PVC cement

[boston62]

Getting ready to change some of the plumbing... a couple of questions.

1. I'm thinking of adding a union to facilitate future repairs. Are the unions for schedule 40 pvc pipe standardized? I know the unions on my heater and SWG are specialized items, so if I need to replace one of those pipes I have to buy the matching union parts. But what about just a regular pipe union? Can I buy one now from, say, Home Depot and later be able to buy a mating union even if Home Depot changes suppliers?


2. I see on youtube videos people repairing pool plumbing are using either Oatey Pool-Tite or Weld-On Pool Heavy solvent glues for pvc... neither of which seem to be available at Home Depot or Lowes. Is there something special about these "pool" glues, or would something for normal plumbing work just as well?

I hope your wrong about the PVC cement I just did my pool plumbing over, added the SWG, 2" backwash all with sch 40 pvc, with the cpvc & pvc cement from HD...that was 3 months ago...Haven't seen any leaks.

 

[Charlie_R]

Re: Question about pvc

The "special pool PVC cement" goes by several different names, depending on the manufacturer and market area. Oatey brand calls it "Rain-R-Shine" in our market area. The key is that it is a medium body PVC cement, thicker than normal cement. You can use this, or the heavy body (even thicker!) and it will work just fine.

As I understand it, the thinner cements will degrade over time -- several years -- and can lead to joints that eventually may come apart.

Only a couple of the connections I've made with my plumbing with normal duty cement have shown any tendency to degrade, and that could easily be attributed to my not cleaning/priming the joint well enough (I was in a hurry, the wood heater was going, and tends to melt pipes without flow!) so didn't have a proper chemical weld.

Our local water company uses PVC pipe when replacing parts of the local infrastructure, and they use the medium and heavy cements.

 

[Phil1]

Home Depot here carries the Oatey "Rain-R-Shine", which is a medium cement, thanks.