PVC pipe cement in wet conditions

[bimmerZ5]

not sure if this is the right section, if not, please move to which ever section is appropriate.

i'm fixing some sprinkler plumbing in the yard and needed to join half of PVC union joint to a 1" PVC sch40 pipe. This is the supply side and so I shut off the valve from the street, but there was still a constant trickle of water; I'm guessing the old valve from the street doesn't shut completely.

I know about those "test ball plugs" that you can insert and inflate to plug the pipe and then pull out. But I couldn't find any store locally that had it, tried both Home Depot and Lowes and then contacted a local plumber supply shop... they didn't have anything that would fit a 1" pipe. Being sort of in a bind, I just decided to cement the PVC wet. As I pushed the two pieces together after priming and spreading the cement, I could see some of the PVC cement wash out with the water that was coming through. Did the usual 1/4 turn and held it until it was solid while the water was still trickling out. It seems to hold, and I let it set for 3 hours and just pressure tested it and it seems to be holding. I'm monitoring it and hoping it is good. But the fact that I saw some of the cement run out with the water makes me wonder if the joint might be weak and I'm just asking for future problems or not? Would hate to have to dig all this plumbing out again (it sits 12" below grade in very hard clay-like soil).

Anyway, if it continues to hold pressure, should I be concerned at all? Also, any "hidden techniques" for this type of situation should I need to redo it or encounter some thing like this again?

Thanks for any thoughts...

 

[csp]

There are brands of PVC cement that are made for use in wet conditions. Oatey blue glue is one of them. Home Depot/Lowes has these on their shelves.

Most likely your glue displaced any water that was in the joint. The fit is so tight that it doesn't take much.

 

[FullRaceMerc]

Christy's Red Hot Blue Glue.

I forget what it is called, but there is a T handled expandable plug that has a long neck to reach thru a valve or union to plug a drippy pipe. It is usually used for soldering copper when the water won't completely turn off. I don't own any, but have been eyeing them at the supply house.

There is also the old white bread trick. Turn the water off. Open the lowest valve somewhere else so pressure doesn't build up. Crush a ball out of cheap white bread. Not wheat. No crust. A little bigger than the pipe. Stuff the ball into the pipe with a stick. Work fast to glue or solder before the bread turns to mush. When you're ready, open the biggest valve or unthread a fitting or union after the bread plug. Turn on the water to blow the plug/mush out.

 

[bimmerZ5]

Christy's Red Hot Blue Glue.

I forget what it is called, but there is a T handled expandable plug that has a long neck to reach thru a valve or union to plug a drippy pipe. It is usually used for soldering copper when the water won't completely turn off. I don't own any, but have been eyeing them at the supply house.

There is also the old white bread trick. Turn the water off. Open the lowest valve somewhere else so pressure doesn't build up. Crush a ball out of cheap white bread. Not wheat. No crust. A little bigger than the pipe. Stuff the ball into the pipe with a stick. Work fast to glue or solder before the bread turns to mush. When you're ready, open the biggest valve or unthread a fitting or union after the bread plug. Turn on the water to blow the plug/mush out.

I've never used the Christy's stuff.. only Oatey. I've heard the Christy stuff is better, faster, etc. Is that true?

 

[toplessHO]

you can also tie a string to an old sock and shove it in the pipe,then like a tampon pull it out

 

[59 wagon man]

the tool is called a jet sweat they are available from 1/2 to 2" . they work well ,i have a set . you could also try stuffing white bread into the pipe before you glue. the white bread will stop the trickle of water and you can blow it out once the valve has dried before you hook up the rest

 

[Alcohol]

My trick is to take a fresh piece of bread and roll it in a ball,,shove the bread in the pipe to hold back water,,glue them together and when you are done,,turn on water at sink and flush it out,,worked for me for 25 years,,this also works on copper.

 

[csp]

If only someone would mention the bread trick!

 

[stihlntime]

Oaten blue has always worked for me.

 

[FullRaceMerc]

I've never used the Christy's stuff.. only Oatey. I've heard the Christy stuff is better, faster, etc. Is that true?

I have had good success with it, even with a small trickle of water. I still try to work dry whenever possible. As for time, 20 minutes is the shortest I have tried. It held.

If only someone would mention the bread trick!

It's kinda like the file joke. It just keeps coming around.

 

[FullRaceMerc]

the tool is called a jet sweat they are available from 1/2 to 2" . they work well ,i have a set...

There you go. Thanks. It looks like a real time saver for copper work. Next on my list of goodies to get.

 

[jhelrey]

^ Basically a glorified boat plug.

 

[FullRaceMerc]

^ Basically a glorified boat plug.

But long enough to reach thru a valve & stop water behind it so you can solder.

 

[brittf]

If you use the bread trick on copper lines, after you solder the joint, do you end up with toast?

 

[Stuart in MN]

Just make sure it's white bread, like Wonder or similar, that will fully dissolve. You don't want whole wheat or something like that with seeds or chunks in it.

 

[59 wagon man]

the tool works well most of the time . one time i had water tripping from a toilet supply valve and the pipe sticking out of the tee was too short for the tool to grab without burning the rubber

 

[jw3]

One thing to remember when using a jet sweat, you must use FULL PORT valves or unions. If not you won't be able to remove the jet sweat after your piping is assembled. Don't ask how I learned that lesson. Lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jhelrey]

But long enough to reach thru a valve & stop water behind it so you can solder.

Keyword: Glorified! I didn't say it was an exact

 

[432bullet]

Back fill with sand or something easy to dig out, Just in case.

 

[FullRaceMerc]

Keyword: Glorified! I didn't say it was an exact

"Glorified" typically indicates something very similar, but it is advertised or thought to be better than the original without really making any improvement. It is a disparaging remark pointing out the lack of genuine worth of the item. A smart person would buy the original item instead of paying the upcharge for the glorified version.

A 57 Packard was a glorified Studebaker. Some would say Evian is glorified water. Or Charmin is glorified toilet paper.

By using the term glorified you indicated that we were foolish for paying more when a cheap boat plug would do the same thing. Modified might have been a clearer term for the situation. A boat plug simply wouldn't do this job. An expandable freeze plug or a dollar plug wouldn't work either, although their design is similar. Someone took a common idea & made the right modification to solve a recurring problem.

At this point they aren't cheap. Maybe they will come down over time. But since time is money & fooling with dripping lines while soldering eats up time, I'll probably pick up the 1/2" to 1" set the next chance I get. I could have used them twice this month.

 

[Elginz]

PVC can be glued with a little water present. The thing that makes a good joint with PVC is movement, rolling it back and forth or around until it firms up.

 

[bimmerZ5]

PVC can be glued with a little water present. The thing that makes a good joint with PVC is movement, rolling it back and forth or around until it firms up.

well, it's been 5 days since i posted, and it's been under 150PSI of pressure all this time without a leak yet so I'm hopeful it will hold up just fine. I'm going to put a valve box around it, so just in case I need to go back in to do a repair, it should be easier to access. no fun digging hard clay and rocks.

 

[FullRaceMerc]

There you go. Thanks. It looks like a real time saver for copper work. Next on my list of goodies to get.

I came across this old thread while searching for something else.

In the years since I've bought 1/2, 3/4, & 1" deep plugs as the need came up. Worth their weight. When I needed a 1-1/2 I finally wised up & bought a full set from 1/2 to 2". I should have done that from the start. "Watergate" is the brand. When I bought the set I wondered if I'd ever use the 2", but was glad I had it about a week later. Next week I'm working on some 1-1/4 & will be glad to have one on hand in case.

 

[rkevins]

get a can of blue glue, i'v used it on pipes on the farm with water slowly running out, hold it a couple of minuets then you can turn the water back on. I have put 100 psi on it to quick and got very wet so let it set if its high pressure, you can't believe how much water comes out of a 3/4" line at 100 psi when you're most on the way up a 8' ladder.

 

[Jeepster04]

My trick is to take a fresh piece of bread and roll it in a ball,,shove the bread in the pipe to hold back water,,glue them together and when you are done,,turn on water at sink and flush it out,,worked for me for 25 years,,this also works on copper.

Once did this, it worked great, but for some reason it decided to find its way into a toilet and it clogged the inlet for several hours. Not an issue, but many hours later we finally heard the bread dissolve and the toilet started filling up.

 

[no704]

If you ever have a leak, especially in irrigation or pool plumbing, close valves to isolate and drain the area. Then using any input/output to that section and rig a shopvac to it. Once the shopvac hose is properly duct taped into the system turn it on. Apply your glue liberally around the leaking area and it will be sucked in sealing your leak.