RDWC vs Single Site RDWC

mytwhyt

mytwhyt

Well-Known Member
There's a long list of things based on need to move things around.. The list based on want to move things around is much shorter.. Say you decided your first plan wasn't as good as you thought it was. Then you would not necessary need to, but you might want to change things around.. These lists could fill a page, but you get the idea..
 
Southside112

Southside112

Well-Known Member
I run a 35 gallon tuff tote w 2 net pots attached to a 27 gallon tuff tote reservoir. Use 3 air stones and also waterfall into the plant tote. 2 1" return lines and .5" waterfall manifold. First run and has worked great so far. All bulkhead connections. Takes 32 gallons to where I keep the water level. 20200414_101339.jpg20200413_184730.jpg
 
Mr_Manny_D

Mr_Manny_D

Active Member
Drop That Sound said:
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2" DIY Bulkhead:

1x 2" Male PVC electrical conduit terminal adapter. $1.50 (noticed the price went up but still roughly a dollar if you buy a case/bulk)
1x 2" Female PVC electrical adapter. ^Same cost as male fittings usually.
1x 331 size O-ring, your choice of material. Buy bulk packs on amazon, as low as 20-30 cents a piece Can get neoprene, silicone, buna-n, EPDM, etc



Also can make 1, 1-1/4, 1-1/2, and even 3 or more inches. Price varies on size, but still super cheap. I been making them like this for years now, never have leaks. Work best on a flat surface.
Click to expand...
Yup...they work. I waited over a month for these from Menards bc they had the best price over Lowe's and HD and bc I needed over 260 PC of them. I ordered O rings on line from somewhere a lot cheaper than Amazon.
 

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Airwalker16

Airwalker16

Well-Known Member
Mr_Manny_D said:
Yup...they work. I waited over a month for these from Menards bc they had the best price over Lowe's and HD and bc I needed over 260 PC of them. I ordered O rings on line from somewhere a lot cheaper than Amazon.
Click to expand...
I just can't believe your O-Rings were the perfect size to fit those fittings without even knowing for sure. Without even seeing them in person, you took a gamble. Very very lucky.
 
Drop That Sound

Drop That Sound

Well-Known Member
Like I said, size 331 o-rings for 2 inch bulkheads. ;) Took me a few orders before I got it right, the 331s are way thicker and fit great. I prefer to use the red silicone ones that cost a little bit more (I pay around .60 cents) As I feel they get a better seal. I don't even add anything else, just the o-ring.

Oh and there is a small little plastic crack line sticking up on the male conduit fittings you should shave off, just a thin little peice on the flange area. From where the 2 molds fit together and left a small valley when they were casted. Nothing one swipe of a sharp razor blade can't fix, or even some sand paper to make it smooth, no big deal but all of them have it.
 
Drop That Sound

Drop That Sound

Well-Known Member
Anything less than like 1-1/2 inch fittings, and you can find the o-rings right at the hardware store, and test fit all the fittings before you buy. Or go home and buy the same size in bulk online.


Imagine paying for like 300 2 inch "hydroponic/aquarium specific" bulkheads at $15-30 a peice. Yikes.. I think i'll stick with doing it my way, and I know they hold up just as good!
 
Drop That Sound

Drop That Sound

Well-Known Member
Yep just the 3 parts is all you need for one bulkhead. The 2 PVC terminal fittings and one o-ring. I use silicone o-rings but rubber or whatever material will work. 70 durometer is the preferred softness.

Then just primer and glue them to the pvc pipe to make manifolds or whatever. I use special ordered clear primer, so you don't see purple everywhere.. that's just for building inspectors to see is why its colored.

The reason it works is, the PVC electrical conduit fittings aren't tapered like regular PVC/ABS fittings. More like regular bulkheads actually. Its just straight threads so that the male fitting will go deep into the female. All the way lol. Regular fittings are tapered, and if you over tighten it will split the female fitting in half, not getting the flanges close enough for a good seal...


EDIT: The female fitting is nothing more than to act like a nut to hold the male fitting and o-ring in place. If doing a bulkhead on the bottom of a drain table pan or something, I've used my chop saw to cut them down, or drill holes. At a dollar or so, its just cheaper to buy the matching female fitting instead of a fancy plastic locknut that would be a safe material to have submerged inside the res anyway. I use 2 big daddy channel lock pliers and tighten them together real good.

Also, you could goop a little bit of silicone around the flange and o-ring when you install, for piece of mind. I haven't found the need too myself.
 
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Mr_Manny_D

Mr_Manny_D

Active Member
Drop That Sound said:
Yep just the 3 parts is all you need for one bulkhead. The 2 PVC terminal fittings and one o-ring. I use silicone o-rings but rubber or whatever material will work. 70 durometer is the preferred softness.

Then just primer and glue them to the pvc pipe to make manifolds or whatever. I use special ordered clear primer, so you don't see purple everywhere.. that's just for building inspectors to see is why its colored.

The reason it works is, the PVC electrical conduit fittings aren't tapered like regular PVC/ABS fittings. More like regular bulkheads actually. Its just straight threads so that the male fitting will go deep into the female. All the way lol. Regular fittings are tapered, and if you over tighten it will split the female fitting in half, not getting the flanges close enough for a good seal...


EDIT: The female fitting is nothing more than to act like a nut to hold the male fitting and o-ring in place. If doing a bulkhead on the bottom of a drain table pan or something, I've used my chop saw to cut them down, or drill holes. At a dollar or so, its just cheaper to buy the matching female fitting instead of a fancy plastic locknut that would be a safe material to have submerged inside the res anyway. I use 2 big daddy channel lock pliers and tighten them together real good.

Also, you could goop a little bit of silicone around the flange and o-ring when you install, for piece of mind. I haven't found the need too myself.
Click to expand...
Yep..same here...no issues.
These saved me over $1200 instead of bulkheads.
 
Mr_Manny_D

Mr_Manny_D

Active Member
Drop That Sound said:
Anything less than like 1-1/2 inch fittings, and you can find the o-rings right at the hardware store, and test fit all the fittings before you buy. Or go home and buy the same size in bulk online.


Imagine paying for like 300 2 inch "hydroponic/aquarium specific" bulkheads at $15-30 a peice. Yikes.. I think i'll stick with doing it my way, and I know they hold up just as good!
Click to expand...
Yep..
 
Airwalker16

Airwalker16

Well-Known Member
Drop That Sound said:
Yep just the 3 parts is all you need for one bulkhead. The 2 PVC terminal fittings and one o-ring. I use silicone o-rings but rubber or whatever material will work. 70 durometer is the preferred softness.

Then just primer and glue them to the pvc pipe to make manifolds or whatever. I use special ordered clear primer, so you don't see purple everywhere.. that's just for building inspectors to see is why its colored.

The reason it works is, the PVC electrical conduit fittings aren't tapered like regular PVC/ABS fittings. More like regular bulkheads actually. Its just straight threads so that the male fitting will go deep into the female. All the way lol. Regular fittings are tapered, and if you over tighten it will split the female fitting in half, not getting the flanges close enough for a good seal...


EDIT: The female fitting is nothing more than to act like a nut to hold the male fitting and o-ring in place. If doing a bulkhead on the bottom of a drain table pan or something, I've used my chop saw to cut them down, or drill holes. At a dollar or so, its just cheaper to buy the matching female fitting instead of a fancy plastic locknut that would be a safe material to have submerged inside the res anyway. I use 2 big daddy channel lock pliers and tighten them together real good.

Also, you could goop a little bit of silicone around the flange and o-ring when you install, for piece of mind. I haven't found the need too myself.
Click to expand...
So there's really only the male side you can glue to and that's why it's on the outside? Would have been cool if they DID come with inner threads for a threaded male adapter glued on the PVC to thread into, but it's not that big of a deal.
But from your pics, the female side actually looks like the side you'd wanna glue pipe to since its deeper, but the o-ring only fits the male. I figure you'd install it with the o-ring on the inside, did it not work? Or is it because you can't glue to the female side?
 
Drop That Sound

Drop That Sound

Well-Known Member
I glue the males to the pipes only, and use the female on the inside as the lock nut. Helps when lining up and fitting all the plumbing too, being able to stick the male threads in the container holes, before adding the females to lock them in place.

The o-ring goes on the outside with the male, because otherwise it would leak...there's no reason at all really to add another o ring inside. Just the one on the ouside seals everything. The fitting and pipe in the ouside are already glued so no worries there


And guys I wouldnt try it on a round bucket, unless you do like I do. Use parchment paper, a couple clothes irons without steam, and wood 4x4 post that fits in the bottom of the bucket to heat form and melt the round plastic by pressing the irons into both sides to create flat square areas for the bulkheads first.. look up my "how to flatten a round bucket" thread on IC for more info, lol. Or just use uniseals, thats why they made them, mostly for round containers..
 
Airwalker16

Airwalker16

Well-Known Member
Drop That Sound said:
I glue the males to the pipes only, and use the female on the inside as the lock nut. Helps when lining up and fitting all the plumbing too, being able to stick the male threads in the container holes, before adding the females to lock them in place.

The o-ring goes on the outside with the male, because otherwise it would leak...there's no reason at all really to add another o ring inside. Just the one on the ouside seals everything. The fitting and pipe in the ouside are already glued so no worries there


And guys I wouldnt try it on a round bucket, unless you do like I do. Use parchment paper, a couple clothes irons without steam, and wood 4x4 post that fits in the bottom of the bucket to heat form and melt the round plastic by pressing the irons into both sides to create flat square areas for the bulkheads first.. look up my "how to flatten a round bucket" thread on IC for more info, lol. Or just use uniseals, thats why they made them, mostly for round containers..
Click to expand...
Yup, uniseals have been leak free for 2 years now.
But I did t mean an o-ring on both in and out but rather isn't the o-ring supposed to go only on the inside?
 
Drop That Sound

Drop That Sound

Well-Known Member
Just the outside. Otherwise water could leak out through the threads, because it would would just be the plastic fitting up against the plastic container, with no seal on that side. At least I think so. Maybe it doesn't matter and my brain just wasn't working?

I drew you up a diagram to get a better idea :)


pvcbulkheads.gif
 
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