# Workability time for ABS cement when things go awry?



## bob_cntrctr (Jan 30, 2008)

Gentlemen,

I've connected miles (ok, maybe furlongs) of abs over the years, but this one connection stretches the limits of my experience.

Had a tough repair to splice into a horizontal drain line that had very little play in it for fitting the hubs. Knowing that I'd be fiddling with it a bit, I put on a whack load of glue. Got fitting one on the one side and fitting two on the other, and the pipes were perfectly cut to length so that the tail of the street fitting was going to be perfectly seated in the hub of the other - except there was not enough play or flex in the pipes to pull either back enough to slip it in. Crap.

Finally about 60 seconds later, I figured out how to flex both sides at the same time with a 2x4 propped on one shoulder. So I added some more cement hoping it would re-soften the existing, pushed like mad and in they went, about 8o% insertion. Then I worked it back and forth a bit hoping to really seat the glue, and added a bit more on the seam. Two minutes has gone by since the initial glue application, I'm sure.

It looks like hell. I'm not proud. I'll take the abuse. But sometimes things just go awry.

I've never connected fittings after this much time after the initial glue application. The piece did slip in - you could feel it smushing into the glue - I figure if the glue had set up it would simply have not let the fitting into the hub.

So - question for the more experienced - is there any hope this joint will set properly?


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

I'm shocked you were able to pull it apart, there are two different types of ABS glue, one you get a few seconds to play with it, the other you get about .3 seconds. Couldn't tell ya if your joint is any good, pressure test it and see.


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## bob_cntrctr (Jan 30, 2008)

Didn't pull it apart - it never went together in the first place. This was a case of adding a hub-hub 45 on one pipe, and a hub-street on the facing pipe, then trying to get the two fittings together. The fittings went on the ends of the pipe just fine, of course . The trouble started when trying to get the two fittings together. When they wouldn't go together, that's when I re-applied cement, applied more brute force, and finally managed to get them inserted. Gonna be tough to isolate this line from all the others to pressure test...

Anyway - all I was looking for was if it's possible it's going to be ok, or if everyone knows that past 3 seconds it's fubar and I might as well hack it out right now.


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## Seven-Delta-FortyOne (Mar 5, 2011)

I don't think it will hold. New glue does not soften set-up glue. You should cut it out and do it right. Try a repair coupling.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

A.T.C. said:


> I don't think it will hold. New glue does not soften set-up glue. You should cut it out and do it right. Try a repair coupling.


It kinda does, I think the glue is just acetone with abs plastic to thicken it.


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## Seven-Delta-FortyOne (Mar 5, 2011)

Perhaps. It never worked for me. Yes, I do wierd sh!t like that for experimental purposes in my spare time. But a repair coupling removes the nessecity of bending pipes into place.


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## catspaw (Oct 29, 2008)

give it a running test.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

> Perhaps. It never worked for me. Yes, I do wierd sh!t like that for experimental purposes in my spare time. But a repair coupling removes the nessecity of bending pipes into place.


And on the 7th day god invented the Fernco Connector.:laughing:


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## bob_cntrctr (Jan 30, 2008)

Inner10 said:


> And on the 7th day god invented the Fernco Connector.:laughing:


On a vertical run, sure. But I'd rather have a glued fitting on a horizontal run if at all possible. Running water test tomorrow.....


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## kcremodeling (Nov 8, 2009)

Good luck with that...:whistling


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

> On a vertical run, sure. But I'd rather have a glued fitting on a horizontal run if at all possible. Running water test tomorrow.....


Every commercial, industrial and condo building I can think of they are used to join miles of iron pipe together. Every custom home I've seen where the plumber needed a slight bend in a pipe that wasn't possible with a 22.5 degree coupler I've seen ferncos used. As much as I'd prefer to look at a glued joint if it was a question of should I try to fight a glue coupler in there and risk monkeying it up or just use a fernco... its an easy answer....but then again I'm not a plumber so I should just stfu.:laughing:


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## jb4211 (Jul 13, 2010)

Bob, I think a few pictures of the area and what you're trying to accomplish would be helpful. Someone may be able to point-out a better, possibly even and easier way to do what you're trying to do. 

I'm a firm believer that often a fresh set of eyes is the best cure. Here you'll get an infinite about of fresh eyes.


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## tyler durden (Jan 12, 2008)

Fresh glue on a closed joint will not help.

To separate freshly glued abs you need to bend the joint. Like you are trying you break a stick, it's weird but it works, it will pop out. Just trying to pull them apart won't.

Break a fresh joint, reglue and refit.


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## Big Shoe (Jun 16, 2008)

Not trying to hijack this thread, but. Last week I saw a ''telscopeing'' repair fitting. Is this one of those plumber top secret things?

Wonder what that cost? Was pretty neat though.

Maybe one of you high tech guys can post a pic of one.


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## bob_cntrctr (Jan 30, 2008)

tyler durden said:


> Fresh glue on a closed joint will not help.
> 
> To separate freshly glued abs you need to bend the joint. Like you are trying you break a stick, it's weird but it works, it will pop out. Just trying to pull them apart won't.
> 
> Break a fresh joint, reglue and refit.


No, no - the joint never got made in the first place. I couldn't get enough play in the pipes to slip the fittings together. So they sat there in the open air for a minute or so while I figured out how to get more flex out of one of the pipes - at which point I added more glue, flexed like mad, and it all finally slipped together.


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## bob_cntrctr (Jan 30, 2008)

Anyway - I poured buckets and buckets of water down the drain, and not a hint of a drip at any joint. I yanked and bent and the joints are solid. And since this is just the emergency drain under a second-floor water heater and unlikely to ever see the volumes of water I just poured down or the physical abuse I just gave it, I'm feeling pretty confident to get out the drywall patching tools.

Appreciate everyone's input.


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

I've seen completely unglued connections hold water under pressure... for a while. As Inner mentioned above, an air pressure test is about as close as you can get to 100% confidence, even though it's a PITA.

But for a drain line well fastened mechanically and water-tested, you're most likely just fine. :thumbsup:


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