Plumbing with PVC

[Jen-gineer]

So I've been to about every local hardware store in my area this past weekend, scouring the shelves (and the websites) for weld-on so that I could build my return & finish up the drain for my 180. To my dismay, no one even had the slightest idea what I was talking about...and I had absolutely no luck finding this stuff I hear so much about. So my roommate & I just settled for silicone & some aquamend epoxy. I built my drain & return and if I even thought I saw a drop of water anywhere from the clamps, I immediately turned off everything and epoxied/siliconed the life out of that spot and any other spots around it.

 

I know it says that silicone should only be used on glass-to-glass contact surfaces, but I was totally in a bind...and I figure if it can hold a fish tank together, it can seal some pvc together to prevent leaks? Not very engineering savvy of me, I know, but shmeh.

 

So far, it's been up & running for 2 days and I haven't seen any leaks (despite my best scrutiny)...Anyone think this might just randomly give out one day? That the seals on the pvc will just split? Also, is it bad to have used silicone rather than weld-on? I was worried about using the PVC glues they provided at the hardware store bc of a fear of them leaching chemicals.

 

Thanks!!

[dbartco]

pvc glues/primer are fine as long as you let them breathe for a few hours before using.

 

weld-on is for acrylic, not pvc. that you can get online or at an acrylic of plastic shop, but youwon't find at the depot or lowes.

 

I would glue it properly instead of the silicone, if it were me

[Brian Ward]

pvc glues/primer are fine as long as you let them breathe for a few hours before using.

 

weld-on is for acrylic, not pvc. that you can get online or at an acrylic of plastic shop, but youwon't find at the depot or lowes.

 

I would glue it properly instead of the silicone, if it were me

 

 

 

I agree. I would expect the silicone to crack over time just as it does in kitchens and bathrooms - requiring periodic maintenance. PVC glue creates a permanent chemical bond and should be used to bond PVC.

[jnguyen4007]

I tried looking for weld on once at home depot and lowes and they gave me one of those "what's that?" look. LOL

[extreme_tooth_decay]

I tried looking for weld on once at home depot and lowes and they gave me one of those "what's that?" look. LOL

 

 

I got that look at Hechinger's once when I asked the guy where I could find the shovels.

[Almon]

PVC plumbing is very simple. Get PVC cleaner and PVC solvent. Let it dry for a minimum of two hours before using it.

 

Lowe's has a product called Welder that is the same thing as Weldon. Thick, goopy, glue for Acryllic and just about anything else. I purchased some and it works great.

[Rascal]

Lowe's has a product called Welder that is the same thing as Weldon. Thick, goopy, glue for Acryllic and just about anything else. I purchased some and it works great.

 

That's good info, thanks. As far as I know, "Weld-On" as a brand, has to be mail ordered. I think there used to be a plastics shop around here that had it but they went out of business. Do a google search for weld on and you will find it.

 

But . . . as dbartco said unless you are gluing acrylic or acrylic to pvc you don't need it. All you need is pvc primer and solvent. You can find it in the the same aisle as the pvc at most hardware stores. There are lots of different types - Dandy7200 breaks down the differences in a thread somewhere on here -- but for aquarium purposes I don't think it matters most of the time which one you use. There isn't a whole lot of pressure on the joints in most of our applications (esp drains). Try going back to the same store and asking "how do I glue two peices of PVC together?" Or better yet, look it up. Ex: http://www.askthebuilder.com/How_To_Glue_P...ipe_Video.shtml

 

Once you realize how easy it is, you will laugh at yourself for wasting so much silicone. Been there, done that. Your post brings back memories for me. You are about to enter a world with endless possibilities . . .

Edited May 29, 2008 by Rascal

[Grav]

For PVC use PVC glue.

For glass, aquarium safe silicone

For acrylic to acrylic, use weldon

 

BRK has weldon

Edited June 2, 2008 by Grav

[Integral9]

You can get weld-on or the same thing in a different brand name from HobbyTownUSA. It's behind the counter with the rest of their super glues. I used it on my BIY fuge I got off ebay.

 

FYI: They also have cyanoacryllate (gel super glue), works great for fragging.

[reefmontalvo]

PVC plumbing is very simple. Get PVC cleaner and PVC solvent. Let it dry for a minimum of two hours before using it.

 

Lowe's has a product called Welder that is the same thing as Weldon. Thick, goopy, glue for Acryllic and just about anything else. I purchased some and it works great.

 

 

I went straight to the door section of Home Depot you will find various types and thickness of acrylic and plexiglass, they had a tube of Weldon. Stuff works great I used it to fix my fug when it obtained a crack from shipping. You can also just use PVC solvent and glue it is a form of pvc pipe fusion that makes a water tight seal.