There are two kinds of bulkhead fittings; PVC and ABS. PVC is short for “Poly Vinyl Chloride” and ABS is short for “Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene”. Here are some of the differences;

1. ABS plumbing is easier to install than PVC
2. PVC is flexible; ABS is tough
3. ABS has a higher impact strength than PVC
4. ABS is cheaper than PVC
5. PVC contains Bisphenol A (BPA) – ABS does not

In 2008, BPA made some news you may recall. Where the Food and Drug Administration had considered BPA safe before, but by 2010 it expressed concern about possible effects it may have on the health of children. See more here – Web MD.

Here at JT Enterprises, our bulkhead fittings are all ABS type and  contain zero BPA.

Bulkhead fittings are designed to allow liquids to flow through solid walls of a tank or other container. The fitting is made with three basic parts; the body, a lock nut, and a gasket.

The Body of the bulkhead fitting is threaded to fit the lock nut and has one end flanged out larger than the threaded part. The gasket goes between the body and the lock nut, to seal the fitting and prevent liquid from leaking.

To use a bulkhead fitting, one needs to drill a hole slightly larger than the outside diameter of the threads on the body part. The body with its gasket is placed through the wall of the tank or container, and the lock nut is tightened to seal the opening.

With a bulkhead fitting in place, you may now have liquids flowing in or out of the container in a convenient manner and without leaks.

One of the main uses for bulkhead fittings is in aquariums. When you need to have a tube pass through the wall of an aquarium, a bulkhead fitting is needed to seal the tank and prevent leakage. For those who need only one or a few such fittings, there are many places to buy them online.

For companies that sell bulkhead fittings, or use them in the construction of aquariums, JT Enterprises in Holiday, Florida, has the best deal for buying them in larger quantities. JT Enterprises actually manufactures these parts locally and sells only to the wholesale market.

If you need some tips on how to install a bulkhead fitting in an aquarium or other tank, there are many helpful videos now on YouTube. Click this link to watch videos on how to install your bulkhead fitting: YouTube Videos – Bulkhead Fitting Installation Tips.

Questions from readers. My business is in Europe,  can we still buy from you?

Yes you can, however it is going to be more complicated.  Due to past bad experiences with fraud, we only accept wire transfers transactions for business. We can’t accept credit cards or PayPal.

You must also have your own freight forwarder or pick up. We will ship to a freight forwarder as long as it is in the continental United States. After we ship to the forwarder, we cease any responsibility for the shipment.

Thank you for your interest.

How are you after Hurricane Irma?

We are very grateful that our employees, warehouse, an inventory made it through the storm safely. There was minor flooding along with power issues; however, we, are back on track in full production and shipping mode. We appreciate your genuine concern.

What will be the shipping schedule with the Hurricane Irma situation?  As of right now, plan as though things are proceeding as normal. Nevertheless keep in mind the circumstances and this may change. It not only depends on us but our shipping carriers. We will inform you if we have to suspend shipping next week. We will do our best to continue working as long as it’s reasonably safe. Thank you.

How are you managing the Hurricane Irma situation?

Thank you for your concern. We are preparing for the worse and hoping for the best. We have secured our sales office and warehouse to the best of our ability. Nevertheless we will still be dependent on state services as in electricity, water, and sewage.

Trust that we are being very cautious, while continuing to work to make sure our customers needs are met. We will have more information next week. Thank you again for your concern.

Questions from Readers: How many units are in a box?

1/2″ bulkhead fittings come 400 per box.

3/4″ bulkhead fittings come 400 per box.

1″ bulkhead fittings come 200 per box.

1.5″ bulkhead fittings come 100 per box.

1.5″ bulkhead fittings (shorts) come 150 per box.

2″ bulkhead fittings come 80 per box.

Does JT Enterprises ship internationally?

Yes we do. We ship to Canada and Mexico. Other countries such as the Bahamas and Caribbean nations are eligible also. If you are from a country not previously mentioned, email us for details. We may be able to work something out with some form of pre-payment. We aspire to be a global provider of these our manufactured products.

Can I use my own shipper? Yes and no. We only ship UPS. If you have your own UPS account, we can use your number if you wish. However, we can’t use FedEx unless you can have them pick up the package from our warehouse.

If you have a pallet shipment, you may use whichever carrier you choose to pick up the shipment from our warehouse. I hope this answers your question.