A bulkhead fitting is the part that lets a solution or vacuum line pass through a wall, a panel or the side of a machine without leaking and without chafing the hose against a raw edge. This is the CRW 107863, a brass fitting in the 1/4-inch size, and it is the size carpet cleaning and restoration technicians reach for most often when they are plumbing a control panel, a chemical feed line or a small pressure circuit on a truckmount or portable extractor.
Use Cases
- Truckmount panel work. Bringing a solution line from inside the van box out to a labeled panel connection, so the operator connects to a fixed fitting instead of a loose hose end.
- Portable extractor builds and repairs. Passing a line through the housing of a portable so the hose is anchored to the shell rather than pulling on an internal component.
- Chemical and prespray feed lines. Running a metering or injection line out of an enclosure while keeping the enclosure sealed.
- Custom rigs and rebuilds. Any job where a technician is drilling a new pass-through in a panel and wants a serviceable, threaded connection on both sides.
Why a bulkhead instead of a grommet and a hose
Running a hose straight through a drilled hole is the fast fix, and it is the one that comes back. The hole edge works on the hose jacket every time the rig moves, and every tug on the outside of the line is transmitted straight to whatever the hose is connected to on the inside. A bulkhead fitting clamps to the panel itself, so the panel takes the load. It also gives you a threaded port on each side, which means the line can be disconnected for service without pulling anything back through the hole.
Brass is the usual material for this job in cleaning equipment because it holds a thread well, tolerates the detergents and defoamers that go through these lines, and does not gall the way some plated steel fittings do when they are taken apart repeatedly. It is also easy to inspect - a brass fitting that has been overtightened or cross-threaded shows it.
Fitting it
The fitting seats through a drilled hole in the panel and is secured with its nut, with the sealing surface against the panel face. Technicians normally deburr the hole first so the sealing face sits flat, and tighten to seal rather than to maximum torque - brass is soft enough that overtightening distorts the seat and creates the leak you were trying to prevent. Thread sealant or PTFE tape is applied to the pipe threads on the connecting lines, not to the bulkhead sealing face.
Specifications
- Manufacturer part number: 107863
- Brand: CRW
- Material: brass
- Nominal size: 1/4 inch
- Type: bulkhead fitting for panel pass-through
Before you order
Published sources for this part do not list the thread form, the pressure rating or the maximum panel thickness it will clamp, so we are not claiming any of them. If your application depends on a specific thread type or on a high-pressure circuit, measure the mating fitting on your machine or call us with the equipment model and we will confirm before the order goes out.
Frequently asked questions
What does a bulkhead fitting actually do?
It creates a sealed, threaded pass-through in a panel or wall so a line can cross that barrier. The fitting is anchored to the panel, so movement and pulling on the hose is carried by the panel instead of by the connection inside the machine.
Is 1/4 inch the hose size or the thread size?
It is the nominal size of the fitting. On cleaning equipment a 1/4-inch bulkhead is normally used with 1/4-inch lines, but you should confirm the thread form against the fitting already on your machine before ordering, since that detail is not published for this part.
Why brass rather than stainless or plastic?
Brass holds threads well through repeated service, resists the cleaning chemistry that runs through solution lines, and is far less likely to crack than a plastic fitting when a hose is pulled sideways. Stainless is used where the pressure or the chemistry is more aggressive.
Can I install it myself?
Yes. It is a drill, deburr and tighten job with hand tools. The two things to get right are a flat, clean hole so the sealing face seats, and stopping at seal rather than overtightening soft brass.
Discount Cleaning Products is a US-based supplier of carpet cleaning and restoration parts, and we keep the small plumbing pieces that hold a rig together rather than only the machines. If you are rebuilding a panel and are not sure which fitting matches, send us the equipment model and we will help you sort it out.
