Bulkhead and plumbing question

T

TxHarley

Apparently the bulkheads that came with my tank are ABS plastic. Is there anyway to glue PVC to this or should I just replace all my bulkheads? Where can I get bulkheads locally if I need to replace them. Thanks.

Jason
 
you can buy adapters that screw into the center of the bulkhead, and then you can slide your pvs into it. you can come by and look at mine if you need to.

Elliotts in plano is where i shopped for most of my stuff.
 
My bulkheads don't have any threads on the inside so I can't srew any together. Ace told me you can't glue PVC and ABS together but I have since found some stuff online that will work.

Does elliot's sell bulkheads?
 
Where did your bulkheads come from in the first place? Unless you have unique ones, I don't see why PVC can't glue to it. They sell ABS glue at Home Depot.
 
Marc

They came with the tank. I have since found both all purpose cement that says it will work on almost all plastics and a cement specifically for ABS to PVC. As tight a fit as I have without glue, I think any of it should work. Thanks for the replies.

Now I need to find out how difficult it is going to be to drill my acrylic sump with a hole saw.?
 
It is very easy. It should take about 15 seconds to drill through, but don't apply a lot of pressure.

Once it is drilled out, remove the excess / melted acrylic around the edges of the hole, and sand it smooth so you get a good seal.
 
How tight should I screw in the bulkhead. Mine is hard to reach, I have it as tight as I can get it with my hands (pretty tight). Or should I use some kind of tool. I'm afriad of breaking the glass or plastic fittings. Sorry this is my first set-up with a built in overflow.

Mark
 
Hand tight, as much as you can muster. You can use a funny looking wrench with a strap if you like in hard to reach areas, that will grip it for you. Overtightening can result in a leak as much as undertightening, because if it is too tight the rubber washer compresses and squeezes out from under the flange enough to allow water to seep through.
 
I always err on the side of less tight. If it leaks I tighten a little. Almost always hand tightening is plenty. Also makes it much easier to take off later!

I have seen more than one cracked tank by overtightening the bulkhead!
 
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