Anytime you walk into a plumbing supply house to buy something, the more specific you can be will make it easier for the employee working there to get what you need. If you’re not sure what you need, the worker can help you figure it out by asking you probing questions that will help them understand the situation and what you need to fix it. I speak from experience because I have worked in a supply house before and there are many different parts and pieces that can be used in different applications.
One of the products that I had to ask customers probing questions about was glue. There are many different types of glue and some were designed for specific purposes. Some glues could be used for similar jobs, but if not used in the correct way they could lead to loose connections or no connection at all. For example, there is drain pipe in the home that carries the waste water out of the home. The pipe used for this purpose can be either a type of PVC (white in color) or ABS (black in color) pipe. If you were to use ABS pipe and you only had PVC glue (sometimes called PVC Cement), for example, the pipe would not be sealed correctly and you would have a major problem with leaks. For ABS pipe, you need ABS glue (like the pipe, it is black in color).
There are also many different types of PVC pipe on the market, some of them require their own type of special glue. The glue you use for the pipe will also be determined by the application for which the pipe is being used. In some homes, water is supplied using what is called CPVC (the C at the beginning indicates that it is Copper tube size). Since this pipe is made from different material than other PVC pipes, it requires its own special type of glue (the common color for this type of glue is orange). PVC is also used for sprinkler system lines as well as outside sewer lines. You would think that you could use the same glues for these types of applications-and you would be right, however there is one difference that should be noted when dealing with these applications.
Sewer system parts don’t usually have a lot of pressure being put on them, so they can be glued together using almost any type of PVC glue. Sprinkler systems, on the other hand, require a lot more pressure. Any type of PVC glue can be used on sprinkler systems (except for CPVC glue) but in addition to using glue, it is highly recommended that a primer be applied to the pipe before applying the glue. The primer will clean the pipe and also make it softer so that with the application of glue, the pipe will be protected from leaks for years to come.
Some glue is also designed based on the size of the pipe, the temperature at which the pipes will be worked with, and whether the pipe is dry or wet. There is also multi-purpose glue on the market, but as can be expected, it is more expensive. Whatever job you are working on, make sure you “know the info” to get the right products.
