Need Help with Plumbing Please!

[SPC]

I will agree with Dave, I have never had any long term success with a repair in this kind of application, now duct tape around a sink drain is another story.

Steve

 

[faztaz]

Dave everything is 1.5". The only difference is that the 3 way wyes, (a wye with 2 outlets) only allow the PVC to slide in about .5 - 1" instead of 1"+ like the other fittings!!
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Mercedes Simplex

 

[faztaz]

I need some plumbing help. This problem has never happened to me so I don’t really know what to do. I finished plumbing my 120g to a 60g DIY sump using Flex PVC and Hard PVC. For all my connections I used purple primer waited a minute and then applied the PVC cement and joined the two pieces together while twisting for 10 seconds or so and then letting set for a couple of hours. All my connections are fine except for those coming out and into a 3 way 1.5â€

 

[davelin315]

It's almost impossible to fix a leak in a glued pvc joint. The cement will not penetrate the gaps and seal it off, so the best suggestion is to cut that section out and replace it. I don't really understand what you mean by the 1.5" pipe was a different size than other 1.5" connections, but if they really are different sizes, then you probably got a bad batch of pipes. When you say wyes I am assuming you mean the "Y" shaped slip fittings. On my ampmaster I use a 3 outlet "Y" slip fitting, and 2 outlets are plumbed down after a ball valve, one to 1", the other to 3/4" and also a 1/2". I have outlets sized at 1.5" for the main return, 1" to the refugium, 3/4" for extra flow, and 1/2" is closed off for draining water if I need to or is also available for extra attachments (it's screwed in so I can replace it as well).

 

[davelin315]

The depth of the female end should not make a difference. Whenever I cement pvc (I don't use any primers ever) I glob the cement inside the female end, and on the male end I circle the pipe and also the leading cut edge with cement and then push them together, and twist it in one direction about 1/2 to a full turn. That creates an excellent seal and also an good bond. Cement should set very quickly and something that I meant to address in your original post was that you twist it for 10 seconds. If you do that, enough of the bond has already cured and been broken as to reduce the efficiency of the seal. I would replumb and not twist as long, and also, only twist in one direction while pushing them together. You know you have a good seal if you can see some of the melted pvc on the inside of the pipe that has been displaced by pushing the pipe all the way to the end and a little bit past.

 

[Anonymous]

I know exactly what you mean about the "female" connection on the "Y's" being shorter than the "female" connections on other PVC fittings.

I suspect you may have to replace them.

Before you do, you can try one more thing. It has worked for me a couple of times.

There is a product that can be found at Home Depot and other hardware stores. I don't remember the exact name, but it is a thick rubberized tape-like product designed to stop leaks in plumbing. It is not actually sticky, but it will stick to itself. You can wrap this tape right over your silicone attempts and it may hold. Use multiple layers and cover a wide area around the leak.

It has worked for me in a presurized situation. I also siliconed first, as this helped a bit.