Lagoon 50ext Plumbing Mockup/Supplies: Gut Check ?

[pricewayne]

Hi folks, been a while (understatement) but I'm finally going to pull my Lagoon 50ext out of storage to start my build (slowly lol).

 

Would really appreciate feedback on my plumbing mockup/purchase list below!

Display Tank: IM Lagoon 50g EXT

Sump: Triton 26" V2

 

I'm not 100% on the line runs - mostly hoping to be sure I order enough fittings/pipe to more flexibly run my lines once I have the tank/sump on a stand in front of me.

 

*Note: I increased my PVC/fittings QTYs by at least 2 parts/each to be safe.

 

Also have two questions:

1. If my PVC is schedule 40, can my fittings (elbows/unions/couplers) be schedule 80? Or do they need to be the same schedule?
2. What is the best fit type? Thread X Thread, Slip X Thread or Slip X Slip? I'd imagine Thread x Thread is best but would rather ask than be sorry.

[jservedio]

I have the same tank and sump and here's what my plumbing looks like:

 

 

 

Main Drain: 2 unions, 1 spears gate, 3x 90s

Backup Drain: 1 Union, 2x 90

Return Line: 2x unions, 2x 45, 3x 90, 1x slip x mpt, 1x fpt x hose barb, 12" of silicone tubing, 2x hose clamps

 

I got like 12' of 1" and 8' of 3/4" pipe and have a ton left over. My total cost was about $200 after I returned a bunch of unused stuff. If you've got a miter saw or a chop saw or even just a miter box, use that instead - it's way straighter cuts than a ratcheting cutter. Those are only really useful when you are cutting pipe that's in place already.

 

The two 45s on the return line are to tuck the return line closer to the tank so it doesn't stick out further than the overflow box with the union. I also chopped down the bulkhead by 1/4" or so to ensure that I had 1/4" between the wall and 90 when the overflow box sits 1/16" from the wall.

 

Some tips since you have glue and a cutter on the list, so you may not have done PVC plumbing before:

• Only use dry fitting to sanity check your design is correct. Do not use dry fitting for measurements - PVC relies on an interference fit and schedule 80 will not go in the last 3/8 of an inch or so without primer/glue on it so your measurements will be way off.
• Use witness marks on everything
• If you haven't done PVC fitting before, go buy some cheap schedule 40 from home depot to practice on. Schedule 80 is far less forgiving and harder to work with and mistakes are expensive to fix
• You don't need to go crazy with the primer and glue
• If you aren't perfectly straight and within like 1/4" or less than 5 degrees on a twist, use a heat gun on the pipe between fittings to fix little mistakes.

[pricewayne]

@jservedio, so funny. Definitely checked your journal out when I was working on the mock up! Love your setup.

 

This will be my first plumbing attempt so this info is very helpful. Will take you up on the miter box/saw and certainly appreciate the witness mark/dry fitting tips.

 

Couple questions on your reply:

• Return slip x mpt - is this fit between the bulkhead and 90 elbow? Or I guess more generally, what's this fitting's purpose (haven't read it about it yet)!
• Return 1x fpt x hose barb - fit between the return pump and silicone tubing?
• Want to be sure I understand this one - so you cut the threads of the return bulkhead to decrease it's protrusion from the back of the tank? Or more specifically, to align the return's protrusion flush with the overflow box protrusion?

Thank you, again!!

[jservedio]

1 hour ago, pricewayne said:

@jservedio, so funny. Definitely checked your journal out when I was working on the mock up! Love your setup.

 

This will be my first plumbing attempt so this info is very helpful. Will take you up on the miter box/saw and certainly appreciate the witness mark/dry fitting tips.

 

Couple questions on your reply:

• Return slip x mpt - is this fit between the bulkhead and 90 elbow? Or I guess more generally, what's this fitting's purpose (haven't read it about it yet)!
• Return 1x fpt x hose barb - fit between the return pump and silicone tubing?
• Want to be sure I understand this one - so you cut the threads of the return bulkhead to decrease it's protrusion from the back of the tank? Or more specifically, to align the return's protrusion flush with the overflow box protrusion?

Thank you, again!!

Glad to help!

 

For the first two questions, I couldn't find a direct slip x hosebarb schedule 80 fitting in 3/4". I could only find the fpt x hosebarb, so I had to get a slip x mpt to attach it too. See the picture below to see what I mean.

 

 

For the last question - yes, I trimmed how far the bulkhead sticks out of the back of the tank. Honestly, I didn't even need to do it because it only gained me about 1/8" closer to the wall and unless you've done it before, it's really easy to ruin the bulkhead and they are expensive. However, the two 45s that tuck the union closer to the tank are absolutely critical - they saved a solid 1" and allowed the return plumbing to not stick out further than the overflow box. As long as you keep the space between the bulkhead and the 90 to 1/16" or less and use the two 45s, there is no need to trim the bulkhead down at all.

 

If you don't have a chamfer tool, make sure you at least sand the cut edges on the inside/outside before priming and gluing. It helps in allowing the pipe to seat better into the fitting. It's not a requirement or anything, but it makes it easier to get the pipe all the way to the bottom of the fitting. When you dry fit and make your witness marks, make them extend like 1" past where you think they need to be because the pipe is going to go way further into the fitting than you expect!

 

Buy a few extra elbows/45s (BRS and other places allow you to return anything left over) and always glue your unions and valves last - this way if you mess up, you aren't out the cost of the expensive unions or even more expensive valves. I think you did, but definitely go for the expensive Spears gate valve since they can be maintained and have their internals replaced. I had the cheaper BRS unbranded ones on my last tank and they will definitely fail after a few years (they don't leak, they just stop adjusting) - I had two break in less than 10 years.

 

Also - I didn't answer it before, but yes, you can intermix schedule 80 and 40 PVC - they have the same outer diameter. Since our systems aren't pressurized, with the exception of the heavy duty gate valve, schedule 80 is doing absolutely nothing except looking pretty. It's also got the major drawbacks of being absurdly expensive, more difficult to work with, and less forgiving in terms of fitment. Hell, you could use paper-thin plastic conduit, use a heat gun to bend it into the exact shape you want it, and not have a single fitting and it'd work exactly as well as schedule 80.

[pricewayne]

2 hours ago, jservedio said:

Glad to help!

 

For the first two questions, I couldn't find a direct slip x hosebarb schedule 80 fitting in 3/4". I could only find the fpt x hosebarb, so I had to get a slip x mpt to attach it too. See the picture below to see what I mean.

 

 

For the last question - yes, I trimmed how far the bulkhead sticks out of the back of the tank. Honestly, I didn't even need to do it because it only gained me about 1/8" closer to the wall and unless you've done it before, it's really easy to ruin the bulkhead and they are expensive. However, the two 45s that tuck the union closer to the tank are absolutely critical - they saved a solid 1" and allowed the return plumbing to not stick out further than the overflow box. As long as you keep the space between the bulkhead and the 90 to 1/16" or less and use the two 45s, there is no need to trim the bulkhead down at all.

 

If you don't have a chamfer tool, make sure you at least sand the cut edges on the inside/outside before priming and gluing. It helps in allowing the pipe to seat better into the fitting. It's not a requirement or anything, but it makes it easier to get the pipe all the way to the bottom of the fitting. When you dry fit and make your witness marks, make them extend like 1" past where you think they need to be because the pipe is going to go way further into the fitting than you expect!

 

Buy a few extra elbows/45s (BRS and other places allow you to return anything left over) and always glue your unions and valves last - this way if you mess up, you aren't out the cost of the expensive unions or even more expensive valves. I think you did, but definitely go for the expensive Spears gate valve since they can be maintained and have their internals replaced. I had the cheaper BRS unbranded ones on my last tank and they will definitely fail after a few years (they don't leak, they just stop adjusting) - I had two break in less than 10 years.

 

Also - I didn't answer it before, but yes, you can intermix schedule 80 and 40 PVC - they have the same outer diameter. Since our systems aren't pressurized, with the exception of the heavy duty gate valve, schedule 80 is doing absolutely nothing except looking pretty. It's also got the major drawbacks of being absurdly expensive, more difficult to work with, and less forgiving in terms of fitment. Hell, you could use paper-thin plastic conduit, use a heat gun to bend it into the exact shape you want it, and not have a single fitting and it'd work exactly as well as schedule 80.

Thank you so much for all the details!! Great advice.