Help!! Leak at flex PVC/Wye joint

[Kimo]

Hey everyone -

Well, I've sprung my first leak. It is at the joining of a length of 1.5" flex PVC and the top of a WYE fitting. I think both connections are leaking where I am joining flex to the fitting, it's hard to tell with water streaming down all over the place!

This is a pretty big leak. I thought I used a LOT of glue and I held the ieces together, but that's neither here nor there.

How do I fix this? Do I get some PVC glue and try to spread it around the joint? I REALLY don't want to re-plumb this piece. Everything is cut to the perfect length.

Flex PVC doesn't really work like regular PVC - It seems to be hard to get a good joint.

Thanks!!!

Jamie

[jarhead]

Out of curiousity, did you use a regular PVC cement or flex PVC cement?
http://archive.reefcentral.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=95717
http://archive.reefcentral.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=81724
http://archive.reefcentral.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=81732
http://archive.reefcentral.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=52262

[Kimo]

I used Regular Oatey Cement and primer. I gooped it on, inserted the pipe, twisted, and held for 30 seconds.

Thanks for the links - any other advice?

Jamie

[geshields]

Jamie,

I have never tried Marine Goop or anything like that so I can't tell you how to fix it. I am a firm believer in the saying, "Do it right the first time". That way down the road, I can sleep at night and not have to worry if the "temporary" fix will work. I would suggest getting a new wye fitting and cut the flex pvc about 4" from the joint. Use couplers and re-glue it all together. Flex pvc has to be a flush fit with the wye fitting and also has to be perfectly straight into the wye. Make sure the flex pvc is not angled into the wye otherwise you will have another leak.

Like someone said before, PVC cement is a "bonding" cement, not a "filling" cement.

Greg

[jarhead]

Originally posted by geshields
Flex pvc has to be a flush fit with the wye fitting and also has to be perfectly straight into the wye. Make sure the flex pvc is not angled into the wye otherwise you will have another leak.
I would also cut it out and reglue it. Flex PVC pipe is hard to cut perectly flush; I have use a miter saw to cut all my PVC pipes. Even though they say that you can use a regular PVC cement, I would still use one for flex PVC. I think it allows for more flexibility.

[mikefish]

I've never worked with flex pvc, but I am certain (from experience with non-flex) that spreading more glue around the edge of the joint will not work. Redoing it as mentioned before is the best solution, making sure you have the right glue. If you want to try fixing it, I would recommend either marine goop, or the plumbers stick epoxy.
Mike

[Kimo]

I fixed the leak.

Turns out that the pipe was not glued more than a centemeter around the edge, so I twisted it off and reglued it.

This time, I used heavy-duty cement and put a coat on the pipe, then the socket, then the pipe again and I jammed it in the fitting. I held it for 2 mins and the joint looked good.

This morning I tested it and everything worked just great!

I'm very glad I didn't have to rip it all apart - And it doesn't look like I have any other leaks either.

Here is a photo of my under the stand plumbing. The WYE on the input of the ampmaster was leaking. The verticle pipe was the one that wasn't glued properly. The rubbermaid sump is temporary.

Now for the sand...

http://bessie.bovineamerica.com\cohesion\misc\reef\180standmid.jpg

[Kimo]

I fixed the leak.

Turns out that the pipe was not glued more than a centemeter around the edge, so I twisted it off and reglued it.

This time, I used heavy-duty cement and put a coat on the pipe, then the socket, then the pipe again and I jammed it in the fitting. I held it for 2 mins and the joint looked good.

This morning I tested it and everything worked just great!

I'm very glad I didn't have to rip it all apart - And it doesn't look like I have any other leaks either.

Here is a photo of my under the stand plumbing. The WYE on the input of the ampmaster was leaking. The verticle pipe was the one that wasn't glued properly.

Now for the sand...

http://bessie.bovineamerica.com\cohesion\misc\reef\180standmid.jpg