PVC Solvent cure time?

scottwhitson

New member
I am changing the drain plumbing going to my sump. I will be glueing two ninety's and a ball valve into a system that is running. How long do I need to let the solvent cure before turning on my pumps again? Thanks for the help.
 
I recently made some changes in my plumbing due to a leaky union valve. I let the pvc cement cure for an hour before turning the water back on and everything was fine.
 
+2 with LOJ.... I actually accidentally dripped solvent into my tank while working on a section of PVC... it just immediately turned to a small piece of skin on the surface of the water and I just pulled it out with no harmful effects.
 
Typically I give it a 30-60 minutes for a pressure type of environment (i.e. return off a pump) or 15-30 for low pressure (i.e. drains). As long as you're using NSF solvents, once it's cured it's perfectly fine (if it's good enough for us to drink, good enough for the tank).

I also try to give mine a "rinse" right before making it live, but obviously this isn't always possible. For example, if it's a drain going to the sump, put the output into a bucket for the first gallon or so.
 
All that pvc glue is is a resin that is dissolved in a solvent, most of the ones used for drinking water using things like methyl vinyl ketone, acetone, tetrahydrofuran and things of this nature. All that happens is the solvent evaporates leaving behind the hardened resin. Once the solvent has evaporated it is fine.
 
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