Advice? I knew it would happen

I'm guessing it was like this one?

That's a Lifegard brand bulkhead, slip/barb. Yup you pretty much have to replace the bulkhead, if it were me I would go with a slip/thread (slip on flange side) BRS one and then buy the PVC thread/barb fitting from Menards and screw that in, I use a lot of those fittings (from Menards), they are good quality but be sure to check it to make sure the halves of the mold are lined up, every once in a while I see one where the mold parting line results in the threads not perfectly lining up, that will result in a dripping connection sometimes.

Then when you go to screw the 2 together, use 2 wraps of Teflon tape (only 2) and then smear on a coating of TFE paste and screw together until hand tight, usually that is enough and you don't want to overtighten so no more than 1/4 turn further with a wrench, and only if needed. Even if you have a very slight drip, give it a few days to self-seal (better than cracking out the bulkhead)

 

This is the type of adapter I'm referring to, they don't have exact pics on their site but they are all located in the same place in the store, near the S80 and S40 PVC fittings and the sprinkler fittings, etc.

https://www.menards.com/main/plumbi...91-c-8551.htm?tid=5608901008792450984&ipos=20

 

Gotcha now I think: you would use a thread/thread bulkhead so that you can screw in the fitting on the inside for the pipe up to the return nozzle plumbing, thread on the outside so you can screw in an adapter for the hose barb fitting

Inside, you don’t need any Teflon since water can only get around that fitting and drain back into the bulkhead, or get pushed out of the line from pressure and into the overflow.

Outside, pressure can cause a drip if you don’t seal the fitting. Tightening more with a wrench can cause future breaking of the bulkhead so using tape or paste helps seal. The tape + paste method is something I’ve learned over time and it works well

Some people think more tape means a better seal. This is not right, more tape means more probability of cracking if you over-tighten. 2 wraps is all you need to make the connection easier to screw in. Paste seals up the threads a bit better

There is an argument that you should only use paste but I’ve found that paste alone doesn’t real do great with pressure fittings. There is also the argument that you should not use tape at all on PVC fittings, and also that if you do use either you should first dry-fit the fitting as tight as you can by hand, mark the 2 pieces, then count the turns out, apply tape/paste, then put them together but only as far as you could have without tape or paste - the logic being that the fittings are tapered nd over-tightening at all can easily cause breakout, and most people crank on fittings until they are super tight thinking that is better when it’s not. The tape/paste allows you to get as many as a few extra whole turns in....so you really have to watch it.

 

@Borky00 I've got what looks to be the exact bulkhead bud posted the picture of. Marked AGA 3/4"
It's yours if you want to take it and see if it will work for a replacement.