Help with Bulkhead!!

[KlassicKrab]

I have a 120gal AGA Megaflow tank (2 overflows) and I purchased two Accessory kits. Nothing fits the bulkhead fittings, I tried everything that I know and nothing fits this particular bulkhead that AGA has come out with. I wanted to install ball valves right to the bulkhead but it didn't work, I cant even find the right adapters (slip or threaded). Does anyone know I can fix this problem with looking into buying different bulkheads?

Even if I do have to buy different bulkheads, can I still use accessory kit?

Please Help
Klassickrab

[jdieck]

If I remember well you can fit 1" PVC schedule 40 in the drains and 3/4" PVC in the returns, from there you can install unions and from there anything else. If the PVC diameter is still too big, try schedule 10.

Alternatively install the PVC and from there threaded male adapters to female NPT - hose inserts. I recomend male adapter to female insert rather than female PVC adapter to male insert because the male inserts seem to have smaller inner diameters.

Why do you want to install ball valves? Save yourself the mony and the pressure drop, you can modify the piping without empty the tank and without the valves. Note that only the overflow space need to be drained. Do not glue the drain stand pipe, this makes for total drain possible and for easier stand pipe cleaning. if your return pipe fits tight you do not need to glue it either but note that the return pump pressure may pop it up.

[KlassicKrab]

{Why do you want to install ball valves? }


If there are ball valves connected to the bulkheads (under the tank) then I can shut off the flow of water to the sump for maintenance/cleaning.

The Megaflow sump comes with a hose. You can't stop the water from flowing into the sump, it just keeps on flowing. I may need to shut the flow off due to power outages so my floor don't get flooded.

The Bulkhead has a thread only intended (i guess) for the nut to tighten the bulkhead connection. Below the threaded part is somewhat of an extension which is neither an 1" or 3/4". The threaded part is for some reason a 1 1/4 but the threads aren't compatible with PVC, therefore it doesn't work. Nothing I have found connects to the bulkhead. (I'm talking about the part of the bulkhead that rest below the bottom of the tank where the drain hose connects.)

[JonTarutis]

Is the bottom portion of the bulkhead barbed? As if you were going to install vinyl hose over it? Is it possible to cut the barbed end off so you can insert a piece of pipe into the bulkhead? Every AGA kit I have come across I've tossed the bulkheads and replaced them since I wanted PVC and found it easier just to use different bulkheads...

[KlassicKrab]

Yea its barbed. Thats kinda what I'm wanting to know about. You said toss the kit bulkheads and get new ones. If I do get new ones can I still use the accessory kit as far as the drain pipe and return pipes. Or would I have to create my own intake lines and returns.

[JonTarutis]

you can still use the drain and return portions of the kit. Just get some slip x slip (or thread which you prefer)

[jdieck]

Originally posted by KlassicKrab
{Why do you want to install ball valves? }


If there are ball valves connected to the bulkheads (under the tank) then I can shut off the flow of water to the sump for maintenance/cleaning.

The Megaflow sump comes with a hose. You can't stop the water from flowing into the sump, it just keeps on flowing. I may need to shut the flow off due to power outages so my floor don't get flooded.

OK let me try to explain. Think of what happen when you turn the return pump off.
How much of the tank water will drain to the sump? Once the water surface reaches the top of the overflow box, no more water will drain and the tank will stay full so the only additional water the sump will take is that level (About 1/2") above the overflow box. This is why sumpa re run at 1/2 level or less.
Besides on a power outage you may or may not be there to close whatever valve so the sump better be able to handle that little extra volume.
This is why you do not need any valves.

Now on the bulkheads. What you have there is a socket (Not threaded) bulkhead. The external thread goes to the outside of the tank while the packing goes to the inside so by tightening the nut you will seal the bulkhead against the tank pane.
Now the bottom inside side of the bulkhead (The socket) shall receive a PVC pipe directly, as a socket it has to be glued with PVC glue. so do not look for any adapters or so, just the pipe slips in and glued.
The sme way you just slip in the drain pipe into the bulkhead, the same way you inser the PVC in the outside but the outside has to be glued.
This diagram may help you understand what happen with the water levels.

[phallock]

The outside threads of the bulkhead are for threading the nut, not for connecting PVC - the PVC goes inside the bulkhead, which will either be a slip or female pipe thread (FPT) connection.

The closest you'll be able to get a ball valve to your bulkhead, if they are both threaded, is with a close nipple - like I did here:

[JonTarutis]

Are these the bulkheads that came with the kit?
These are what I was assuming they were anyways. It does not appear that you can cut off the barbed end as the inside of the bulkheads will not accept any pvc pipe.

[DaveG99]

I was going to use PVC and then I came accross the same problem. So I used black pond hose stuff from lowes. That stuff is soooo hard to get on the barbs!

[jdieck]

Originally posted by JonTarutis
Are these the bulkheads that came with the kit?
These are what I was assuming they were anyways. It does not appear that you can cut off the barbed end as the inside of the bulkheads will not accept any pvc pipe.

The kit could have come with these ready for hose inserts but some kits come with slip bulkheads and slip to insert adapter. In the second case the bulkheads will accept the PVC but if they came with the barbed ones then just use the hose, again valves are not needed nor desired.

[KlassicKrab]

Yep......those are the bulkhheads that I have.

[KlassicKrab]

So basically I can either find new bulkheads so that I can use PVC or just use the hoses that were designed for the drain.

[JonTarutis]

time to buy new ones if you want to use anything other than vinyl hose....

[jdieck]

Originally posted by KlassicKrab
So basically I can either find new bulkheads so that I can use PVC or just use the hoses that were designed for the drain.

IMO just use the hoses. You can always change the bulkheads later if you do not like the results, as mentioned the tank will not drain thanks to the overflow box.

[KlassicKrab]

Thanks guys for your and ideas, i really appreciate it.