Help Plumbing my sump....

Hello-

I went to home depot today to go buy so PVC fittings and tubes for my overflow and return.

I have a 1.5'' overflow bulkhead with a 3/4'' return, and none of their plumbing supplies fit my threads...

I got the bulkheads and locline returns from Glass holes, and I wanted to know if I need any special PVC to fit those specific setups?

PS. I love going to stores and asking for fish stuff and having people look at me like i am a loon.

 

I always love when they say looks like some good plumbing then you tell them and they look like really a fish tank..... funny sorry I could not help just laughed as you said this! I own a local co and they know me at hd so they always ask and laugh when I say fish tank

 

What exactly were you looking at. A bulkhead and Locline from Glass holes is very standard. There's a mix up somewhere here. Both those things can be threaded by PVC fittings from Home Depot. Give us a bit more detail of the parts you were looking at.

 

I was looking at just standard threaded PVC fittings to run to my sump, thats all. None of the pieces fit the threading, and they were all just slightly too small to fit my street elbows.

 

You're not trying to screw fittings on to the external threads on the bulkheads are you? The external threads are not standard pipe thread and will not seal, use the internal threads or slip fittings only.

 

I was planning on doing just that with a bulkhead I'm getting from gl*******s as well, so may I ask what kind of thread the bulkheads use?

 

Bulkheads are designed to use only the internal surfaces, either slip, SxS, where you slip a piece in and it holds by friction or could be glued permanent or threaded, TxT, or a combination of the two as in SxT.

I prefer TxT or thread by thread bulkheads personally meaning you screw both the internal and external plumbing to the inside threads. The advantage is you can disassemble and reuse the threaded variety while slip styles often get glued then have to be cut apart with a hack saw if you want to move or replumb the tank.
I have done several "sticky" posts on various reef related forums concerning bulkheads and installation tips, here is one:
Installing Bulkhead Tips

The outside threads on bulkheads do not have a taper so even if you can find a fitting that will screw on it it wil not go more than a few threads at best and will sieze up of gall the plastic threads unlike normal tapered pipe threads. They are there to screw the nut on and thats it.

 

Oh, sorry, I thought you meant the internal threads on the external portion of the bulkhead were not standard lol. < misinterpretation FTL.

 

thank you guys for the help, I actually went to a local pool store and they helped me out.

Now I am using the slip portion and I found a fitting that suits my needs.

Thank you guys