Help with overflow bulkhead pipe size

Ssiopao

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 3, 2016
Messages
36
Reaction score
14
Location
Iceland
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Eshopps eclipse overflow has different size to my fittings here in europe. Pipe is a bit small. Can i use silicone and/or teflon tape to make it fit? Any other idea?

Correct size of pipe is not available here, only abroad and i already bought all the fittings for the plumbing so buying the right size is not my option yet as i will buy ahain the whole sets i need.

Thank you

4CF0350A-80C8-422B-A4AF-130B908EDACC.jpeg
 

Subsea

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 21, 2018
Messages
5,658
Reaction score
8,176
Location
Austin, Tx
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Go for it. As long as it is easy to check for leaks. The bulkhead fitting is at the top of drain and never sees liquid head pressure.

@Ssiopao
Depends on how big the gap between female bulkhead & male pipe is. I would try PVC cleaner & glue-to both surfaces first before silicone.
 
Last edited:

KStatefan

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 24, 2015
Messages
4,560
Reaction score
4,375
Location
MHK
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Go for it. As long as it is easy to check for leaks. The bulkhead fitting is at the top of drain and never sees liquid head pressure.

@Ssiopao
Depends on how big the gap between female bulkhead & male pipe is. I would try PVC cleaner & glue-to both surfaces first before silicone.

To add to this use a heavy PVC glue
 
OP
OP
Ssiopao

Ssiopao

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 3, 2016
Messages
36
Reaction score
14
Location
Iceland
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Go for it. As long as it is easy to check for leaks. The bulkhead fitting is at the top of drain and never sees liquid head pressure.

@Ssiopao
Depends on how big the gap between female bulkhead & male pipe is. I would try PVC cleaner & glue-to both surfaces first before silicone.
Thank you. i will check again later if the cement can filled the gap. or i may use silicone, teflon tape and the pvc cement on the gaps.
 

Dom

Full Time Reef Keeper
View Badges
Joined
Apr 29, 2016
Messages
6,449
Reaction score
6,945
Location
NY
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
How much play is there?

Is it snug?
Is it loose fitting?
Is it so loose that it rattles around?

I would go back to the company from where you purchased the bulkheads and purchase PVC pipe from them too.
 
OP
OP
Ssiopao

Ssiopao

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 3, 2016
Messages
36
Reaction score
14
Location
Iceland
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
How much play is there?

Is it snug?
Is it loose fitting?
Is it so loose that it rattles around?

I would go back to the company from where you purchased the bulkheads and purchase PVC pipe from them too.
It rattles. Bulkhead came with the eshopps eclipse overflow. Bought it abroad and the pipe was bought locally together with all the fittings and ball valve.
 

JayM

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 8, 2023
Messages
1,222
Reaction score
1,594
Location
Inland Empire
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Will the glue hardend and make the pipe larger?
No. PVC glue isn’t really glue. It is a solvent that essentially melts the plastic so that the two pieces fuse together.

You need an adapter, a metric bulkehead, or the correct sized pipe. Anything else you do will result in a leak.
 

KrisReef

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
May 15, 2018
Messages
15,227
Reaction score
31,279
Location
ADX Florence
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
It rattles. Bulkhead came with the eshopps eclipse overflow. Bought it abroad and the pipe was bought locally together with all the fittings and ball valve.
The right way is to use a small piece of plastic pipe and then use an adapter to go from inch size to metric size pipe.

If you can’t wait, get some Teflon tape and wrap the pipe over the depth of the fitting to make up the gap and then push it snug into the bulkhead.

Use pipe hangers to hold the pipe tight and prevent loosening from vibrations.

Test it for leaks running fresh water, if it has seeping then disassemble and add another layer of tape and try again.

Alternatively, use coral glue (JBWeld-) epoxy clay instead of Teflon tape to make up the difference. This is not as easy to do since you only get 1 try, unless you have a lathe to turn the pipe and epoxy to size after it dries and before you try to assemble the two pieces?
 

theMeat

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 1, 2017
Messages
3,128
Reaction score
2,592
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Pvc cement of any kind will not work. You could try some adhesive that would likely work but that’s crazy. Just get the mm to inch conversion fittings.
Fwiw, if you go the adhesive route silicone is not a good choice for plastic. Happy to recommend something
 

Dom

Full Time Reef Keeper
View Badges
Joined
Apr 29, 2016
Messages
6,449
Reaction score
6,945
Location
NY
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
It rattles. Bulkhead came with the eshopps eclipse overflow. Bought it abroad and the pipe was bought locally together with all the fittings and ball valve.

I think the easiest solution would be to replace the eshopps bulkheads with bulkheads from a local store. Now it will match up nicely to everything else you've already purchased.
 

Subsea

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 21, 2018
Messages
5,658
Reaction score
8,176
Location
Austin, Tx
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
The right way is to use a small piece of plastic pipe and then use an adapter to go from inch size to metric size pipe.

If you can’t wait, get some Teflon tape and wrap the pipe over the depth of the fitting to make up the gap and then push it snug into the bulkhead.

Use pipe hangers to hold the pipe tight and prevent loosening from vibrations.

Test it for leaks running fresh water, if it has seeping then disassemble and add another layer of tape and try again.

Alternatively, use coral glue (JBWeld-) epoxy clay instead of Teflon tape to make up the difference. This is not as easy to do since you only get 1 try, unless you have a lathe to turn the pipe and epoxy to size after it dries and before you try to assemble the two pieces?
Kudoes to this post. Very pragmatic.
 

Subsea

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 21, 2018
Messages
5,658
Reaction score
8,176
Location
Austin, Tx
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
No. PVC glue isn’t really glue. It is a solvent that essentially melts the plastic so that the two pieces fuse together.

You need an adapter, a metric bulkehead, or the correct sized pipe. Anything else you do will result in a leak.
If the pipe rattles inside the bulkhead adapter, that is too great a gap to patch fix. Replace bulkhead fitting with one from a local hardware store in Iceland.
 

TangerineSpeedo

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 8, 2022
Messages
2,758
Reaction score
4,298
Location
SoCal
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I think the easiest solution would be to replace the eshopps bulkheads with bulkheads from a local store. Now it will match up nicely to everything else you've already purchased.
This! Really is the most simple solution and it will probably only cost you less than 10 euro... depending on the bulkhead you may have to open up the hole slightly with some sand paper or a file. But I think it should be about the same because all the US bulkhead outside diameters tend to be in millimeters. ie; 1 inch bulk head uses a 45mm glass drill.
 
OP
OP
Ssiopao

Ssiopao

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 3, 2016
Messages
36
Reaction score
14
Location
Iceland
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Thank you for all the help and suggestion. Finally found a store that sell this pvc bulkhead. I am now ready to build the new tank.
 

Attachments

  • 70E3603E-F3C8-4C54-A588-C345DC34F4FF.jpeg
    70E3603E-F3C8-4C54-A588-C345DC34F4FF.jpeg
    91.4 KB · Views: 26

HAVE YOU EVER KEPT A RARE/UNCOMMON FISH, CORAL, OR INVERT? SHOW IT OFF IN THE THREAD!

  • Yes!

    Votes: 32 45.7%
  • Not yet, but I have one that I want to buy in mind!

    Votes: 9 12.9%
  • No.

    Votes: 26 37.1%
  • Other (please explain).

    Votes: 3 4.3%
Back
Top