Curt and Jennifer -
Re: Fittings on the pump
I'm not a plumber, and I'm not smart enough to have a one-word answer at hand. I've tried to so some research for you, but I'm still unsure. Here's what I think I know.
The pump itself has male fittings on both ends. If it has a strainer, the strainer will have a female fitting on the pump end, and a male fitting on the hose end, so the entire assembly is still male on both ends. The installation manual for the pump (you should look it up) says:
Quote:
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1/2" Male threaded models [the pump] are intended to be used with SHURFLO swivel barb fittings which seal with an internal taper when hand tightened. CAUTION: Sealers and Teflon tape may act as lubricant causing cracked housings or stripped threads due to over-tightening. Sealer may enter the pump inhibiting valve action, causing no prime or no shut-off. A failure due to foreign debris is not covered under warranty.
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In other words, the fitting is intended to be hand-tightened only - no wrenches. And you don't use any teflon tape or pipe thread compound. It also says, less directly, that the threads on the female fittings are tapered inward slightly, and male fittings are straight. When the straight threads jam into the tapered threads, this is what allows the two parts of the joint to be watertight with only hand-tightening. Having played with them recently, I can tell you that it is a nice easy joint.
The female half of each fitting (the adapter) is called a swivel fitting, meaning it can turn, at least until it is assembled and tightened. In my TM, the other end of the fitting was mated directly to a PEX barb, which is not recommended. As you see in the manual, the recommendation is to buy a swivel fitting with a hose barb on one end, and attach it to hose. I don't think a hose barb and a PEX barb are interchangeable.
I think Amazon has the fittings you need. Home Depot and Lowes don't look promising. I'm not a plumber. I'm just reading the manual. You should, too.
Bill