Drip Drip Drip HELP!!!! i am leaking

[heedicus]

hello all,
here is the set up. I was going to make a refugium, didnt have any room under main tank, convinced my fiance that it would be nice to put the refu next to the main tank on its own stand. drilled the tank plumbed it back to the sump for the main tank. i went to fire er up last night and I have got water everywhere. somewhere I guess a seal didnt quite go. so now i have to do it again. any sugguestions or building to not have this baby leak on me? its all 1 in pvc and i only used the glue not the primer. i guess i shall have to test it outside this time.
if you would like to check it out go here: http://www.skijor.bravepages.com/theaquarium.html
thanks
tren

 

[tazdevil]

You didnt prime the pvc before gluing it??? That is more than likely the problem. Glue doesn't get a good bond without primer to pvc piping, IMPE. (Kids, don't try this at home- I though I could save a few bucks on a bathrrom remodel by not using it, ended up spending more-replaced all pvc that I had not primed, as well as some flooring that was soaked-didn't want to take the risk of mold/mildew probs.) Also, on bulkheads, make sure your have a seal disc of some sort-rubber gasket-if you don't want to hard-glue them in place. HTH, FWIW

 

[heedicus]

i was under the impression that the pvc primer was toxic in the aquarium? is that not soo????? i could of sworn reading about that. hmmmmmm well i guess that could of been that, i gave er a good glueing when i did it.
so is that pvc primer non-toxic?
thanks
tren

 

[tazdevil]

To tell you the truth, I'm not sure. However, what I did to prevent any problems was to allow the glue/primer to dry for 2 days, and then thoroughly rinse in fresh, then saltwater to ensure (as much as I could) it wouldnt' leach into the system.

 

[heedicus]

hmmm,
i dont know, anyone else can confirm the whole pvc primer thing? i have heard it both ways. i just fear killing all the critters=( i have got a bunch of sps and softies and all the like and it sure would suck to loose em.
anyone?
thanks
tren

 

[StirCrazy]

you need to use the primer, everyone I know has used the basic "purple" primer but I have heard that there is a clear one. prime the part then glue it right away, after that just eveything site for 24 hours to set up befor using it.. I have used it as soon as 4 hours later with now ill effects.

Steve

 

[fishguru]

I have PVC Primer and Glue on all my Parts, and it has been running for many years without any apparent Problems. Just make sure it is DRY before you run water through it. I let mine cure for 4 days before i even leak tested it. Guru

 

[AI]

I am fairly good friends with a plumber and he instructed me that primer is only necessary for applications that are under pressure. I have plumbed many aquarium (fresh and salt) and have not seen a leak yet. Just make sure there are no burr's and that you wipe the freshly cut pvc till' its dry so you can be sure there are not "crumbs" left on the pipe to cause a leak.


Good Luck! 8O

 

[aquarist=broke]

sorry for the late chime in, but if you haven't done anything yet.

I read that you should sand the pipe and fittings to give the glue something to bond to. I didn't sand and used glue.....leaks. Sanded and used glue.....no leaks. Now I have pvc primer(purple) then glue no sanding.....no leaks. I let the thing cure for two days, but make sure air is passing through the pipes when it is drying. I let some sit when they were done, but it took forever to dry. I could still smell the glue/primer after two days. Just my experience.