PVC Cement vs Plumber's Putty

[Hoster]

Not familiar with plumbing and a question. Experiencing minor leak on top of polaris pump where the main pump connects to my pipe. Can visibly see minor "crack" in the joint...should i use PVC cement or just plubmers putty?

 

[Griswald]

2 entirely different products to do 2 entirely different things. PVC cement is to glue fittings, plumbers putty is to make flexible gasket-like joints where 2 different materials come together.

In your case, if you can see a crack, you NEED to replace the fitting, no other method will work for very long. Heck, duct tape wpuld do just aw well as anything else.

 

[Hoster]

Thanks!!!!...actually when i said crack, i meant a crack in whatever joint compound previous owner used and not piping. With my limited experience with plumbing, i was also thinking about using gutter caulking ;-)

 

[JoyfulNoise]

That's not plumber's putty either, it's pipe dope (similar to teflon tape) for making a water tight seal. Plumber's putty is what you would use to make a sealing gasket when you replace the drain in a sink (or similar applications). The plumber's putty would be rolled into a donut shape and that would form the water tight gasket seal between the metal sink drain and the opening in a porcelain sink. It's not really intended for pressurized applications and it's not meant to be used on plastic because most plumber's putty is made from linseed oil which can cause damage to plastics. Pipe dope or thread dope is what you apply to the threaded pipe (plastic, metal, or both) to make the piece screw together more easily and create a pressure resistant seal all along the threaded connection. One can also use teflon tape in that application but most pool installation use the "liquid" sealant (more like a paste). Finally, as was stated, PVC cement is used to join two piece of pipe that are not threaded, so it creates something similar to a solder joint in metal pipe work.

 

[Hoster]

Thanks! Will try teflon as temp fix....is this liquid sealant something i can easily find at home depot? Does vinyl lining glue work for this?

 

[NoTime]

Like mentioned, plumbers typically call it "pipe dope", (if you want to sound knowledgeable asking in Home Depot)

RectorSeal T Plus 2 4 oz. Teflon Pipe-Thread Sealant-23631 - The Home Depot

 

[Killer95Stang]

I think the op is just looking for topical solution to his problem, fixing it correctly requires that the fitting be removed then reinstalled with the proper sealant....ie... pipe dope, teflon tape.

 

[pooldv]

Ok, good thought. There is no good way to fix that leak with a product applied to the outside of the joint. That nipple needs to be unscrewed from the pump housing, have Teflon applied to the threads and reinstall the nipple in the pump housing.

 

[Isaac-1]

I suspect that the whole fitting needs to be replaced, no sense in trying to save $2 here

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Just noticed something - look at the pipe behind the fitting. It's got "DWV" printed on it. That's "drain, waste, vent" PVC piping. That type of PVC is not rated for pressure applications. Is that pipe carrying pressurized water??

 

[Hoster]

Thanks again for your invaluable feedback.
1) DWV - the water goes from the pump to the heater (I "inherited" the pool last year when we bought the house) - should I worry about this?
2) not familiar with plumbing so was looking for a quick fix (e.g., not even sure how to remove the piping - a heat gun perhaps and I need to do some research as I am not trying to save a few buck here ;-) )
One funny thing is that (after my first full season), I feel comfortable / familiar with chemicals, SLAM, OCLT, filter, pump assembly, etc, the only area I have NOT touched is plumbing (actually electrical included but will not play with that one) and looks like I have a chance now. Does this even end??????

 

[n240sxguy]

At pool pump pressures, as long as it's not heated water, dwv probably won't fail. It's a foam core with pvc on each side vs being solid pvc. It just makes whoever used it look like a complete idiot. I'm picky enough I would replace it. With the other fitting, you need to cut the line so you can unscrew the fitting going into the pump. Go to Lowes and get replacement fittings, and a little piece of pipe, and built another piece just like it. Use Teflon tape or pipe dope to put it back together. It would be best to use a union instead of just a coupling to tie it all back together so you can break the line without actually having to break the line next time. If you've never worked with pvc before, get a couple extra cheap fittings so you can practice and see how it all works. You'll also need a hack saw or pvc cutter, primer, and pvc cement. You should be able to get everything you need for probably $30.


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[singingpond]

Agreeing with previous comments... looking at your photo, it looks like the previous owner glopped something on that leaking joint. This is inherently a bad approach in a pressurized system, as you can see by the fact that it is leaking again. I wouldn't be very hopeful about resealing the 'glop' from the outside with some other product. There is a problem lurking under there that needs to be repaired (by disassembly, replacement of damaged parts, reassembly).

 

[Hoster]

Thanks and I feel like I can do this! ;-) Should I use a heat gun to remove / loosen the pipe / fitting on top of volute?

 

[n240sxguy]

There's no need for a heat gun, and you could possibly damage/weaken the pump assembly. Just cut the pipe, and unscrew it.


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[atttech-2]

I don't know if the statement below is true or not it is what was told to me but it sounded like it could be correct, someone with experience please chime in.

My PB connected my booster pump with a Polaris branded high pressure flex hose both into and out of the pump. He said that the booster pump is the one place that flex is encouraged as the booster does not slowly turn up to speed when it powers up it is at full speed nearly instantly, because of that there is a jolt to the plumbing the flex is better suited to absorb that jolt. Rigid plumbing could develop cracks or leaks which it sounds like what happened in this case.

The other though I have is that the flex would me much easier for someone not used to dealing with PVC to install as it will not require precision down to 1/4 inch.

 

[Hoster]

You are absolutely right!! Just googled the manual and they have flexible fitting for inlet/outlet!! More research....... ;-)


http://www.polarispool.com/~/media/zodiac/global/downloads/p134-1.pdf

 

[n240sxguy]

I didn't even see what kind of pump it was. Yes, flex would be easier to work with. I believe Polaris has a full install kit with the fittings and everything. It will be more expensive, but easier. As to the coming on at full speed part, that's what all single and two speed pumps do. The variable speed pumps may have a soft start feature, but I don't know.


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[Hoster]

n240sxguy, the reason I mentioned a heat gun is to remove that "glue / silicon-like" adhesive around the pipe - if I can unscrew I will certainly do so and I dearly hope I can ;-) Just ordered the flexible hose kit as well and hopefully everything will work out. Should be my "last pool project" before we close the pool....still wondering whether I should close the pool myself or hire a PB like last year (when I had no clue about a pool).

 

[n240sxguy]

Ok. I would think you could probably use a knife and cut a section of that sealant, and probably peel it off. I couldn't make myself pay someone to close my pool. I use my shop vac to blow all the lines, but rv antifreeze in the lines, and cover it up. Might take 2 hours if I'm really going slow. Probably 30 minutes if I'm getting with it and don't get distracted.


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