Wow these fittings are heavy. Who knew??

[glb]

I'm getting ready to plumb my 40g and the ball valve and unions for the 1 1/2" overflow pipe are pretty heavy. I'll put one union in the back close to the bulkhead and plan on putting the ball valve and other union on the other end in the sump. Am I going to need to add extra support to the PVC pipe to keep things stable? The ball valve and union above the sump will be vertical and I'm concerned about the strain they will put on the PVC pipe that extends from the back of the stand. I had no idea how heavy these things were! Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[AZDesertRat]

Always support the piping, never let a bulkhead carry it. The uneven stresses on the gasket will lead to leaks. I talk about this in my Bulkhead Tips sticky thread. Use something like electrical conduit clamps or even zip ties to fasten it to the stand.

 

[glb]

Always support the piping, never let a bulkhead carry it. The uneven stresses on the gasket will lead to leaks. I talk about this in my Bulkhead Tips sticky thread. Use something like electrical conduit clamps or even zip ties to fasten it to the stand.

How can I find your sticky thread?

 

[AZDesertRat]

It has been at the top of the Equipment, Lighting, Hardware and Filtration forum for 6 years.
I hope you find it helpful:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/installing-bulkhead-tips.34973/

 

[glb]

It has been at the top of the Equipment, Lighting, Hardware and Filtration forum for 6 years.
I hope you find it helpful:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/installing-bulkhead-tips.34973/

Thanks. Should I put plumbing questions on that forum instead of the DIY forum?

 

[AZDesertRat]

Either one. It fits in both categories. It will get answered it either.

 

[redfishbluefish]

I used conduit clamps to hold my pipe in place. HD carries these in the electric department. You might need to add spacers below the clamps to hold the pipe straight. (Gray clamps screwed into the back of the stand.)

 

[glb]

I used conduit clamps to hold my pipe in place. HD carries these in the electric department. You might need to add spacers below the clamps to hold the pipe straight. (Gray clamps screwed into the back of the stand.)

Thanks. Are they plastic? Also, what do the spacers look like?

 

[Anthony123]

I'm wondering if you can still access those couplings if needed when the tank is up and running?

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

You can also get pvc J-hangers from Lowe's that work very well.

 

[mfinn]

Thanks. Are they plastic? Also, what do the spacers look like?

Yeah, they are plastic.
For spacers I usually cut a piece of wood down to fit.
I screw the wood spacer down first, then the clamp to the wood spacer.
Other times I've planned it just right so the pipes that need to be supported travel next to the stand and can be clamped directly to it.