ABS Pipes

[mello mike]

Holy smokes!!! The ABS cement sets up in like 3 seconds. Hardly any time for tweaking or any other adjustments. Is this normal or is this related to the heat here? I did my vent/pipe reinstal last weekend and have to redo a small section tonight because of the quick setup. Any tips for an ABS rookie?

[Jim Foster]

I "pre fit" and mark orientation with a marker pen. That gives me a chance to beat the three second thing.

[markdoane]

If the parts are small you can gain a few seconds by putting the parts in the refrigerator.

Otherwise, keep the glue cold.

[centennialman]

I build water features as a hobby and use ABS pipes and cement all the time.

Pre cut and pre fit all pieces you are going to use. Lay everything out and put them together just like they will be when they are done. Then, mark each piece with a line so that it connects with the next piece.

Start at one end and use the purple primer/cleaner on one piece at a time and then the glue. When you apply the glue and push the piece into the other one, twist them slightly and then align them with the marks you drew on them. The twisting assures the glue is spread and aligning the marks guarantees a perfect fit. Hold each piece together for about 30 seconds directly after twisting. This assures that the pieces don't "push" back out.

The primer and glue cause an immediate chemical reaction to fuse the ABS pieces together.

Good luck!!

[mello mike]

Originally Posted by centennialman

I build water features as a hobby and use ABS pipes and cement all the time.

Pre cut and pre fit all pieces you are going to use. Lay everything out and put them together just like they will be when they are done. Then, mark each piece with a line so that it connects with the next piece.

Start at one end and use the purple primer/cleaner on one piece at a time and then the glue. When you apply the glue and push the piece into the other one, twist them slightly and then align them with the marks you drew on them. The twisting assures the glue is spread and aligning the marks guarantees a perfect fit. Hold each piece together for about 30 seconds directly after twisting. This assures that the pieces don't "push" back out.

The primer and glue cause an immediate chemical reaction to fuse the ABS pieces together.

Good luck!!

Interesting. I haven't been using the primer/cleaner. Does this give one additional time before the glue takes hold?

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by mello mike

Interesting. I haven't been using the primer/cleaner. Does this give one additional time before the glue takes hold?

NO!

ABS is apparently a "softer" plastic than PVC and bonds almost instantly...

Aaron

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by Jim Foster

I "pre fit" and mark orientation with a marker pen. That gives me a chance to beat the three second thing.

Best advice^^^

Lay it out once, glue once. Only good thing is that it is easy to cut out with a sawzall. and couplers are cheap.

Aaron

[Chuck]

why is it that they use the abs pipes in travel trailers, anyway? I mean, vs. pvc? lighter weight? cheaper? does it withstand movement/vibration better than pvc? just curious...

[mello mike]

Thanks everyone for the tips. My reinstallation went flawless tonight.

[wkerfoot]

Originally Posted by Chuck

why is it that they use the abs pipes in travel trailers, anyway? I mean, vs. pvc? lighter weight? cheaper? does it withstand movement/vibration better than pvc? just curious...

Chuck,

ABS is usually used for drain lines and sewer stacks. It comes in larger sizes than PVC. PVC is usually reserved for fresh water lines.

Bill

[centennialman]

Originally Posted by mello mike

Interesting. I haven't been using the primer/cleaner. Does this give one additional time before the glue takes hold?

The purple primer starts the "melting/chemical process" as well as helps clean up the plastic before the glue is applied.

[Minno]

I think ABS vs PVC in a home is a regional or personal preference. In RVs, since most waste tanks are ABS, using ABS drain lines allows you to weld the pipes to the tanks using the same cleaner/glue. You can't really connect PVC and ABS directly together with a glue and expect it to maintain the connection and/or seal, or connect either ABS or PVC to a poly tank using glue. You'd need a mechnical connection (like a threaded fitting on the tank to transition to PVC or ABS).

Mike, yes you should be using the cleaner before you use the glue. Make sure both the cleaner and glue are meant for using on ABS. Don't use a cleaner or glue that is specifically designed only for PVC - it's won't provide the welding action you're looking for.

Chris

[utee94]

Since ABS is not coded for residential service in my area, I don't have easy access to it. The RV shops have a limited supply, but the closest RV shop to me is 15 miles, while the closest home supply store is 1 or 2.

Consequently, I have mixed and matched a lot of PVC to the original ABS in the trailer while redoing my drain and vent plumbing.

There is a universal glue that can be used to connect PVC and ABS directly to one another, and it seems to allow a little more setup time than the ABS-specific glue. Of course, you need to be extra careful in holding the connection for 30 seconds, because it is even more likely to have push-out than the ABS-specific glue.

Still, the best ideas have been mentioned above, test-fit and mark everything you can before-hand.

-Marcus

[Minno]

Originally Posted by utee94

There is a universal glue that can be used to connect PVC and ABS directly to one another, and it seems to allow a little more setup time than the ABS-specific glue.

Interesting. I've used the universal glue on both ABS and PVC, and it does work well. I've never used it to glue ABS to PVC because local codes don't allow them to be glued together, so I've never even tried it.

[Chuck]

Originally Posted by wkerfoot

Chuck,

ABS is usually used for drain lines and sewer stacks. It comes in larger sizes than PVC. PVC is usually reserved for fresh water lines.

Bill

yeah, not around here. kind of the opposite, actually. All the drains in my house are pvc, and none of the supply lines are. I don't even think that pex is code, here...yet. I know that cpvc is approved for water supply in NH. They stock it at HD in NH, but not in MA.

[DFK]

In my neck of the woods (WA) both ABS and PVC are approved for drain, waste and vent (DWV) installations in homes. ABS is generally less expensive. My brother, who is a plumbing contractor recommended that I use PVC in the garage I am building. It is his opinion that PVC DWV piping is a more robust material than ABS. I am a bit puzzled by the use of purple primer on ABS. The code requires its use for PVC but I have never used or seen it used with ABS. You might want to check further about the need to prime ABS.

[mello mike]

Originally Posted by DFK

In my neck of the woods (WA) both ABS and PVC are approved for drain, waste and vent (DWV) installations in homes. ABS is generally less expensive. My brother, who is a plumbing contractor recommended that I use PVC in the garage I am building. It is his opinion that PVC DWV piping is a more robust material than ABS. I am a bit puzzled by the use of purple primer on ABS. The code requires its use for PVC but I have never used or seen it used with ABS. You might want to check further about the need to prime ABS.

I can say that I didn't use Primer/Cleaner yesterday in the 100 degree temp yesterday and the ABS cement by itself worked just fine. Seized up in 3 seconds.

[utee94]

There's also a universal cleaner, rather than the purple primer, that is made for use on either ABS or PVC. This is what I've been using for my trailer restoration work, and it does a good job cleaning the pipes, though I don't think it performs any priming function.

[Gkiesel]

Originally Posted by Chuck

why is it that they use the abs pipes in travel trailers, anyway? I mean, vs. pvc? lighter weight? cheaper? does it withstand movement/vibration better than pvc? just curious...

It has been explained to me that ABS does not get as brittle in cold weather and therefore is better able to handle the vibration and jarring that goes along with travelling. I had to order all my ABS fittings when i redid the drain lines. It was not readily available around here. george.