Which PVC Cement?

[Forsaken77]

Quick question... I never hard plumbed a tank and want to know if my current choice of products is ok for use in a tank.

I plan to use the Oatey CLEAR pvc primer, which is NSF certified, and the Oatey Clear Heavy Duty pvc cement in the green jar. It doesn't say NSF certified, but it says for potable water.

Also, is it worth using the Oatey ABS to PVC transition cement for the bulkheads, or regular primer & cement? And do you use primer when using the transition cement?

 

[KJAG]

Primer is technically the “rule,” but I personally never use it. Never had a single leak with liberally applied Red Hot/ no primer. I used the green ABS to PVC transition on my sanitary tees(no primer) and it’s water tight. Use it if you’re going ABS to PVC. Primer or not, watch the interior after glueing. If excess drips on the internal threads or slip, and you don’t catch it it’ll be a nightmare to plumb fittings after it dries.

 

[ca1ore]

I just use the standard medium body cement .... no primer.

 

[DaveMorris]

I agree with the above...no primer. Our systems are not pressurized to the extent that we would need primer. I've never used it and never had a leaky connection. I also do not use ABS - PVC glue on bulkheads. The ones I have seen are not ABS plastic.

 

[Fritzhamer]

You should 100% use primer every time. It’s also a good idea to chamfer the pipe before priming and gluing. If you want to do it the right way, that’s it.

I have driven with my feet before and didn’t kill anyone. That doesn’t make it a good idea and it doesn’t mean that you should try it.

Primer is $3 for a can that will last forever and takes two seconds to put on. Why risk the joint failing or not having the pipe all the way in? There’s no upside to not using primer.

 

[Forsaken77]

Not being rude, but I wasn't asking if I should use primer or not, which I am. I wanted to know if these products are the right ones.

This is a Marineland tank and the stock bulkheads are ABS. I would gladly use pvc bulkheads, I just can't find them for a Marineland 180 RR tank. Which is why I'm asking about the transition cement.

I plan on using primer just because I know it's the proper way to clean, soften, and bond the pipe correctly. I've read plenty of stories where people didn't use primer and 3 years later they're redoing the plumbing because a joint failed. Plus I have more than average head pressure.

 

[Fritzhamer]

Lol,
I didn’t know that there was a PVC to ABS cement. I may redo my plumbing now. Pvc bulkheads require larger holes than the abs bulkheads. I’ve always treated the abs bulkheads the same as I would pvc bulkheads (pvc primer and cement) and that has worked well for me.

I now use the Weld-On primer and cement but I’ve used Oatley in the past without issue.

 

[Forsaken77]

Primer is technically the “rule,” but I personally never use it. Never had a single leak with liberally applied Red Hot/ no primer. I used the green ABS to PVC transition on my sanitary tees(no primer) and it’s water tight. Use it if you’re going ABS to PVC. Primer or not, watch the interior after glueing. If excess drips on the internal threads or slip, and you don’t catch it it’ll be a nightmare to plumb fittings after it dries.

Because I'm using primer, would it be better to just put the cement on the pipe going into the fitting, and not the fitting itself? Just to avoid too much glue?

 

[dirtycontour]

Because I'm using primer, would it be better to just put the cement on the pipe going into the fitting, and not the fitting itself? Just to avoid too much glue?

I prime both the pipe and the fitting. Glue on the pipe. Push hard and 1/4 turn. Keep pressure on it for a slow ten count.

 

[WWIII]

I would personally and have personally used pvc cement on abs and in abs to pvc transitions. It works just fine. The one time I used transition cement it had a bad reaction and caused the abs to crack. That was on a synergy overflow, which is abs, and they later changed the instructions to specify medium pvc cement to be used instead of "transition" cement.

 

[Forsaken77]

Lol,
I didn’t know that there was a PVC to ABS cement. I may redo my plumbing now. Pvc bulkheads require larger holes than the abs bulkheads. I’ve always treated the abs bulkheads the same as I would pvc bulkheads (pvc primer and cement) and that has worked well for me.

I now use the Weld-On primer and cement but I’ve used Oatley in the past without issue.

They make a Weld-On brand also. Just read that the manufacturer says to prime only the pvc side and not the abs side, just an fyi.

 

[WWIII]

Not saying it would happen with regular bulkheads, but I've never had a problem using pvc cement on my abs bulkheads or my synergy overflows (I have 3 now).

 

[Water Dog]

I recall a discussion with @mixer911 about his Synergy Reef Shadow overflow installation where he says not to use primer when gluing PVC to ABS... just use the cement.

 

[Mrx7899]

Gorilla Clear PVC PrimaGlue 8oz. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HSO1APU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_iqxUAb5AK82PC

I use Gorilla Glue PVC pipe cement clear drys nice its primer and glue in one very happy with the results

 

[Forsaken77]

Not saying it would happen with regular bulkheads, but I've never had a problem using pvc cement on my abs bulkheads or my synergy overflows (I have 3 now).

Ok, so if I don't use the transition cement, which they say not to prime the abs- only the pvc side, would the heavy duty cement cause a problem? Because you don't prime abs, so it would just be the cement. The heavy duty version says it fills gaps and leaves more room for error in application. Or is it too thick? I just don't want these crap Marineland bulkheads to break, but not leak either, lol.

 

[WWIII]

Ok, so if I don't use the transition cement, which they say not to prime the abs- only the pvc side, would the heavy duty cement cause a problem? Because you don't prime abs, so it would just be the cement. The heavy duty version says it fills gaps and leaves more room for error in application. Or is it too thick? I just don't want these crap Marineland bulkheads to break, but not leak either, lol.

I've used both medium and heavy duty without issue. Having said that, I just use medium on everything now. For the diameter pipes and pressures we are talking about for our tanks, I think it is more than sufficient.

 

[WWIII]

And yeah, the primer will basically melt the abs, making a mess. It's just not needed for this application, but I do use primer on everything else on my tank plumbing.

 

[Forsaken77]

Thanks for the help guys

 

[Pivitol]

I just used Oatey brand clear pvc cement to glue my pvc pipes to my ABS bulkheads, no primer. They are leak free and have been running for a year.

 

[Fritzhamer]

I would personally and have personally used pvc cement on abs and in abs to pvc transitions. It works just fine. The one time I used transition cement it had a bad reaction and caused the abs to crack. That was on a synergy overflow, which is abs, and they later changed the instructions to specify medium pvc cement to be used instead of "transition" cement.

Oh WOW!!!