Bulkhead Fitting

Bulkhead fittings are an essential part of plumbing. The basic purpose of a bulkhead fitting is to allow passage of a pipe through a sealed wall of a vessel or container. For example, these fittings can help to drain your aquarium or your pond  quickly and easily with no leakage. A bulkhead fitting has three parts: a) the main body, b) a nut and c) a rubber seal. The pipe attaches to the main body.  The rubber seal’s purpose is to prevent any leakage. The nut is what holds the whole mechanism together.

There are many types of materials in which bulkhead fittings are available. Among these types, PVC fittings are the best and have the most number of advantages. PVC stands for Polyvinyl Chloride. PVC is  a  plastic composed of  57% chlorine.  Despite the Clorine, PVC is  eco-friendly.

Some of the advantages of PVC plumbing fittings are:

  • they are easy to install.
  • they cost less  compared to fittings made of steel, copper, etc.
  • they are rust-proof, compared with  iron fittings.
  • they do not corrode.
  • their production is more eco-friendly than ordinary plastic fittings.
  • they are  lightweight.

In addition to all these advantages, there are other advantages, as well. For instance, PVC fittings are much more durable than plumbing fittings made of other material. A typical PVC connection is expected to last more than a decade, unlike other fittings that need upkeep and maintenance after only a couple of years. PVC fittings are also fire resistant and, therefore, very safe to handle and use. In addition to being resistant towards corrosion, PVC is also resistant to most chemicals. This makes them a safe choice as they do not allow contamination of water easily. Lastly, PVC fittings can tolerate large amount of pressure and rough handling without suffering any damage. Therefore, they also facilitate considerable flexibility of usage which is difficult when using  other materials.

Given these many advantages, it is advisable  to use  PVC bulkhead pipe fittings instead of bulkheads made from other materials. The second consideration while buying bulkhead fittings is the size. To establish the right size of the bulkhead fitting, start by determining the amount of liquid that  needs to pass through the fitting. Just to be on the safer side,  get a fitting that is larger than the actual size  needed. Also, when purchasing a fitting for a large aquarium, consider purchasing multiple fittings of a suitably small size, so as to prevent the residents of the aquarium from entering the fitting and blocking it.

The prices of bulkhead fittings differ markedly according to the size. As a general guideline,   bulkhead fittings are in the price range of $5 to $50. The best way to purchase these plumbing pipe fittings is on the web in order to get better discounts and to make an informed purchase.

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