Plumbing help - I'm Stumped

[mandown123]

Hi reefers

I tried to setup my 75 RR plumbing this weekend and I had epic failure. I tried to buy ball valves to screw onto the bulkheads. I thought I had a 1" return and a 1.5" drain with male threads coming out the bottom.

I bought the 1" and 1.5" female thread ball valves. They don't fit.

The 1" JUST MISSED too small. The 1.5" was swimming it was so big.

Totally stumped, can someone advise me? Are there special fittings for tank bulkheads? Where am I going wrong? So confused.

Thanks

 

[Galantra]

i believe every time i have connected a ball valve i had to add a pvc within the fitting to fit it. the 1.5 doesnt fit the 1inch bulkhead?

 

[mandown123]

No it did not. The 1.5" valve was even too big for the 1.5 " bulkhead, I don't understand. If the bulkhead is threaded, why wouldn't something fit on those threads? Is it a non-standard size?

Unless I am completely missing something. Can someone who knows plumbing weigh in please? So stumped.

 

[Yen]

Bulkhead should have standard sizes, and so do ball valves, they should same type of thread too, so if they are of same sizes, they should fit. Try with 1 1/4 that is the size between 1 and 1.5.
Or the best way is take that male bulkhead to HD with you and try different female adapters.

Yen

 

[steveo32]

Your not trying to thread the ball vavles on the out of the bulkheads right ? The bulk heads are threaded on the inside ? Also verify that you do have 1" and 1.5" I mean they should be but you never know. Who made the tank ?
Sorry if I'm stating the obvious

 

[mandown123]

Steve - the bulkheads look like this:

http://www.joetruhan.com/bulkhead-fittings-aquariums.html

So, yes, I am trying to screw the valve onto the outside of the bulkheads. They also have internal threads on the top, but I am talking about putting this:

http://www.flexpvc.com/cart/agora.cgi?product=PVC-BallValvesFPT

Yen: I tried 1.25" also, after i returned eveyrthing i got that. It just missed as the 1" valve just missed.

I SOOO wish I could take the bulkheads to HD with me, but they are attached. Don't know who made the tank, got it off an MR member.

 

[Yen]

You sure can remove the bulkhead unless it was glued, but I doubt someone would do that.

Just be careful, don't ruin the thread or break the glass. Good luck.

 

[Aquatic Life Direct]

which bulkhead do you have? Slips on the inside or threaded on the inside? If its slip inside, then you need a slip ball valve and some pvc to glue the pieces together.

 

[mandown123]

it's threaded inside and out. How would I remove it? It seemed like it was in there pretty good.

 

[mandown123]

to be more clear: the bottom threads are on the outside, the top of the bul;khead has thread on the inside.

 

[Yen]

If you have both sides threaded, try to match the inside thread. Try 1" MALE. That should be it.

 

[KathyC]

Just to orient myself here - are the new bulkheads on the back or the bottom of the tank?

Anyway - from what I understand you are not going to find a valve that matches the threading of the bulkhead (locally anyway, and certainly not at Home Depot..). What I have seen done again & again is people use PVC on the inside of the bulkhead (if it is slip on the inside part & threaded on the outside, like in the link you posted) and then go from there.
It looks like this when you're done - this is on the bottom of my 120, but same idea if you are working on the back of the tank..)

Note the small piece of PVC between the elbow and the bulkhead.
IIRC - that is 1" PVC and he glued the heck out of it when he put it in.

I do have a question/comment - you said you are trying to attach the ball valve directly to the bulkhead? You might want to consider putting a bit of a length of PVC between them before you add the valve (ideally, I would put a Union 1st (and some PVC piping ) between the bulkhead and the ball valve, as it gives you more wiggle room if you have to take anything out for whatever reason.
If the tank is going against a wall and harder to access, you might want to add a longer length of PVC so the union & the ball valve end up under the tank and easier to reach?

Do you have a pic of how far you have gotten? Maybe a drawing of what you plan to do?

 

[Yen]

Exactly as Kathy said You won't regret that $5 spent on the union later on.

As a matter of fact, I had the same kind of bulk head on my 20G sum that I bought from a gentlemen in central Jersey. The outside thread just won't fit any standard size PVC, but the inside thread fits the 1" male adapter perfectly. So just like Kathy said, put that 1" male adaptor with plumber tape to the bulk head, add a piece of pvc then either a union then a valve or a half union ball valve (Lowes has, HD doesn't). This kind of valve allows you to take your pipes apart and put them back easily.

Yen

Just to orient myself here - are the new bulkheads on the back or the bottom of the tank?

Anyway - from what I understand you are not going to find a valve that matches the threading of the bulkhead (locally anyway, and certainly not at Home Depot..). What I have seen done again & again is people use PVC on the inside of the bulkhead (if it is slip on the inside part & threaded on the outside, like in the link you posted) and then go from there.
It looks like this when you're done - this is on the bottom of my 120, but same idea if you are working on the back of the tank..)

Note the small piece of PVC between the elbow and the bulkhead.
IIRC - that is 1" PVC and he glued the heck out of it when he put it in.

I do have a question/comment - you said you are trying to attach the ball valve directly to the bulkhead? You might want to consider putting a bit of a length of PVC between them before you add the valve (ideally, I would put a Union 1st (and some PVC piping ) between the bulkhead and the ball valve, as it gives you more wiggle room if you have to take anything out for whatever reason.
If the tank is going against a wall and harder to access, you might want to add a longer length of PVC so the union & the ball valve end up under the tank and easier to reach?

Do you have a pic of how far you have gotten? Maybe a drawing of what you plan to do?

 

[KathyC]

So just like Kathy said, put that 1" male adaptor with plumber tape to the bulk head, add a piece of pvc then either a union then a valve or a half union ball valve

That piece of PVC is not threaded in there (it is also NOT an adapter, it is a piece of regular old PVC 1' pipe)- it is a slip fitting, and it gets GLUED!

 

[mandown123]

Hm.. I will try the inside, not sure I dont have it in front of me. So I will try to screw something into the inside, then union and ball valve. I hope this works.

It looks like that picture, the bulkhead. The same exact thing with the thread on the outside, but as I see here, you slipped it INSIDE. I was trying to screw it outside.


I don't have a picture as I am at work, but I bought this thick flex pvc style hose for jacuzzis in 1.5 inch for drain and 1" for return. I had this piece that screwed into the ball valves that the hose slips over and I had the metal ring to secure it. I hope that works using the male end instead of the female end.

I will definitely let you guys know as soon as I get home and try this. I really appreciate the help, and if anyone has anything else to add, please do, as this has been the biggest help so far.

Thanks so much

-tom

 

[KathyC]

Hm.. I will try the inside, not sure I dont have it in front of me. So I will try to screw something into the inside, then union and ball valve. I hope this works.

It looks like that picture, the bulkhead. The same exact thing with the thread on the outside, but as I see here, you slipped it INSIDE. I was trying to screw it outside.


I don't have a picture as I am at work, but I bought this thick flex pvc style hose for jacuzzis in 1.5 inch for drain and 1" for return. I had this piece that screwed into the ball valves that the hose slips over and I had the metal ring to secure it. I hope that works using the male end instead of the female end.

I will definitely let you guys know as soon as I get home and try this. I really appreciate the help, and if anyone has anything else to add, please do, as this has been the biggest help so far.

Thanks so much

-tom

Yes, it needs to go INSIDE of the bulkhead.

You don't 'screw' it in there - you glue it in

You don't want to use the spa-flex hose (almost smooth white hose..that is flexible) for the connection to the bulkhead - too critical a connection - you want to use regular PVC pipe for that.

.. (you aren't talking about that flexible hose that they use on pools that has the thick ribs in it - are you? If so, don't use that at all to connect to the bulkhead!)

 

[Yen]

Sorry, Kathy, I didn't make myself clear. I was refering to his situation. That is the same bulkhead I got before, and that was what I did

Yen

That piece of PVC is not threaded in there (it is also NOT an adapter, it is a piece of regular old PVC 1' pipe)- it is a slip fitting, and it gets GLUED!

 

[CHEMCHEF]

Pool or spa hose is fine. Thousands of people use it.

 

[mandown123]

oh, totally. My issue was getting these ball valves going.

 

[Galantra]

I know exactly what you are trying to do, I did the same with my 210g tank wish i had photos to show you. Are you using Schedule 80 True Union Ball Valves?

I think only Gate valves are the only thing that could be screwed to a bulkhead