using and how much flow you expect to go through a wet/dry that small. What size of tank is this anyways? Technically if the hole is in the right place you could just place the filter under it with no hose at all and let the water fall in that way. How is that for genius? I don't know why if a bunch of people with good knowledge tell you you're not supposed to do something a certain way you wait for someone with less apparent knowledge to come along and give a crazy idea about how it will work and say it's genius. Do it however you want. Just keep in mind you can't use just any hose on an aquarium and if you have trouble don't forget people tried telling you the right way to do it.