PVC pipe won’t fit into Bulkhead.

[Charley75]

Plumbing my new tank and trying to install my drain lines in the overflow. The bulkheads are 1.5” schedule 80 that came with my tank. I cannot get the drain lines to slip into the bulkheads. I’ve already tried chamfering with sand paper but they still don’t seem to want to go in enough. Any suggestions?? Any kind of safe “lube” I can use???

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Plumbing my new tank and trying to install my drain lines in the overflow. The bulkheads are 1.5” schedule 80 that came with my tank. I cannot get the drain lines to slip into the bulkheads. I’ve already tried chamfering with sand paper but they still don’t seem to want to go in enough. Any suggestions?? Any kind of safe “lube” I can use???

You are reminding about vcc into the plastic bulkhead or the bulkhead into the glass holes in the overflow?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If you mean the latter, we had a very extensive discussion here which was resolved by finding a bulkhead that had a slightly smaller diameter.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/these-bulkheads-are-driving-me-insane.1100093/

 

[Charley75]

Thanks for the response Randy. It’s the actual PVC pipe that I’m having a hard time getting into the bulkhead in the overflow. I planned to just dry fit the drain lines and glue the return. I had to sand the ends to get them glued in the bottom side of the bulkheads….assuming the glue helped.

 

[Fish Fan]

Plumbing my new tank and trying to install my drain lines in the overflow. The bulkheads are 1.5” schedule 80 that came with my tank. I cannot get the drain lines to slip into the bulkheads.

I'm just guessing what you're problem may be, but the difference between schedule 40 and schedule 80 pipe and fittings is the thickness of the material. The outer diameter of a schedule 80 fitting is the same as schedule 40, but the inside diameter is smaller because the wall is thicker from the extra material. If you do have schedule 80 bulkheads, I don't know if typical schedule 40 pipe will fit. Can you try a different bulkhead?

I hope that helps!

 

[Fish Fan]

Also, I'd be leery of forcing anything and having it potentially crack down the road.

 

[Charley75]

In that case if I get what you’re saying, I’d be having the opposite problem. Schedule 80 bulkhead….ID same regardless of schedule…1.5”. This is schedule 40 1.5” PVC pipe that I’m putting into the 1.5” schedule 80 bulkhead.

 

[Fish Fan]

In that case if I get what you’re saying, I’d be having the opposite problem. Schedule 80 bulkhead….ID same regardless of schedule…1.5”. This is schedule 40 1.5” PVC pipe that I’m putting into the 1.5” schedule 80 bulkhead.

So I may have been confusing both of us here lol! It's true that with PIPE, schedule 80 has a smaller ID than schedule 40. But the more I think about it, it doesn't make sense that the bulkheads or other fittings would have a different ID.

I guess I don't really know what's going on lol! But I still think maybe trying a different bulkhead isn't a bad idea, maybe you ran into a bad batch that was out of tolerance or something.

 

[carorack]

I'm just guessing what you're problem may be, but the difference between schedule 40 and schedule 80 pipe and fittings is the thickness of the material. The outer diameter of a schedule 80 fitting is the same as schedule 40, but the inside diameter is smaller because the wall is thicker from the extra material. If you do have schedule 80 bulkheads, I don't know if typical schedule 40 pipe will fit. Can you try a different bulkhead?

I hope that helps!

from practical experience, sch 80 fittings and sch 40 pipe will glue together fine. the inside of sch 80 pipe is smaller, the outside of fittings is bigger. the OD of both pipes is the same. in fact all the schedules of pipe are the same od, the pipe wall thickness just varies.

 

[Fish Fan]

from practical experience, sch 80 fittings and sch 40 pipe will glue together fine. the inside of sch 80 pipe is smaller, the outside of fittings is bigger. the OD of both pipes is the same. in fact all the schedules of pipe are the same od, the pipe wall thickness just varies.

Yes, I actually realized that, I didn't think that one through all the way :)

 

[ScottD]

My guess would be that the bulkheads are actually a metric size, not a true 1.5” and just slightly smaller. What you could do is soften the end of the pipe with heat and then stick it in the bulkhead and let it cool.

 

[Charley75]

The bulkheads came with the tank from Glass Cages.

 

[Fish Fan]

The bulkheads came with the tank from Glass Cages.

Why didn't you say so :-)

@Joe Glass Cages

 

[Joe Glass Cages]

Why didn't you say so :)

@Joe Glass Cages

the PVC glue is the perfect lubricant. works every time on a tight fit.

 

[carorack]

the PVC glue is the perfect lubricant. works every time on a tight fit.

I prefer all-weather or heavy duty varations of cement. Clear primer will also aid in a tight fit up. Just don't attempt to dry fit after primering. I generally find I need to hold the pieces together for a little bit longer as well before push out stops.