[eddiecalder]

A couple of my coworkers are being lent out to another company doing some charity work I believe. The guys they are working for are making them GLUE ALL CAST-IRON CONNECTIONS with abs glue. They are to glue the pipe and inside the steel banded coupling to help prevent leaks during the standing water test. This seems crazy to me and my co-workers working for them. When they inquired they were told it was a “common trick” some old-timers use.
Anyone ever hear of this?
Would the abs glue damage the couplings?

 

[Bill]

I personally will prime plastic pipe when I need to install a rubber coupling, or a no hub band to assure a good tight seal, but never would I glue them. Especially to CI!

 

[eddiecalder]

I personally will prime plastic pipe when I need to install a rubber coupling, or a no hub band to assure a good tight seal,

I have never done that before. I usually just wipe it clean of debris with a rag before installing. Was this something you were taught or something you started doing yourself?

 

[Bill]

Personal experience. Had a rubber coupling blow off during a water test. Found that even with a torque wrench it dont always hold. It slips on the shiny surface of the pipe. By applying primer first it grips the rubber.

 

[user4]

It's not ABS cement, it is No Hub Adhesive Lube.

 

[Bill]

OK KTS! I remember that stuff!
Is that the same thing you use on those rubber gaskets that go into the hubs of CI so it slides in easier?

 

[user4]

OK KTS! I remember that stuff!
Is that the same thing you use on those rubber gaskets that go into the hubs of CI so it slides in easier?

No, that is completely different, push gasket lube is like grease and doesn't dry, no hub lube dries like glue.

 

[Bill]

Oh, ok, thanks!

 

[Airgap]

OK KTS! I remember that stuff!
Is that the same thing you use on those rubber gaskets that go into the hubs of CI so it slides in easier?

I think that's duck butter.

 

[eddiecalder]

It's not ABS cement, it is No Hub Adhesive Lube.

Its abs glue. I just called my friend.

Do you use the No Hub Adhesive?
How hard is it to remove the coulping after the adhesive dries?

 

[Airgap]

Its abs glue. I just called my friend.

Do you use the No Hub Adhesive?
How hard is it to remove the coulping after the adhesive dries?

I have never put anything on cast other than the no-hub itself, but it probably does make a better seal. It's hard to get them off without adhesive, may even have to cut the pipe after that.

 

[user4]

Its abs glue. I just called my friend.

Do you use the No Hub Adhesive?
How hard is it to remove the coulping after the adhesive dries?

I've never used it, no hub is not allowed in Chicago, it has to be hub and spigot with lead and oakum joints. And if they are using ABS glue on iron they are wasting their time as well as setting themselves up for leaks, the solvent in the ABS glue will eat the neoprene of the couplings.

 

[eddiecalder]

I've never used it, no hub is not allowed in Chicago, it has to be hub and spigot with lead and oakum joints. And if they are using ABS glue on iron they are wasting their time as well as setting themselves up for leaks, the solvent in the ABS glue will eat the neoprene of the couplings.

thats what i was thinking

 

[Bill]

I've never used it, no hub is not allowed in Chicago, it has to be hub and spigot with lead and oakum joints. And if they are using ABS glue on iron they are wasting their time as well as setting themselves up for leaks, the solvent in the ABS glue will eat the neoprene of the couplings.

Ditto, glue and neoprene do not get along very well.

 

[Herk]

Using ABS glue cannot be an old-timers trick. Old-timers didn't have ABS glue.

 

[smellslike$tome]

I don't use abs and consequently no abs glue but aside from the neoprene issue, how would abs glue bond to ci anyway? I don't think it would. It might still serve the desired purpose though if it fills any little irregularities in the surface of the ci, but heck you could use all kinds of things to do that with probably. Personally I have never had a problem with just the no hub directly on the ci. Of course I only use them in repair settings and never back water on them. I do run water through the pipe after the repair and do not have a problem with leaks.

 

[ToUtahNow]

I'm with KTS, the MEK in the ABS cement would eat the NH coupling's rubber.

Mark

 

[SPH]

Using ABS glue cannot be an old-timers trick. Old-timers didn't have ABS glue.

It is an "old timers" trick, I know guys who did/do this. They do it so the joints seal up a bit better for the water test. And it does actually work.

But the ABS glue over time will make the rubber coupling brittle and will fail.

good post eddiecalder!:thumbsup:

 

[BatonRougePlumb]

This is scaring me and I can't sleep.

This forum is better than a megadose of caffeine. After reading some of these threads I can't sleep. Putting ABS glue on a cast-iron and neoprene joint is some scary stuff. Who's concoction was this?

I would imagine several bad things can happen. First, a leak in a cast-iron fitting will heal itself usually in a few hours by the natural reaction of rusting. Two bad things could happen.


1) The glue will inhibits the rusting of the pipe and lengthen the time the pipe leaks.

2) The glue may soften the neoprene and make the joint loose. The glue may cause the pipe to slip out of the fitting and kill someone or come apart underneath a house or inside a wall after the job is finished.

I've heard of plumbers adding salt to the water when they fill iron pipes for a test. Bring bags and bags of water softener salt. In a few hours even a large leak will heal itself.

Another real cool way to stop a leak in any type of drain pipe is with powdered laundry detergent. We do this when we have a small leak in a kitchen drain, trap, or a brass pop-up. Mix powdered laundry detergent with water until it is as thick as a thin milk shake. Pour the mix down a drain and don't run any water for about 12 hours. Walllllah! The leak is repaired.

Of course, I'm sure everyone knows about using a flare to seal leaks in gas piping. We had a plumber who used Seal N Air to seal a gas pipe for a test. The Seal N Air liquified and settled in the lowest portion of the system. The new homeowner moves in the house and has no pressure so we had to use a high-volume of air to blow our the liquid. A regular air compressor hose would not do the job because the air would blow over the top of the liquid. We had to us an air compressor with a 1 inch outlet that was hard to find so we rented a huge jackhammer compressor

The Glue? Scary stuff!

Its almost 12 pm. I'm tired of flapping my lips. See you tomorrow night. Same time. Same place.