Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Another Q.

Been doing a fair amount of browsing here the past couple days and noticing a lot of members using either white PVC plumbing connectors or the grey electrical equivalent and great gobs of silicone to run/seal pipework through gb/sump/ft walls.

If you look at my pics, I am using the black bulk head fittings, as used in various aquarium or water tank applications. These have a rubber gasket that sandwiches either side of the thru wall, to provide the seal.

Am I on the wrong track with my approach? I have read of many folks having leak issues with the connector/silicone method (mainly due to the inherent nature of silicone not being remotely adhesive to plastic, I would imagine), so the bulk heads seemed like the logical answer...

Thoughts??

Yeah I used bulk heads for all my through wall components and drains, little bit more expensive but they work so well I don't know why everyone wouldn't use em

Sweet. Those are my sentiments exactly.

Cheers, linc

The bulk head fittings work great but are pretty expensive when you;
a) need lots of them
or
b) are looking at fittings for really large pipe

I don't know where to get bulkhead fittings. Used to use white PVC plumbing fittings until I learned about the gray electrical conduit which goes together much better on thin surfaces. Ultimate is a Uniseal which would be as good as a bulkhead fitting but have to get those mail order, but those are foolproof and simple. I read a trick on another forum to run a bead of silicone around your fitting and let it dry, works as a homemade gasket ala a bulkhead fitting.

I've used a heap of fittings on barrels so have saved a bundle compared to bulkheads, but I went to several different places and mixed and matched different brands, and found that, at least with 32mm fittings, a male thread iplex and an older female thread vinidex fitting will screw together all the way..

The big B has them

Can definitely see how there are limitations here now, as far as needing multiple units or larger size piping. Still, for what I need, I am hoping they are the ducks nuts...

I've recently built my system using the bulkhead fitting from B. and so far they have worked great. I use them for the in and out on the FT, as well as in the bottom of the GB's for the upstands to screw into (as a part of the autosiphons)

Really? the poly irrigation section ?

They are in the plumbing section (as opposed to the retic section) near the rain water tank stuff.
(At least in my local store)

Hey all. A little update. Have had a mountain of rain here the past week and haven't got a lot done. Managed a few things though.

Inlet plumbing. 25mm pipe and taps. Hoping this will be sufficient. Actually worried it is too much, but I don't know if too much water flow is even possible, lol.



And the obligatory question:

Before I get too carried away with gluing etc, am I on the right track with this drain design?





...and the view underneath



The plan is to have each drain terminate in an elbow, dropping water into a ~100mm pipe that will flow toward the FT. I had read something about a u-bend helping to get a syphon going, so I have tried to incorporate that here. I also realise that other factors such as inflow matching outflow potential will come into play, but all things being equal, can anyone see any issue with what I have so far??

Hi genghis. I'm not sure about the U but the extra drop usually helps get a siphon going. My advice is to test it before filling the beds with rock and before cementing any pipe.

Thanks scotty. You might notice the sawn holes in the timber. The original idea was to upturn the bulkheads, with threaded end inside GBs, and run the piping straight out the side, with no u-bend. I then thought I'd give this way a look first and see what the consesus was.

Easy enough to go back to plan A, if needs be.

Cheers.

E: D'uh! Why don't I just shorten the bulkheads and still use them right way up, sans u-bend?? I really am a bit slow sometimes!

Looking good mate, I'm with Scotty fill the system with water and let it run for a day or so before putting media in. It will give you a better idea if something needs tweaking.

Store hat rain water too if ya can

Those sawn holes looked suspiciously like the pipe was to fit through them

All the stuff with U bends and getting the siphon to work is kind of fun but these are parts of the system that running CF would let you skip and if you think about how long these can take to figure out ... Part of why I like running Constant Flood .