PVC leak patching

[Joshua]

Well I finally got around to plumbing my closed loop on the big tank that's sat without water for a couple years. I guess I'm rusty or something because it seems like the durn thing is leaking at just about every joint I've got. It'll take me another 2 years to get around to tearing it out and re-doing it so the thought of putting a bunch of band-aids on it appeals to me... Yall think hitting the seams with weld-on 16 or globs of PVC cement will do any good or am I screwed? Tank is empty again by the way so it's not a live patch job.

[Ping]

I would try using aquarium silicone if these are low pressure area's.

[Third Coast Tropical]

i would recommend using PVC cement, either the blue stuff that can be used while its wet, or the regular stuff if everything is dry.......then is you want to be extra cautious....put a bead of silicone around joints after PVC cement is dry...good luck

[Third Coast Tropical]

also, if there is no water in system, check joints and see if you can pull them apart...if so, re-glue and push in further....

[LoneStar]

Yall think hitting the seams with weld-on 16 or globs of PVC cement will do any good or am I screwed?

I think that will work out for you. I would run a good bead around the radius of each joint where the pipe went into.

[Joshua]

Thanks, I'll glob up some more PVC cement around the outsides and give it a whirl.

I guess it's been way too long since I've done this, even one of my screw-in fittings coated well with teflon tape is leaking... I don't get it, everything was coated and glued well with a nice twisting motion just like I've always done. I do have a new PVC cutter, the big one up to 2" sizes (since I'm cutting 2" pipe) and it seems to leave all the cuts with a "rim" on them and it may be acting like a piston ring and scraping all the PVC cement from the walls of the fitting when I press them together.

[brewercm]

I always take a blade to the outside of the edge before putting together to make sure there isn't anything like that.
BTW, rather than using teflon tape I like to use Great White on all my threaded fittings and they have never leaked that way. Never has caused a problem with any of my aquariums, figured if it's safe for potable water should be fine for this.

[Joshua]

What's the Great White? I've never heard of that before... Never had a problem with Teflon tape either... I think I may have just had a bad day yesterday, but I did manage to plumb this thing with spare parts in *record* time. :p

[Bill S]

Well, I'm going to advise the other way. What the heck, the tank is empty. It's SO much easier to do this now, than later. And sooner or later, one of those patches IS going to leak. PVC is cheap, just redo it.

[brewercm]

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=23538-138-31230D

And I'd agree with Bill on the plumbing also. Nothing like waking up to a house with a bunch of water on the floor. Always seems to leak either in the middle of the night or while out of town.

[Joshua]

****** guys you're not supposed to use logic and reason. I left out the fact that the 2" intake and 3x 1" returns are all drilled into the bottom of the tank and coming up from underneath purposely so nobody would mention flooding the house. lol

[Bill S]

Hey, I'm just good at giving advice. Don't blame me. Now, if I could only TAKE the advice...

[caferacermike]

Ok so I'm a pipefitter. Been one for over 14 years. You are not going to like what I have to say.

Tear it all out now and do it right. Period. Don't screw around and take chances. If you can't do it yourself ask for help. You cannot properly patch a bad PVC joint. PVC CEMENT is not a GLUE. PVC cement works to melt down a thin layer of both the fitting and the pipe. When you push them together you mush all the bits together. It is actually a solvent. As the chemicals melt the PVC the solvents quickly evaporate creating an almost instantly usable bond. Translation: you are mixing and transferring the plastic from each piece creating a molecular bond. Again this is not glue. Glue fills in voids and creates the bond itself. Silicone on PVC is the absolute most horrible crap I've ever seen in the hobby. It just screams look at the guy who either failed to do any research at all or the guy that does a sloppy job and has little pride. Silicone does not properly adhere to PVC. It will fail. Not when either as it will be in a very short time. I've seen tanks piped in using only silicone, GOD it looks horrible. Salt creep and stalagmites everywhere.

But hey it's your tank right? Do it however you feel comfortable...

[SoLiD]

Bottom line, Mike is right. My good friend gave me a great tip when bonding PVC. Be sure to put enough PVC cement in the fitting. Then, when joining the fitting and the pipe, twist the pipe as you insert it. Keep twisting the two pieces until it becomes somewhat snug. I've Never Ever had a leak using this method. Give it a try, it works! :thumbs_up:

Also, don't cheap out. Use unions and valves.

:)

[captexas]

Didn't you see those commercials? Just use some chewed up gum to patch up the holes! LOL As you have time, fix it right like the others have said, it will be much better in the long run.

[Joshua]

Well the globs didn't work. I took my roto-zip and ground grooves into the seams that were leaking, shoveled all the shavings back into the grooves and packed them tightly and filled with PVC cement and it seems to be holding nicely. I'll fill'er up with water from the hose and let it run for a few weeks just to see how it holds. I still can't figure out for the life of my why I had so many leaks to begin with, never had any problems like this and I've done some fairly elaborate plumbing jobs through multiple systems.

[SoLiD]

You should look in to buying some new PVC Cement. That could be your issue...

[Joshua]

You should look in to buying some new PVC Cement. That could be your issue...

Hmmm, maybe so. This stuff was in my huge container full of spare PVC parts and is probably 3 years old. Still seems like the consistency is good though and still burns nose hairs when you open the lid...