Overflow and Plumbing Clog

[sethgmore]

The bulkhead refers to the assembly of three parts as a fitting, which makes a watertight seal for plumbing to pass through the tank wall!

The parts are the bulkhead body (flange, external threads, internal slip coupler(s) and/or thread(s)), the rubber gasket, and the threaded locking collar (aka “nut”)!

The part which is most critical to measure is the diameter of the drilled hole in the glass… you want your replacement bulkhead’s external threads to be a close fit to the drilled glass hole in the tank (measurement C in diagram), but you never want the external threads to be larger in outside diameter than the hole… things simply won’t fit!



Your current bulkhead is sized for 1.5” pipe, and is sch.80… it appears to be NPT on the “nut” side (this is typically preferred for service/disassembly reasons)… I would assume the standpipe side is also NPT… You MIGHT find this locally at a irrigation supply, or plumber’s supply store… otherwise, it will need to be ordered online…

Schedule 80 bulkheads are the thickest (most durable) plastic bulkheads commonly available; this means that a Schedule 80 bulkhead which fits 1.5” pipe may require the same size tank hole as a thinner (weaker) ABS bulkhead, which fits 2” pipe! — this might be worth considering too, just to open your drain up to 2”… the thinner (and typically far more cheaply made) ABS bulkhead is the primary concern there…

Ideally, get bulkheads with gaskets which have at least two raised ridges in one face of the gasket (as shown in earlier example photo) some come with the nicer gasket; sometimes you just gotta source/order it separate!

Got it! Wrapping my head around it all but this is very helpful haha. As of today no leakage from the previous bulkhead so if that’s the case I’ll probably stick with it and then put an intake cover over the intake and fix the broken acrylic weir so no snail happens again. I’m fixing the pipes tomorrow so wish me luck!

 

[UncommonSense]

Got it! Wrapping my head around it all but this is very helpful haha. As of today no leakage from the previous bulkhead so if that’s the case I’ll probably stick with it and then put an intake cover over the intake and fix the broken acrylic weir so no snail happens again. I’m fixing the pipes tomorrow so wish me luck!

Oh awesome! Slow leaks do sometimes seal themselves up! — just keep an eye on it, and know that there is a clear path forward for replacing it!

Great call on the screen! A strainer like you mentioned before isn’t a bad idea either, as long as it gets cleaned once in a blue moon!

Good luck on the replumb! Measure twice, cut once!! Then double check for silly mistakes like forgetting to add the union collars before gluing! — don’t ask me how I know!

 

[sethgmore]

Oh awesome! Slow leaks do sometimes seal themselves up! — just keep an eye on it, and know that there is a clear path forward for replacing it!

Great call on the screen! A strainer like you mentioned before isn’t a bad idea either, as long as it gets cleaned once in a blue moon!

Good luck on the replumb! Measure twice, cut once!! Then double check for silly mistakes like forgetting to add the union collars before gluing! — don’t ask me how I know!

Awesome I’m very happy it stopped leaking I’m pouring water in the overflow and there’s nothing. Awesome going to get the strainer too. Hahah so add the union collars together and then glue got it! Might need some advice on this plumbing it’s such a tight area for 2” pipe. With having to add new slip slip and everything I’m at a loss. Maybe I just cut very small pieces and be precise with it here’s what I’m thinking though

 

[sethgmore]

Oh awesome! Slow leaks do sometimes seal themselves up! — just keep an eye on it, and know that there is a clear path forward for replacing it!

Great call on the screen! A strainer like you mentioned before isn’t a bad idea either, as long as it gets cleaned once in a blue moon!

Good luck on the replumb! Measure twice, cut once!! Then double check for silly mistakes like forgetting to add the union collars before gluing! — don’t ask me how I know!

Also the top of the standpipe or durso is such a tight fit on the 2” standpipe can I cut this piece off?

 

[UncommonSense]

Awesome I’m very happy it stopped leaking I’m pouring water in the overflow and there’s nothing. Awesome going to get the strainer too. Hahah so add the union collars together and then glue got it! Might need some advice on this plumbing it’s such a tight area for 2” pipe. With having to add new slip slip and everything I’m at a loss. Maybe I just cut very small pieces and be precise with it here’s what I’m thinking though

This would technically work! Though it makes the union redundant short of getting things glued up!

I would use two unions, one where each of your couplers currently is!

Then, two elbows and three lengths of pipe!

The trick here is going to be mocking things up first, accounting for the full socket depth of each fitting when measuring your three pipe lengths!

 

[UncommonSense]

Also the top of the standpipe or durso is such a tight fit on the 2” standpipe can I cut this piece off?

That’s an unusual arrangement for a Duroso!

They definitely aren’t my specialty, but every one I’ve ever made or seen has used a tee or similar, not a cross/junction!

Perhaps someone with more experience can chime in here? — I don’t see why you couldn’t just change it out for a readily available ABS drain tee…

 

[sethgmore]

This would technically work! Though it makes the union redundant short of getting things glued up!

I would use two unions, one where each of your couplers currently is!

Then, two elbows and three lengths of pipe!

The trick here is going to be mocking things up first, accounting for the full socket depth of each fitting when measuring your three pipe lengths!

Gotcha that makes more sense! These unions are pricey

 

[sethgmore]

That’s an unusual arrangement for a Duroso!

They definitely aren’t my specialty, but every one I’ve ever made or seen has used a tee or similar, not a cross/junction!

Perhaps someone with more experience can chime in here? — I don’t see why you couldn’t just change it out for a readily available ABS drain tee…

ya I don’t get it either

 

[UncommonSense]

Gotcha that makes more sense! These unions are pricey

They absolutely are! But… are they worth the price to be able to just quickly remove that whole segment of pipe from the equation if you ever get another clog?

 

[sethgmore]

They absolutely are! But… are they worth the price to be able to just quickly remove that whole segment of pipe from the equation if you ever get another clog?

Very true definitely worth it

 

[Hairyteeth]

I would order a bulk head and a few pieces so you are always ready just incase…..in the future for my next build I will measure all pipes and keep record, so I can cut and replace on demand

 

[Hairyteeth]

Good work btw, awesome feeling having the leak stop!!!

 

[sethgmore]

I would order a bulk head and a few pieces so you are always ready just incase…..in the future for my next build I will measure all pipes and keep record, so I can cut and replace on demand

Good call

 

[sethgmore]

Good work btw, awesome feeling having the leak stop!!!

Feels amazing!

 

[sethgmore]

They absolutely are! But… are they worth the price to be able to just quickly remove that whole segment of pipe from the equation if you ever get another clog?

Here’s my issue right now with alignment

 

[sethgmore]

Good work btw, awesome feeling having the leak stop!!!

How important is a straight cut pvc my tool has cut a few at an angle

 

[Jamie814]

Here’s my issue right now with alignment

3 options I see
1. Remove the union in the wall.
2. Add a 3rd elbow and bring the drain out further so you can align them.
3. Add 2 45's (alignment/space bight get trickier)

 

[sethgmore]

3 options I see
1. Remove the union in the wall.
2. Add a 3rd elbow and bring the drain out further so you can align them.
3. Add 2 45's (alignment/space bight get trickier)

Thoughts on something like this I want to keep the two unions for easy removal in the future

 

[Hairyteeth]

Nvm I looked a picture wrong

 

[UncommonSense]

How important is a straight cut pvc my tool has cut a few at an angle

It’s not 100% critical, but you want to get pipes cut as straight as you can!

Thoughts on something like this I want to keep the two unions for easy removal in the future

This will work! You can make it more compact than this example too!