Eshopps overflow bulkhead ?'s

[handbanana]

I got a new overflow and the bulkheads are slip fittings, and I would rather not cement any pipe into these so that I can remove for Maitnence and what not.
Should I use my old bulkheads(same size 1")? these are slip on the inside of tank threaded on the outside.
Or should I find and glue huge barb fittings into the bulkheads and use flexable tubeing that can be poped off the barbs?
ANY advice on this would be mighty handy!

Thanks

 

[scsinet]

Either way would work. I personally use threaded bulkheads for this very reason.
You could also use the flexible pool hose that they sell at Lowes or HD. I'm not talking about spa-flex, but rather the blue/black corrugated hose. That stuff is large enough to clamp down over the outside of a 1" bulkhead, then secured with a tie-wrap. The threads on the outside combined with the tie-wrap will hold it secure, and it shouldn't leak because water is falling from gravity. The trick is the other end... On the other end, the hose will fit down into a 1.5" slip fitting, and with a liberal application of silicon, will be water-tight.
One last idea... glue a small stub of 1" pipe into the bulkhead, then, on the pipe that leads to the sump, glue a 1" union. Then, just friction fit the stub of the bulkhead into the union. Again, it shouldn't leak because there is no pressure and because the water is flowing downwards.

 

[handbanana]

Thanks SCSI! I like the Idea of fitting small stubs into the bulkhead and useing a union fitting.
Would I put my ball valves just after the union?
My thought on that would be when I unscrew the unions water would continue to drain, but Ive never used a overflow so Im not familliar with their charastics. According to the LFS guy who sold it to me water flow stops when the return pump stops. Then since the U hose is submerged on both sides when the skimmer box fills up flow resumes. Im going to have to mess with it to fully understand how it works. Still a little hazy on its opperation.
Also I think Ive read that the overflow will only flow as much as the return pump can put back into the tank? so I shouldnt be worried about the difference in flow between my overflow and return? 1000 gph (overflow) vs. 2160 Lph (?900 gph?) return. plus the volume of head to be dealtwith. about 3 feet of 3/4" pipe.
Yap Yap yap... anyway...Thanks for the time and patients for dealing with a noob!

 

[scsinet]

Actually I misspoke. When I said "union" I meant "coupling fitting."
Unions are too large. If you glue a union onto the pipe stub, you'll never get the bulkhead assembly out of the overflow because the union won't pass through the hole. A coupling fitting is what I meant, becuse it's small enough to fit in most cases.
If you did that you can't use valves after the coupling. The reason why is that if one side of the coupling isn't glued, but rather just friction fit, it won't leak as long as water is flowing downwards. However, if you close a valve downstream of the fitting, the pipe will fill up with water and the connection will leak.
Anyhoo, yes, an overflow will only process water at the rate that water is fed into it, which is dictated by the return pump. Don't make the classic newbie mistake of trying to use valves on the overflow to try to "balance" the flow. It won't work and you'll either wreck a pump or flood trying to make it work. I flooded when I did it back in the day.
Your pump has to be rated less than or equal to the overflow's capacity. Personally, I found that the sweet spot is about 80% of the rating. So if your overflow is rated for 1000gph, I'd shoot for around 800, which a 900gph pump with a bit of head pressure should fall right around.

 

[handbanana]

Thanks SCSI!!!
Took the day off work to put it all together! I very much appericate the help. Looked at Unions today, your right, they are huge. so I got all sorts of fittings to be on the safe side. Im not sure of what configuration im giong to use. have to brainstorm and fool around with the pipes for a bit

Anyhow thanks a bunch SCSI. Ill keep you posted

 

[handbanana]

Ok I didnt want to post a new thread with all these dense questions I seem to come up with so perhaps they can find answers eventually in this thread.
Right now my LR has all kinds of light grey crap hanging off it wich I assume is dead stuff? should I do anything to remove this stuff? There are very few green patches so I think My LR is dieing.
Is there something that could kill the LR? Is this just part of my cycle?
Also My sump is a ten gallon contraption. (10 gal tank that I used a brokin 2 gallon to make the baffels). right now I dont have a skimmer. Im wondering If I put sand and some LR in my sump would that help improve my water quality? It seems pointless just to have a sump with just my heater in it.

Or...I have two overflow tubes. could one brantch off to another ten or twenty with a skimmer? I only have room for a ten under my tank with very little height clerence. 17". I want to get an ASM-G1 eventually but I KNOW it wont fit in my sump.
These questions keep poppin up so thanks to anyone who wants tackel them. I very much apperciate it!!!