Bulkhead to PVC... what am I doing wrong?

[Bayareareefer18]

You do need a transition glue from abs to pvc. Rather than a whole can of the green stuff for a couple joints I used the red can which is designed for pvc, abs and cpvc. It's a milky white looking cement. Used that on all joints no issue.

 

[WVNed]

The person that built my house glued ABS to PVC. I have replaced every section I have found. In every case a mild jar would cause joints to separate. I got very lucky.

 

[ca1ore]

Slip fittings are better than threaded in my view. I have solvent welded PVC pipe into ABS bulkheads dozens of times and always just used the regular medium body clear Oatey; next time one fails will be the first time .... In 30 years LOL. Strange that you are having issues. FWIW, primer isn't necessary for smaller diameter PVC pipe (below 3"); never use it myself.

 

[Centerline]

I just completed a pretty large project using the Oatey Fusion glue. Lots of bulk heads and like you found pushout had to be considered. I applied the glue to both sides per instructions and the 1/4 turn. I held eat for about 60 seconds and had no problems.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Oatey-1...PIPHorizontal2_rr-_-100345577-_-302473009-_-N

 

[Matthew Frost]

I always use a threaded slip PVC fitting when connecting to bulkheads. I know its an extra piece and an extra joint but I have had to go back and remove bulkheads in the past and this one threaded joint has saved me from having to cut entire systems apart.

 

[jcl123]

The other option here is you can buy PVC bulkhead fittings ;-)

 

[samnaz]

Slip fittings are better than threaded in my view. I have solvent welded PVC pipe into ABS bulkheads dozens of times and always just used the regular medium body clear Oatey; next time one fails will be the first time .... In 30 years LOL. Strange that you are having issues. FWIW, primer isn't necessary for smaller diameter PVC pipe (below 3"); never use it myself.

Makes me wonder if the reason for my issue is because I followed the instructions/general consensus to use primer. You're saying you never used primer and the joint has never failed or leaked at all? Why does everyone waste their time with primer then... there must be a reason?

 

[samnaz]

The other option here is you can buy PVC bulkhead fittings ;-)

you mean like the schedule 80 bulkheads BRS sells? Those are too large to fit in the overflow box I have, it's a tight squeeze.

 

[samnaz]

The person that built my house glued ABS to PVC. I have replaced every section I have found. In every case a mild jar would cause joints to separate. I got very lucky.

ha, that sounds unlucky to me... is the moral of the story don't glue ABS to PVC, or just don't do a crappy job?

 

[JoshH]

Makes me wonder if the reason for my issue is because I followed the instructions/general consensus to use primer. You're saying you never used primer and the joint has never failed or leaked at all? Why does everyone waste their time with primer then... there must be a reason?

Primer isn't mandatory, just recommended. I primed probably half my joints and didn't prime the other half and both are holding strong.

you mean like the schedule 80 bulkheads BRS sells? Those are too large to fit in the overflow box I have, it's a tight squeeze.

You can get sch40 bulkheads in pvc, they are a little tricky to get a hold of but they are out there.

ha, that sounds unlucky to me... is the moral of the story don't glue ABS to PVC, or just don't do a crappy job?

As with anything, if done poorly it's probably going to fail. Most of my joints are threaded and have had 0 leaks in two years. Slip and threaded are IMO equal and they each have a place in proper plumbing. Same goes for using the proper glues for each material you are using.

 

[Barrett]

I’ve never used primer and never had a leak or failure.

 

[amnesiac]

Makes me wonder if the reason for my issue is because I followed the instructions/general consensus to use primer. You're saying you never used primer and the joint has never failed or leaked at all? Why does everyone waste their time with primer then... there must be a reason?

I NEVER use primer. I used to use the typical white PVC over a decade ago and hated the way it would look with purple primer all over everything. I spoke with a guy over at my hardware store and was told that so long as your application isn't something with extreme pressurized water then there really isn't a need for it. Just make sure you join the ends with enough glue and give it a good half turn. Been doing that ever since and have NEVER had a glued joint leak.

 

[ca1ore]

Makes me wonder if the reason for my issue is because I followed the instructions/general consensus to use primer. You're saying you never used primer and the joint has never failed or leaked at all? Why does everyone waste their time with primer then... there must be a reason?

I think it is important for larger diameter pipe, but my plumber always told me to not use it on smaller pipe. He was also the first one to tell me that Teflon tape should not be used on PVC ...... Whaaaaaat!

 

[tom39]

PVC cleaner, primer, cement, ABS to PVC cement and all the other chemicals created for bonding various plastics to each other are created for a reason. The reason is to create a lasting bond that does not fail. So it is very important that you make the right decision when using bonding chemicals, because you need to use the right chemical for each specific application or you run the risk of failure.
So, yes you should have used primer, yes you should have used ABS to PVC cement and yes you should have used a cleaner. Have others had success not using the right chemical when bonding materials? Yes, I am sure they have. Did they do it correctly. No they did not! Even if it has held for a decade, they still did it wrong.
As for your question whether your connection will hold, it certainly may. Is it worth the risk in my opinion? No it is not! My suggestion, which, like my comments will most likely get a negative response, is to start over and do it right so that there is no doubt. Buy new bulkheads and fittings, buy the right cleaner, primer and cement and do it right.

 

[mikes686]

When gluing pvc to abs, use transition glue. It's an all in one glue, usually greenish. No primer and no pvc glue.

 

[theMeat]

You can use primer on abs but you have to wait until it dries. Could take 30 minutes.
Pvc cleaner on abs is better. Doesn’t get as gooey, and dries faster

You can also use reg pvc glue on abs to pvc, but it must be dry, as explained above, and will take longer to set up. Maybe a minute or 5

 

[hpimichael02]

Youll be fine

 

[Will Perry]

When gluing ABS to PVC, I skip using primer as it makes things too gooey and you get severe push out. I also use “universal” solvent, like Uniweld 6200.

I used Gorilla Glue Purple PVC Glue and had bought problems.

 

[wangspeed]

I used Gorilla Glue Purple PVC Glue and had bought problems.

Gorilla glue specifically says not for use with ABS. I’m talking about universal solvents that are recommended for use with PVC, ABS, etc. There’s an Oatey version too, but I like Uniweld 6200. Just hard to come by.

 

[Bayareareefer18]

Makes me wonder if the reason for my issue is because I followed the instructions/general consensus to use primer. You're saying you never used primer and the joint has never failed or leaked at all? Why does everyone waste their time with primer then... there must be a reason?

I would agree with that also. I pretty much only use primer for underground repairs. Have have had an issue.