How short can my bulkheads be?

[redcoatd]

Hi,

Trying to reuse a 2nd-hand stand, that covers pipes coming out the right hand side. Planning to add a Bean overflow, but I'm pretty limited in the extra width on the right with the cover (hope that makes sense!).

Looks like I have about 5 1/2" maximum from right hand side of tank to right hand side of vertical 1 1/2" pipe, which doesn't leave me much room.

How short can the bulkheads I add be? Can I trim them once installed? (75 Gal tank)

cheers

David

 

[ca1ore]

Not getting what you mean, though reversing the bulkhead so that the flange is on the side of the tank where you are space constrained can work. Just make sure to keep the gasket with the flange.

 

[redcoatd]

I just need the distance between the wall of the tank, and the vertical pipes going to my sump (bean animal style) to me as small as possible ie the vertical pipes are as close to the tank as possible.

I'm new to all this, so any advice would be great...

I was planning to use 1" bulkheads and step up to 1.5" pipes - would 1.5" bulkheads help keep the vertical pipes closer? Are there disadvantages to 1.5" bulkheads?

cheers

David

 

[ca1ore]

For a 75, one inch bulkheads will suffice. Just flip them around so the flange side is on the back of the tank and then the pipes will essentially be hugging the back of the tank. You can trim off some of the thread that protrudes into the inside overflow if you need to, just make sure to do it cleanly so the nut can still be threaded on easily. Gasket goes on the outside ofvthectank under the flange.

 

[uncleof6]

They make short bulkheads, fairly easy to come by. I do think you are doing yourself a disservice by trying to minimize everything, that seldom is a very good idea. Trying to slam a tank against the wall is never a good idea, you need to be able to get an arm back there to work. You won't be moving the tank after it has water in it...

 

[NanoReefWanabe]

For a 75, one inch bulkheads will suffice. Just flip them around so the flange side is on the back of the tank and then the pipes will essentially be hugging the back of the tank. You can trim off some of the thread that protrudes into the inside overflow if you need to, just make sure to do it cleanly so the nut can still be threaded on easily. Gasket goes on the outside ofvthectank under the flange.

put the nut on before you cut them down that way spinning the nut off will clean out the threads"¦you only need as much thread as needed to get the nut on"¦you could cut it off 1-2mm behind the nut (after it is installed on the tank)

 

[one clownfish]

I use a harbor freight $3 oil filter wrench (cleaned really good) to tighten the bulkhead nuts. It comes in handy when you can't get your hands in the overflow box. The nuts don't need to be really tight but sometimes they can be in an awkward position to tighten.

 

[redcoatd]

They make short bulkheads, fairly easy to come by. I do think you are doing yourself a disservice by trying to minimize everything, that seldom is a very good idea. Trying to slam a tank against the wall is never a good idea, you need to be able to get an arm back there to work. You won't be moving the tank after it has water in it...

Thanks...actually I'm not slamming it against the wall, just trying to reuse an existing stand that covers the right hand side of the tank where they had an over-the-top overflow etc.

I think I should be fine switching the bulkheads around.

 

[Mrramsey]

Thanks...actually I'm not slamming it against the wall, just trying to reuse an existing stand that covers the right hand side of the tank where they had an over-the-top overflow etc.



I think I should be fine switching the bulkheads around.

Personally I'd modify the stand and make new covers. When I built my 72g with a BA overflow I made the stand 37" deep. It has 2 removable side panels and removable canopy. There are 2 simple hasp latches that you flip to disassemble for maintenance tasks. Point being to always think worse case and plan for it and have enough room to work on things.

 

[redcoatd]

Personally I'd modify the stand and make new covers. When I built my 72g with a BA overflow I made the stand 37" deep. It has 2 removable side panels and removable canopy. There are 2 simple hasp latches that you flip to disassemble for maintenance tasks. Point being to always think worse case and plan for it and have enough room to work on things.

Unfortunately, I just finished refinishing the stand I inherited, so I really don't want to modify it much. I will be adding more space to the cover on the side, but that doesn't help me with spacing between the vertical pipes and the tank as that is limited by the structure of the end of the stand...

I was asking about 1 1/2" bulkheads as that would allow me to lose the 1.5" Slip x 1" Slip bushing which introduces extra width. I guess I could trim some length off that bushing to make it work...

 

[NanoReefWanabe]

confused about your last statement there…bushings insert in tot eh larger pipe to reduce to the smaller, and this is done so inside a fitting of some sort be it a 90 or coupling or "T"…

it sounds to me like you have a reducer coupling…if so toss it and buy an insert bushing.

 

[redcoatd]

Not up to speed on much plumbing stuff...but following the parts list here:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11755255&postcount=12

Am referring to the "1.5" Slip x 1" Slip PVC bushing" that connects the 1" pipe coming from the bulkhead to the 1.5" PVC Sanitary Tee.

I need the distance from tank to vertical pipe to be as short as possible. Is there a better way to step up the 1" pipe to the 1.5"?

cheers

David

 

[uncleof6]

Not up to speed on much plumbing stuff...but following the parts list here:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11755255&postcount=12

Am referring to the "1.5" Slip x 1" Slip PVC bushing" that connects the 1" pipe coming from the bulkhead to the 1.5" PVC Sanitary Tee.

I need the distance from tank to vertical pipe to be as short as possible. Is there a better way to step up the 1" pipe to the 1.5"?

cheers

David

Nope. That is 1" female socket to 1.5" male insert bushing. The exposure of the bushing is around 3/16 of an inch give or take, from the end of the bulkhead to the tee. That is minimum distance. Kinda problematic, cutting it that short as you will lose the entire upper portion of the standpipe, as well as the bulkhead, if you take the tank down and swap out the tank. Threaded connections are a rather bad idea.

 

[redcoatd]

Nope. That is 1" female socket to 1.5" male insert bushing. The exposure of the bushing is around 3/16 of an inch give or take, from the end of the bulkhead to the tee. That is minimum distance. Kinda problematic, cutting it that short as you will lose the entire upper portion of the standpipe, as well as the bulkhead, if you take the tank down and swap out the tank. Threaded connections are a rather bad idea.

Sorry, I've re-read it several times, but I'm confused, and having a problem parsing what you said

I'm not following what you mean by the exposure of the bushing? Or how cutting the bushing short would cause me to lose anything?

And which threaded connections?

cheers

David

 

[uncleof6]

Answer to your question: No. There is not a better way to do it.

The amount of the bushing sticking out of the tee is around 3/16 of an inch. (The flange of the bushing. (exposure)

Minimizing the distance between the tee and the end of the bulkhead, would be putting the flange of the bushing right up against the end of the bulkhead. No way to reuse any of the parts (cutting it short)

Threaded connections: between bulkhead and tee: don't use them.... (just good advice, whether you intended to do so or not)

Advice from earlier: I do not think it wise to minimize the distance, regardless of the why. Modify the stand. OOPS, it was refinished, but perhaps you should have waited on that, till after you had the plumbing at least test fitted.

 

[redcoatd]

Yep, I should have waited I'm a newbie, and didn't think it through. In fact, the guy I bought it all from used a hangover overflow, and it was only after a lot of reading here that I discovered the BeanAnimal.

So, learning as I go...

And I understand now what you were saying - thanks for explaining.

Looks like they do make flush bushings which maybe I could use, rather than cutting the ones down I have.

Also, I'm very interested in why specifically you think it's a bad idea to have the vertical pipes close. Won't have spent too much on the parts, so not too concerned about reuse. Are there other things I need to watch out for?

cheers

David

 

[uncleof6]

If you can dissasemble the plumbing by reaching behind the tank, from one end or the other, then it is not too close. My larger concern is the free space behind the tank, rather than the plumbing offset in relation to the tank. However, If you have some "free pipe" between the bulkhead and bushing, on day 2 when you discover either an air or water leak, you don't lose the whole assembly and bulkhead on day 3 when you go to fix it. Yes it does happen very often, and it is very discouraging.

 

[redcoatd]

Well, this is gonna be on the *side* of the tank. I don't have any reason to get behind the tank. The side has a take-apart cover making these pipes very readily accessible.

I'll have a little bit of pipe between bulkhead and bushing, but I'm planning on cutting the pushing down so it's as small as feasible.

cheers

David

 

[redcoatd]

Another question...I've seen some places offer heavy-duty bulkheads. Are they best? Or should I stick with normal ones? Are any particular ones recommended?

cheers

David

 

[ca1ore]

I have used both Sch80 heavy duty and Sch40 regular duty bulkheads and frankly see no real need to go with the former - plus they require a bigger hole. I also tend to use all solvent weld bulkheads to avoid the possibility of cracking it (heavy duty one seem to crack just as easily).