Help with a plumbing issue...

[eschaton]

Hey guys,

Last week I finally got my SCA system, and I've been setting it up. I have most of the plumbing system dry fit, but I have an issue constructing my return and I'm not quite sure what to do.

Basically, the pump included in the system has a hose barb fitting which fits hoses with a 3/4th inch internal diameter. The bulkheads included are one inch internal diameter. While the kit did include three slip to barb fittings, they are all 1 inch to 1 inch. I spent the better part of an hour at Home Depot looking for a 3/4 hose barb to 1 inch slip adapter, and they had nothing like this. It looks like I can buy this on Amazon, but it's not prime eligible, and I likely wouldn't get the part for a week or two, and I'd really like to be able to test my system's plumbing with tap water this weekend. It's just frustrating as hell to not be able to do this right away because of a single missing part. Also, I really don't like ordering plumbing parts online, because I can't bring the fittings into the store and ensure it will actually work.

Is there some other way I should be looking at the problem? I suppose I could hard plumb the return, though I kinda want to avoid this, since pumps need to be taken out and cleaned semi-often, meaning I'd need to pick up some more unions, along with changing the internal diameter of the pipe somewhere along the journey. It doesn't appear an adapter from 3/4 hose barb to 1" hose barb is easily available. I thought about dusting off the old eheim I had in the basement - but despite being a larger pump, it takes even smaller gauge tubing. I'm just at a loss here.

 

[Idoc]

Check out BRS.... they have extensive plumbing parts that are commonly used in aquariums. Home depot and Lowes are really hit or miss.

When im doing plumbing on my tank, it helps me to actually draw out each piece along the plumbing circuit so that I'm sure I have each piece I need to fit it all together.

 

[Hemmdog]

Hard plumb her

 

[samnaz]

I do believe BRS has that fitting?

 

[DSEKULA]

Sounds like you just need a 1" to 3/4" bushing, if so look for one of these they are pretty common tractor supply is my go to for odd fittings but lowes, hd, and most plumbing supplies should stock them your just asking for a more difficult specific part instead of one to transition between the parts you have.

As a side note, tractor supply general stocks tons of odd transition type barbs in their irrigation sections that other suppliers don't eem to

 

[samnaz]

Gray Pipe Adapter Spigot x Barb

Use Street (Spigot) x Barb/Inserts where you want to use flexible tubing. More professional look than white Schedule 40 PVC. This street/spigot barb connector is great for converting plumbing fittings like gate valves or check valves to work with flexible tubing, or when you want to use...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

and I think they have a quick-ish shipping option for a few bucks extra.

 

[eschaton]

Check out BRS.... they have extensive plumbing parts that are commonly used in aquariums. Home depot and Lowes are really hit or miss.

BRS does have a 3/4th barb to 3/4th slip part. With an adapter to expand the pipe size, I could make that work. However, their shipping prices are quite high for a single piece like that. I'd pay as much on regular shipping as the part cost, and if I wanted to rush it, I would be spending over $20.00 for a $5 part. Plus I'd still need to buy additional parts, like a small segment of 3/4th pipe and then a converter to the 1 inch pipe for the bulkhead.

Sounds like you just need a 1" to 3/4" bushing, if so look for one of these they are pretty common tractor supply is my go to for odd fittings but lowes, hd, and most plumbing supplies should stock them your just asking for a more difficult specific part instead of one to transition between the parts you have.

Yeah, a bushing could work - as long as I also got a second 3/4th inch hose barb with threads on it. When I was at Home Depot it was frustrating, because they had bushings of the proper diameter, but they were all either threaded on both sides or slip on both sides - none were slip on the outside and threaded on the inside.

Part of what makes finding this stuff online hard is I don't know the proper terminology for all of the parts. So I can go into a plumbing aisle and see what works and what doesn't, but that doesn't mean I can just do a google search and find it online.

 

[Saltyreef]

Could you post a photo of your return pump?
My jebao has a 3/4" male thread.
I just used a 3/4" female bushing x 1" slip from home depot to connect the 1" eshopps flex hose to my pump.
I actually put a union in between not too long ago after removing my check valve so the pump can be taken out of service for cleaning in a few seconds.

 

[kyleinpdx]

if you have them near by, ace hardware tends to have a better selection of unusual plumbing bits.

 

[eschaton]

Not at home right now, but maybe I'll take some pics tonight.

I called a local plumbing supply store. They can solve my problem, albeit not in the most elegant way. They have a 1 inch to 3/4 reducer in stock, but it's slip to slip. He suggested buying it, cutting a small piece of 3/4th inch pipe, and then fitting the hose barb to that. That would mean I'd have to buy two feet of 3/4th at Home Depot, but it's cheap, and then I can put a union between the reducer and the barb in case that bit ever fails.

 

[kyleinpdx]

Not at home right now, but maybe I'll take some pics tonight.

I called a local plumbing supply store. They can solve my problem, albeit not in the most elegant way. They have a 1 inch to 3/4 reducer in stock, but it's slip to slip. He suggested buying it, cutting a small piece of 3/4th inch pipe, and then fitting the hose barb to that. That would mean I'd have to buy two feet of 3/4th at Home Depot, but it's cheap, and then I can put a union between the reducer and the barb in case that bit ever fails.

Careful, the HD by my only sells 3/4 hose in rolls of 10ft for $22. Ace sells by the foot for $1.99...

 

[Saltyreef]

The hose barb is permanently installed onto the return pump outlet??
Or like this?

 

[Saltyreef]

I found it. Does the collar of that hose barb come off to expose bare thread?

 

[Saltyreef]

Alternatively, or if the barb fitting does not come off the sca pump...(i think it will), they sell bulkheads with the hosebarb fitting. Plug and play no modifications.

 

[lapin]

Charlotte Pipe 1 in. x 3/4 in. PVC Schedule 40 S x FPT Reducer Female Adapter PVC 02101 3800HD - The Home Depot

PVC schedule 40 pipe and pressure fittings are used in irrigation, underground sprinkler systems, swimming pools, outdoor applications and cold water supply lines. These fittings are highly resilient,

www.homedepot.com

 

[eschaton]

I found it. Does the collar of that hose barb come off to expose bare thread?

Yeah, that's the pump model, more or less. The barb does unscrew. There is a second barb for 1 inch hose which is included, but that is apparently only for the intake if you wished to have the pump external to the sump (which I wouldn't have room for, and wouldn't solve my issue anyway).

There are absolutely a number of different solutions, but ideally I'd like to find the solutions locally or prime eligible. I don't want to pay for shipping and wait a week for what amounts to a single connection.

 

[Saltyreef]

Yeah, that's the pump model, more or less. The barb does unscrew. There is a second barb for 1 inch hose which is included, but that is apparently only for the intake if you wished to have the pump external to the sump (which I wouldn't have room for, and wouldn't solve my issue anyway).

There are absolutely a number of different solutions, but ideally I'd like to find the solutions locally or prime eligible. I don't want to pay for shipping and wait a week for what amounts to a single connection.

Easiest way would be to un thread the barb so the threads are exposed and then use a FPT x slip reducing bushing from home depot just like @lapin posted, pending the threads under the barb are 3/4". If you want a union youll need a 1" slipx slip union as well and a small piece of 1' pvc to join the two with pvc glue.
This would allow you to use 1" eshopps flex hose.

If youre dead set on using regular flex hose with the barb, all youll need is the barbed bulkhead for your return bulkhead.

These would be the easiest ways without doing all that questionable stuff the guy at the store advised......