# Strength Of PVC pipe cement



## steve3847 (Jan 18, 2012)

Here is wire mesh hoses I used. Along with one of my cats. Disconnecting washer for now. Thought cat was too young to jump on washer but he jumped up there today. Male cat gets bigger and stronger everyday.


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

PVC 'cement' is actually a solvent that welds the two pieces together---if properly applied--you will break the pipe before you break the weld--those parts are melted together--


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## Bob999 (Mar 4, 2010)

It appears you have CPVC piping and fittings--not PVC. PVC is not approved under most codes for indoor supply plumbing and PVC is not suitable for hot water while CPVC is approved under most codes and is suitable for hot water.

CPVC is solvent welded and, as Mike posted, solvent welds that are properly done are as strong as the material itself.

However plastic pipe and fittings are not strong in tension and a male brass or copper fitting should never be used with a female plastic fitting--and that is what you have. This is also not approved under any code I am familiar with.

You should change that out promptly to use a plastic female fitting with a male brass fitting to avoid problems down the road.


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## ben's plumbing (Oct 6, 2011)

when playing with plastic water pipes ..always ..always use 2-wrenches one for a backup so you don't twist the other and break it:yes::yes::yes::yes:


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## jeffnc (Apr 1, 2011)

That is most likely not PVC, it's CPVC. Typically CPVC would be used for hot water source, while PVC is used for drain water.

The glue itself is not very strong. But, it's not the glue that really holds the pipe joints. The "glue" is really a solvent for the plastic pipe. It chemically "melts" the plastic and the plastic hardens back again. You've effectively welded the pipe together, so if it's glued correctly, it simply is not coming apart, period. At each joint you've got double the amount of plastic of everywhere else in the pipe system, so the joints are strong. Of course, that's usually where all the stress is too, and they might not have been joined correctly (common), so you could still have a problem.


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## a_lost_shadow (Dec 18, 2011)

Bob999 said:


> a male brass or copper fitting should never be used with a female plastic fitting...
> 
> You should change that out promptly to use a plastic female fitting with a male brass fitting to avoid problems down the road.


I think you have you genders reversed in that last one. :yes:


To the OP, is there anything to grab onto in the area other than those handles? If someone puts their weight onto them (kid climbing, someone slipping and trying to steady themselves, etc.), those elbows probably won't last. I'd suggest thinking about replacing with metal until you can secure the protrusion to the wood.


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## Bob999 (Mar 4, 2010)

a_lost_shadow said:


> I think you have you genders reversed in that last one. :yes:
> 
> 
> To the OP, is there anything to grab onto in the area other than those handles? If someone puts their weight onto them (kid climbing, someone slipping and trying to steady themselves, etc.), those elbows probably won't last. I'd suggest thinking about replacing with metal until you can secure the protrusion to the wood.


Thanks for the correction--Plastic should be male and brass should be female.


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## Alan (Apr 12, 2006)

Bob999 said:


> However plastic pipe and fittings are not strong in tension and a male brass or copper fitting should never be used with a female plastic fitting--and that is what you have. This is also not approved under any code I am familiar with.


:no:

He's got a combination cpvc/brass fitting. They are epoxied/cast together with an o-ring between the two materials. I would however, be concerned with those washing machine supplies. They don't really look like the right ones to me. That one looks kinked, and they don't normally kink like that. At least not easily.


Those fittings are just fine the way they are. Use two wrenches if you're going to try to take those apart.


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## Alan (Apr 12, 2006)

This is what I See in the image.

http://www.plumbingsupply.com/images/cpvc-metal-male-adapter.jpg


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## jeffnc (Apr 1, 2011)

CPVC pipe is far more likely to crack somewhere near the joint, than the joint itself to fail. Once you "glue" it, it's basically like double-thick CPVC at that area. It's the area right nearby that might crack. Turn the water on and look very carefully for any drips. Some might take an hour to develop and it might be down lower. Check carefully with your hand, or with a blue shop towel that will turn dark blue if it touches water.


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## bbo (Feb 28, 2010)

you still a little off thinking your cats are going to somehow damage the washer hoses.


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