Are all bulkhead fittings created equal.

[sphelps]

Originally Posted by midgetwaiter

These are nice of course but have you ever actually seen a sch40 bulkhead fail? It doesn't happen very often, I've never seen it.

sch40 is OK to, but the cheap bulkheads I was referring to are not sch40, they are thinner and I have seen many fail and what's worse is the nut usually becomes cross-thread and is a real pain to get off. I've replaced many peoples bulkheads and trust me it's not worth it.

[StirCrazy]

I would use schedual 10 if there was such a thing sched 40 is even way overkill for what we do. how often do we run 150 PSI on our systems?

almost any bulkhead that fails is from inproper instalation, or a defect in the bulkhead its self, not because it is a cheap one or it is schedual 40.

Steve

[brizzo]

Schedule 80 bulkheads for the win!!!

Personally I like the idea of overbuilding certain things, and the quality of schedule 80 fittings is amazing. 1/4" rubber gasket versus 1/16" gasket

[midgetwaiter]

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

I would use schedual 10 if there was such a thing sched 40 is even way overkill for what we do. how often do we run 150 PSI on our systems?

almost any bulkhead that fails is from inproper instalation, or a defect in the bulkhead its self, not because it is a cheap one or it is schedual 40.

Steve

I won't use less than sched40 but not because of the pressure rating. I have used sched20 in the past but if it's something you are going to keep for more than maybe 5 years it gets really brittle. I had an old piece off of my uv I was able to crush just squeezing it in my hand.

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by midgetwaiter

I won't use less than sched40 but not because of the pressure rating. I have used sched20 in the past but if it's something you are going to keep for more than maybe 5 years it gets really brittle. I had an old piece off of my uv I was able to crush just squeezing it in my hand.

where did you find sched 20? I would love it for the smaller size. the sched 40 ones will do that also, you can get different materials so they won't or paint them with a UV block..

Steve

[rocketlily]

I also would like to know where you buy your bulkheads.

Originally Posted by midgetwaiter

I won't use less than sched40 but not because of the pressure rating. I have used sched20 in the past but if it's something you are going to keep for more than maybe 5 years it gets really brittle. I had an old piece off of my uv I was able to crush just squeezing it in my hand.

[midgetwaiter]

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

where did you find sched 20? I would love it for the smaller size. the sched 40 ones will do that also, you can get different materials so they won't or paint them with a UV block..

Steve

I don't remember, probably the "big box o' junk" at work. I haven't seen any in a long time.

[midgetwaiter]

Originally Posted by rocketlily

I also would like to know where you buy your bulkheads.

I work at an aquarium store that does custom stuff. We're not a sponsor so I will send you a PM.

[sphelps]

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

I would use schedual 10 if there was such a thing sched 40 is even way overkill for what we do. how often do we run 150 PSI on our systems?

almost any bulkhead that fails is from inproper instalation, or a defect in the bulkhead its self, not because it is a cheap one or it is schedual 40.

Steve

Yeah nothing to due with the pressure rating, I like to use the sch20 pipe as it's got a larger inside diameter but it's hard to find. But when it comes to bulkheads you need the larger, coarser thread to achieve higher torque and ultimately a better seal. The thiner bulkheads crack easier and usually don't even have reverse threads. They also have thinner gaskets and a lower tolerance to movement which comes from various forms of maintenance.

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by sphelps

Yeah nothing to due with the pressure rating, I like to use the sch20 pipe as it's got a larger inside diameter but it's hard to find. But when it comes to bulkheads you need the larger, coarser thread to achieve higher torque and ultimately a better seal. The thiner bulkheads crack easier and usually don't even have reverse threads. They also have thinner gaskets and a lower tolerance to movement which comes from various forms of maintenance.

I learned a long time ago, if you putting a bulkhead on that you plan on being there for a while, put a thin coat of silicone on both sides of the gasket. handles all kinds of abuse well once that is done, and it is still pretty easy to remove when you have to.

Steve