Threaded vs Slip bulkhead

jthomps123

Member
Are threaded bulkheads with teflon tape just as viable as glued slip bulkheads?

And while were at it, are the ABS any less reliable for aquariums as the heavy-duty sch80s?

These will be for a bottom drilled 220. Two 1" returns and two 1.5" drains.
 
I prefer threaded. bulkheads are expensive, and so are unions. threaded fittings are a cheap way to ensure you will be able to reuse a bulkhead no matter what.

sch 80 tend to be a bit more durable, and I try to opt for them when available, they are bigger, better seals with them, and more support for the tank.
 
Threaded is the way to go, Schedule 80 is totally not required on an aquarium & I cannot think of a single reason to use it other than saying you have it, but some prefer it & have their opinions on it.
 
I have a Oceanic with 1 5/8 holes. The ABS 3/4 bulkheads Ive tried have a lot of play. The schedule 80 fit nice and tight, leaving a better seal for me.
 
many things are not "required". the cost difference is somewhat small by %. and I have broken a sch 40 bulkhead(by my own mistake, but sch80 is still all the harder to break, and protection from my own stupidity is often the most important protection I can buy)
 
Everyone likes threaded...? Not me. It seems I have 500 connections in my plumbing and the only ones that leak are the threaded fittings. I probably didn't use enough tape and now it is too late to fix them.

Mind you....I have no intention of taking anything apart and reusing it, and taking anything apart to fix it would be a major job.

So...If I ever do it again, I'll go to great lengths to avoid threaded fittings.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14018010#post14018010 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Untamed12
Everyone likes threaded...? Not me. It seems I have 500 connections in my plumbing and the only ones that leak are the threaded fittings. I probably didn't use enough tape and now it is too late to fix them.

Mind you....I have no intention of taking anything apart and reusing it, and taking anything apart to fix it would be a major job.

So...If I ever do it again, I'll go to great lengths to avoid threaded fittings.

We are just speaking about the bulkheads :) I do not use threaded on any other part of my system.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14022919#post14022919 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Garage1217
We are just speaking about the bulkheads :) I do not use threaded on any other part of my system.

I personally never used Threaded until a few months ago when I couldn't find slip fit bulkheads locally. Also, if you look at a threaded bushing the I.D. is way smaller, choking down the pipe and flow in general. I personally think that Threaded bulkheads are a waste of money and time unless they are absolutely needed. The next time I do an online order I will be replacing mine with Slip Fit on my Display Tank Drains.
 
I do not use bushings :D Thread the pipe.

And yes, threaded are not needed, but they sure come in handy if you have to move or tear down a tank as you have to cut your old bulkhead pipes off to get the bulkheads out if they are slip.
 
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