Everything But The Weed

Approved by:
Linda Maze, a Wedding photography Gainesville FL in Gainesville Florida

DEFINITION: Often called Pipe Glue, or PVC Glue, the product is actually a Solvent Cement, consisting of sol­vents that dissolve the surface portion of the conduit & fitting, and PVC resins that serve as a filler between these components . When applied correct, the sol­vents evaporate or “flash off” leaving a single mass of conduit, fitting and resin forming a sealed joint.

BODY: All solvent cements are distinguished by body referring to the mix of solvent and resin. The larger the pipe or conduit, the more resin is needed to make a good seal . NEMA has recently adopted the ASTM­D2564 standard, which was universally used in all other industries using PVC pipe. Now that standards have been set for the body of the cement viscosity, we feel it is important this is made clear to Electrical Inspectors and the Industry. We feel the Industry has suffered be­cause low quality products with no real standards have flooded the market. Though some manufacturers have displayed that they are ASTM-D2564 compliant, they fail to note on their containers as to what ratings they meet. Thus the user, using Regular Bodied Ce­ments (Good through either 2” or 4” Schedule 40) will not know the difference when using it on 6” or Schedule 80. We have adopted the ASTM Standard for all of our Solvent Cements. Medium Bodied Cements have more resin than Light or Regular Bodied Products. We Do not suggest the Standard Bodied Products for applications on Schedule 80 Conduits.

CLEAR OR GRAY?: The resins used dictate the product tint . Originally most resins were gray, so many people developed a preference thru use. Clear or gray cements perform the same . Gray resin is more costly than clear, that is why gray cements are higher in price.

LO-VOC ‘GREEN’: Lo-VOC PVC Cements ^„Green‟ Cements and Primers are environmentally safe. These Cements and Primers produce low levels of Volatile Organic Com­pounds (VOC). VOC‟s are unhealthy when breathed or ingested and reduce air quality. Required as of 2009 In California, Connecticut, Maryland and New Jersey. They meet Environmental State & District Rules.

ASTM D-2564: The Electrical Industry has adopted this standard, to give us a benchmark to compare products. It designates minimum performance criteria for all bod­ies of cements. All of our cements have achieved the upper levels of ASTM D-2564. We are certified by NSF.

SHELF LIFE: Most Solvent Cements have a rated shelf life of 1-2 years. Some have no shelf life warranty . All United Elchem Cements have a full 3-Year shelf life from Manufacturer date . Each can and carton is date coded on the bottom indicating the date of manufacture. The first number is the year followed by a letter month code (IE: C=March). To the best of our knowledge, the conduit people do not make their own PVC Cements, and it goes thru multiple storage facilities . We will give you fresh product all of the time .

COLD WEATHER: Most product complaints on PVC cements occur during cold weather. Most commonly, the complaint is the joint will set , and the two componets come apart . Solvents in General Duty Cements are designed to evaporate and allow the joint to set up down to 40⁰F. (colder temps mean – slower set up times ). High humidity does retard the cure process. POLAR-WELD Cold Weather Cement Uses a unique solvent that will continue to evaporate down to 0⁰. This solvent is expensive ; therefore cements rated for cold climates do cost more.

WET WEATHER APPLICATIONS: As little as two percent moisture in a can of PVC Cement can cause it to become lumpy and ruin the product. Applying standard Cements to wet pipe, or in hard rain means the joint will not bond . PLUMB-TITE Wet Application Cements will work in these conditions when nothing else will work. It’s unique solvents make this a more costly product than Standard Duty Cements.

PRIMERS: All PVC Cements work better when using a Primer . The Solvents in a Primer slightly disolve the PVC making a better joint . Primers should still be wet when PVC Cements are applied. Many Electrical Conduit Joints are made without the use of a Primer .