How Long to Let Blue Pvc Cement Cure

PVC / CPVC Cement Hold, Set & Cure Times
Glue s et & cure times needed to avoid poor or leaky plastic pipe joints & connections

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This article gives tables of hold, set & cure times that should be respected when cementing PVC or CPVC piping systems. Here are definitions of plastic pipe gluing "hold time" (how long to hold the joint when gluing), set time (how long before you can move the piping around) and cure time (how long before the piping can be exposed to pressure.

The article explains that movement or exposure to pressure in the piping system before the glued pipe joints & fittings have adequatgly set or cured risks damaged connections, leaks, pipe failures.

This article series describes the properties of polubutylene PVC & CPVC plastic piping and tubing used in buildings. We include information about failures and problems with some generations of CPVC or PVC plastic pipes and we describe good building practice installation details where plastic piping is being installed.

We also provide an ARTICLE INDEX for this topic, or you can try the page top or bottom SEARCH BOX as a quick way to find information you need.

PVC & CPVC Pipe Gluing Specifications, Joint Set & Cure Times

Reader Question: how long for a pvc pipe glue joint to dry before turning on the water

(Feb 20, 2015) Champ said:

PVC water pipe in basement froze and broke. Water shut off at road. Water turned off, PVC pipe cut and glued. Temp. now -20. I need to turn on water. How long to turn on water. Glue jar says 2 hrs. to dry.

Should we put electric heater in room to assist drying? When we turn on water, should we turn 1/4 turn until open all way or just open?

This question was originally posted at WATER SUPPLY TURN-ON in our article series on how to DE-WINTERIZE a BUILDING

Reply: PVC piping glue set vs. cure time: when is it safe to turn on the water & at what pressure? Role of temperature in PVC joint cure time.

Champ: an accurate answer depends on knowing the diameter of the pipe you are gluding and other details as well as knowing the care taken in preparing and assembling the joints.

If we assume you are gluing a home water supply pipe that is no larger in diameter than 1 1/4" and at 20F you need to wait a half hour before turning on your water supply. That specification is good for typical conditions for pressures up to 160 psi.

Adding heat will indeed assist in curing if the glued joint. The risk of turning water on too soon is likely to cause a failed glue joint.

Let's see what the glue manufacturers say about glue curing time.

Portions of this text were adapted from information provided by Oatey®, Georg Fischer Piping Systems, and other manufacturers cited in this article and further at REFERENCES

Factors Affecting CPVC & PVC Pipe Joint Set & Cure Times

Watch out: high and low temperatures, humidity, joint fit, pipe condition (new vs. old being repaired), and pipe size in diameter all have important effects on glued PVC pipe joints.

Cold temperatures mean that more time is needed to for set and cure times.

And high temperatures can increase the softening effects of the solvents used in primers and glues used in PVC piping, potentially softening or damaging the piping if too much solvent is used.

Watch out: in damp or humid weather you need to increase the set and cure times by 50%!

Watch out: for an accurate figure on PVC glue drying time for your specific case, be sure to check the label of your particular CPVC or PVC pipe cement product.

Definition of Glued PVC Pipe Joint Hold Time:

The "hold time" is the period during which you should physically hold the newly-glued pipe joint components in position immediately after assembling them. This is typically 30 seconds but in cold weather you will need to extend that time to perhaps a minute.

Definition of Glued PVC PIPE Joint Set Time:

The "set time" for a glued PVC piping joint is the time that you should wait before handling the newly-assembled and glued joints. This is how long you should wait before moving the parts around. If you move the glued parts before the set time period the risk is that you move them and the glued joint will either fail or it will "set" into a position other than the one you intended.

PVC / CPVC pipe joint set times range from 2 minutes (1/2" to 1 1/4" pipe at 60-100°F) to 48 hours (16"-24" pipe at 0-40°F).

At temperatures above 60°F, a generally "safe" set time for typical residential smaller-sized plastic pipe (under 3") installations is 15 minutes before pressure testing to 180 psi, with increases needed for humid or cold conditions.

Watch out: Oatey warns "Do not test with air."

The "set time" that you should wait before moving the assembled plastic piping that has just been glued is in addition to the "hold time".

Typical PVC or CPVC Pipe Joint Cement Handling / Set Time Wait Periods
Temperature At Time of Assembly	60-100°F	40-60°F	20-40°F	0-20°F
Pipe Diameter
1/2" - 1 1/4"	2 minutes	5 minutes	8 minutes	10 minutes
1 1/2" - 3"	5 minutes	10 minutes	12 minutes	15 minutes
4" - 5"	15 minutes	30 minutes	1 hour	2 hours
6" - 8"	30 minutes	1 1/2 hours	3 hours	6 hours
10" - 16"	2 hours	8 hours	12 hours	24 hours
18" & above	4 hours	16 hours	24 hours	48 hours

Notes to the table above

Watch out: in damp or humid weather you need to increase the set and cure times by 50%!

Watch out: for an accurate figure on PVC glue drying time for your specific case, be sure to check the label of your particular CPVC or PVC pipe cement product.

Adapted from

• Oatey Solvent Cements for PVC/CPVC piping, Oatey®, 4700 W. 160th St. I Cleveland, OH 44135 800.321.9532 I Fax: 800.321.9535 www.oatey.com
• Georg Fischer, "Design & Installation, Set & Cure Time [for solvent-cemented PVC piping glued joints]", Georg Fischer Piping Systems, Georg Fischer Harvel LLC, 300 Kuebler Road, Easton, PA 18040, USA, Tel: 610-252-7355, Website: www.GFPiping.com
• Also see additional citations at REFERENCES

Table design © 2015 InspectApedia.com

Definition of Glued PVC pipe joint Cure Time:

The "cure time" for a glued PVC piping joint is the time period that you should wait before pressure-testing the piping (for example in drain or suppy piping) and before turning on water (in water supply piping) or in other words before pressurizing the piping system.

The risk is that if you pressurize the glued piping system before the completion of the glued joint curing the system will fail, burst, leak, or come apart.

PVC / CPVC pipe joint cure times range from 15 minutes (1/2" to 1 1/4" pipe at 60-100°F) to 14 days (16"-24" pipe at 0-40°F)

Typical PVC or CPVC Pipe Joint Cement Cure Time Periods
Temperature At Time of Assembly	60-100°F	40-60°F	20-40°F	0-20°F
Pipe Diameter	Times are all in hours except as noted
1/2" - 1 1/4"	1	2	6	8
1 1/2" - 3"	2	4	12	16
4" - 5"	6	12	36	2 days
6" - 8"	8	16	3 days	4 days
10" - 16"	24	2 days	8 days	10 days
18" & above	36	3 days	12 days	14 days

Notes to the table above

Watch out:  this data is for pressure testing up to 180 psi. Manufacturers warn "do not test with air" . If pressure testing is to be conducted at pressures above 180 psi the cure times before pressure testing is allowed will be considerably longer. Check the specifications of your specific PVC CPVC cement product.

Watch out: in damp or humid weather you need to increase the set and cure times by 50%!

Watch out: for an accurate figure on PVC glue drying time for your specific case, be sure to check the label of your particular CPVC or PVC pipe cement product.

Adapted from

• Oatey Solvent Cements for PVC/CPVC piping, Oatey®, 4700 W. 160th St. I Cleveland, OH 44135 800.321.9532 I Fax: 800.321.9535 www.oatey.com
• Georg Fischer, "Design & Installation, Set & Cure Time [for solvent-cemented PVC piping glued joints]", Georg Fischer Piping Systems, Georg Fischer Harvel LLC, 300 Kuebler Road, Easton, PA 18040, USA, Tel: 610-252-7355, Website: www.GFPiping.com
• See additional citations at REFERENCES

Table design © 2015 InspectApedia.com

For high temperature PVC gluing applications manufacturers suggest

• Keep the solvent cement in a cool shaded area prior to use
• Keep the top on the solvent / cement when you are not actively using it; leaving the container open when you don't have to will cause it to thicken, become stringy and difficult or impossible to use, and risks a bad glue joint.
• Store the PVC piping and connectors in a cool, shaded area, and if possible perform the gluing operations in the cooler time of the day (early morning in most cases)
• Cool hot piping before gluing by wiping it with a damp rag, but be sure the surfaces are dry before applying the PVC cement
• Chec cement wetness before assembling: when assembling joints to be glued, be sure that the solvent cement coated surfaces of both sides of the joint are still wet with solvent cement before assembling them. Georg Fischer points out that puddling of solvent or cement in the pipe joint can cause excessive softening.
• Wipe off excessive solvent or glue from the joint exterior

For cold temperature PVC gluing applications manufacturers suggest

• Work indoors? Prefabricate (glue-up) as much of the piping system as you can working inside a heated work area using components that have been stored in that area
• If you have to work outside, store glue (and pipe components if possible) in a warm area before performing the actual gluing
• Remove snow, ice, water: Be very careful that the glue joint surfaces are dry and free of snow or ice. I [DF] have noticed that a thin coating of ice on a section of PVC piping left outdoors can be easy to miss, though it may show up as a clue (ice shavings or hard to push parts together) when you try to assemble the joint.
• Extra applications of PVC cement: If necessary use more than one application of primer and solvent glue to be sure that the joint surfaces are adequately softened before assembly
• Increase the set and curing time as specified by the manufacturer of the solvent / cement you are using when the temperature is beleow 60°F.

Where to Buy CPVC & PVC Pipe Solvent-type Primers & Cements

These and other PVC and CPVC pipe cement products are widely distributed by plumbing suppliers and building suppliers such as Home Depot & Loews.

Illustrated: Oatey's Heavy Duty Clear PVC Cement discussed below as a product offering a longer initial set time.

[Click to enlarge any image]

• Oatey Solvent Cements for PVC/CPVC piping, Oatey®, 4700 W. 160th St. I Cleveland, OH 44135 800.321.9532 I Fax: 800.321.9535 www.oatey.com
• PVC Pipe Weld, Bostik Smart Adhesives,Bostik Ltd Ulverscroft Road Leicester LE4 6BW 01785 272727 U.K., Website: http://www.bostik.co.uk/, Technical Enquiries/Customer Service +44 (0)1785 272625
• Vinidex Pty Limited, A.B.N. 42-000-664-942, Email: sales@vinidex.com.au, offices in Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia, New South Wales, Tel: (02) 8839-9006 Quoting:
  Vinidex has been Australia's leading manufacturer of PVC and polyethylene piping systems for over 50 years.
• Weld-On® Adhesives, Inc., 455 W. Victoria Street Compton, CA 90220 U.S.A. Main telephone: (310) 898-3300 Customer Service: Telephone (800) 888-8312 and Fax (901) 853-5008 Technical Support: (877) 477-8327 and (310) 898-3304 EDI Support: edi@ipscorp.com US & Canadian Sales Inquiry: tncustserv@ipscorp.com International Sales Inquiry: international@ipscorp.com General Inquiry: info@ipscorp.com
  • IPS Weld-on P70 primer and IPS Weld-On #717 / #719 (for use with Schedule 40 / Schedule 80 PVC piping)
  • IPS Weld-on P70 primer andIPS Weld-On #714 (for use with Schedule 40 / Schedule 80 CPVC piping)
• Wurth White PVC Glue 200G, U.K., Tel: 03 300 555 444 Website: http://www.wurth.co.uk/ offices in North America, South America, the U.K., Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand
• Additional citations and solvent cement set & cure times:

  see REFERENCES

Reader Comments & Q&A

Helpful question, VInce.

The cure time for PVC pipe cement joints will vary a bit by pipe size, with larger sizes needing more time to set. Temperature, pipe joint size, and cement formula are all factors;

That is, the PVC cement cure time also depends on which cement was used as there are some slow-set cements deliberately formulated to give more working time to assemble the joint and for use on large pipe connections.

You will see those in the table above on this page and in more detail in the Oatey and other PDF documents we provide.

Typically, as you'll see above, those are in minutes, not hours for smaller diameter PVC pipes such as on a residential building, but can be as long as 14 days for large diameter pipe joints in freezing weather.

Once the joint is cured as per the manufactuer's instructions you can turn on water or put the drain into use.

After connecting the shut off valve using the primer and cement, is the cure time needed before turning the main house water supply or is it needed before turning the valve on?

Yes, Donnie, thanks for asking.

There are several PVC cements are specifically designed for slow set times - these products are discussed, named, described in the article above on this page near the end where you see Reader Comments & Q&A

Please take a look and let me kno wif any of that is unclear or incomplete.

Sewer pipes

Is there a glue that gives you longer time putting pcp pipe together

Apologies Harry but searching for CPBC pipe cement I only find CPVC (Chlorinated PolyVinyl Chloride) pipe cement such as the Oatey product shown below.

I am not aware of a plastic pipe alled CPBC

You will see that at least some "PVC" glue is labelled for use on BOTH PVC and CPVC

as you will see on the product label example illustrated here and provided by Oatey.

Bottom line:

for best results use both a primer and a glue and check the product label.

Can you use pvc glue on CPBC pipe and fittings

(June 23, 2019) danjoefriedman (mod) said:

Sure if you measure your coupling depth you will typically see its 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch

Adding an image from harrisonplastic.com you can see that a typical 2, 3, or 4-inch PVC coupling is 2-inches in Dimension "A"

PVC-C

Will 3/4 of cpvc pipe sticking out ,be able to safely be glued to a coupling?

We have a in ground cleaning system for our pool. The cleaning module is a Caretaker 5 port using 1 1/2 PVC pipe. One of the pipes is leaking so I need to cut all 5 white PVC pipes and replace them, this will require me to also replace the bottom plate of the cleaning module which is made of black CPVC. I am planing on using Weld-On #724 cement to bond the two together.

I'm concerned that I may not have enough time to properly put all 5 pipes fully up in to the bottom plate. #724 is suppose to be moderate drying.

Question is when bonding white PVC to black CPVC will that allow me more working time to insure I have the pipes properly seated?

We live in the desert SW so morning temps right now are around 75F with highs around lower 90's. TIA

OPINION: I'm nervous about re-using pipe fittings. In my opinion and experience, the cost of a leak later on can be so very costly in water and mold damage that it's not worth the risk of re-using parts that are, in comparison very inexpensive and faster to assemble than re-using old materials.

Only in an odd case where there was such difficulty of access might re-use seem tempting to me.

And I'd still be worried. And I think the heat questions you raise may be important. In particular if heating raises temperatures above the rated temperature allowed for the pipe in normal use you've already violated the manufacturer's specifications and advice.

In an era of alternative "facts" my opinion is that we're best served by finding the most thoughtful, expert data we can from the most-reliable sources. In the case of many construction products and materials, the manufacturer has a lot to lose if their product is not successful in application. And the manufacturer has often a large base of field experience from its own tests and from its customers.

So I tend to bet on their side: see what the manufacturer recommends for use of their product.

ASTM and other standards are equally important.

The following is an excerpt from a JM Eagle HDPE Water and Sewer Pipe Installation Guide

ENGINEER.

5.1 Damage Assessment for Polyethylene Pipe

Damaged pipe or fittings should be inspected and evaluated.

Pipe, fittings, fabrications or structures with excessive damage should not be installed. Damage that occurs after installation may require that the damaged pipe or component be removed and replaced. WARNING: scrapes or gouges in pressure pipe cannot be repaired by filling in with extrusion or hot air welding.

The damaged section should be removed and replaced. WARNING: Improperly made fusion joints cannot be repaired. Improper butt fusions must be cut out and re-done from the beginning. Poorly joined socket or electrofusion fittings must be removed and replaced.

Poorly joined saddle fittings must be removed by cutting out the main pipe section, or, if the main is undamaged, made unusable by cutting the branch outlet or chimney off the saddle fitting, and installing a new saddle fitting on a new section of main. WARNING: Broken or damaged fittings cannot be repaired and, as such, should be removed and replaced.

WARNING: Kinked pipe must not be installed and cannot be repaired. It must be removed and replaced. WARNING: Pipe damaged during an emergency squeeze-off cannot be repaired. Squeeze-off damaged pipe must be removed and replaced.

- source: HDPE_WATER_AND_SEWER_Installation_Guide_03-2011 [PDF] JM Eagle 5200 West Century Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90045 800-621-4404

Hi. Thank you for the PVC gluing article. I have a question about several techniques I've seen on you tube regarding separating previously solvent welded pipes.

If you are familiar with the PVC pipe reamer made by Reed manufacturing, whereby you attach reamer to typical drill, and then using the reamer which acts like a rotary wood plane, and reams out the fitting;

I'm trying to figure out if you can successfully re glue, or if the original engineering specifications for the PVC pipe don't allow even millimeter type changes for a successful resolvent.

By the way this is for drainage and not supply. The follow up question is the using of a heat gun to heat the fitting and then pry out old pipe.

Again this is a you tube item, and if you did this technique, while you have successfully removed the fitting, did the heat cause a weakness in the other end of the fitting that you had no intention of separating. Anyway, that's a lot to read but I'd appreciate anyone's experience with either of these methods.

Question: Is there a cleaner/cement product that has a slow setup time

2020/05/02 BOB said:

I may have to replace an entire FIMCO sprinkler distributor indexing valve if simply replacing the top cover will not work properly. I have 4 ea. 1" zone pipes that will have to be cut, and then re-assembled.

Is there a cleaner/cement product that has a slow setup time that will be sufficient to clean the pipes, apply cement to the 4 joints, with sufficient time to apply the cement, align the 4 zone pipes, and seat the new FIMCO body before the cement sets-up?

Thank you for your comments.

Illustration: Hercules gray heavy-body slow-set PVC cement cited below.

[Click to enlarge any image]

Moderator reply: Yes, here are several PVC cements are specifically designed for slow set times

Bob

Thank you for an interesting question: looking for a long-set time or working time PVC pipe adesive.

In general, when choosing a PVC cement for an application where you need a longer initial set time, choose a "heavy bodied" PVC cement. You'll see that characteristic as I list the types of PVC cement from several manufacturers below.

Hercules makes a heavy duty long-working-time PVC cement, shown above, No. 60210, 8 oz. Heavy Body, Slow Set PVC Cement (Gray), described as PVC Cement, Gray Label, Low VOC - Gray, Heavy Body, Slow Set For PVC Types I & II, potable water, DWV, and SW pipe and fittings up to 15" diameter. Schedules 40 and 80. Meets ASTM D2564.

See details of the properties of all of Hercules' PVC primers and cements in

• HERCULES PVC PRIMERS & CEMENTS PRODUCT BROCHURE [PDF] Hercules Chemical Company, Inc.111 South Street, Passaic, NJ 07055-9100 USA, Tel: 800-221-9330 , Fax: 800-333-3456 E-mail: info@herchem.comwww.herchem.com or service@hercnet.co

Keep in mind that you can do all the prep, cleaning, de-burring, and application of a cleaner/primer without hitting a time snag.

Low temperatures and moisture will slow both the set time and the curing time of the PVC cement.

The Slow Set versions (Hercules makes both the gray and a clear slow set PVC cement) will give you about twice that, or 1 to 2 minutes of set time.

You might call for a more-clear answer: contact Hercules customer service at the phone or email we give above.

• Gorilla PVC Clear PrimaGlue®, shown here, is also reported also to have a long set time, and can be cleaned-up with waetr. I'm looking for details as I haven't seen a quote of set time in minutes vs. temperature etc. for this product.

Weld-on's Extra Heavy Body 719™ PVC Cement is described by the company as having a slow set time.

That product is described below.

Weld-On has a chart of Weld-On(R) solvent cement average set and cure times that gives an idea of the effect of temperature on set time.

• Weld-On Adhesives, Inc., 455 W. Victoria Street, Compton, CA 90220 U.S.A. Main telephone: (310) 898-3300 Customer Service: Telephone (800) 421-2677 and Fax (310) 742-0164

  Technical Support: (877) 477-8327 and (310) 898-3304

  Weld-On 700 PVC (clear) cement, Weld-On 704 PVC, Weld-On 705 PVC, Weld-On 721 (blue) PVC Cement: Set time = Fast

  Weld-On Heavy Bodied 711 PVC Cement, Gray, & Weld-on Heavy Bodied 717 PVC Cement, Clear or Gray, set time = MediumWeld-On Extra Heavy Bodied PVC Cement 719 Gray or White, set time = Slow.

  Extra heavy bodied, slow setting, low VOC PVC cement for all classes and schedules with interference fit, including Schedule 80 through 30″ (800 mm) diameter.

  Premium, high-strength formulation for large size industrial piping systems.

  Ideal for fabrication of large fittings and applications requiring high gap filling properties. Also suitable for irrigation, conduit, other pressure and non-pressure applications.

See Weld-ON's table of PVC cement set and cure times given below.

• PVC SOLVENT CEMENT TIME & TEMPERATURE SET TIME TABLE [PDF] Weld-On Adhesives, Inc., 455 W. Victoria Street, Compton, CA 90220 U.S.A. Main telephone: (310) 898-3300 Customer Service: Telephone (800) 421-2677 and Fax (310) 742-0164

  Technical Support: (877) 477-8327 and (310) 898-3304
  retrieved 2020/05/02 original source: weldon.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/WeldOn_SetCure_TimeTable.pdf

• Weld-On Solvent Cements Set and Cure Times, retrieved 18 March 2015, original source: http://www.weldon.com/pdf/weldon/WeldOn_SetCure_Timetable_Jul09.pdf

Set times for smaller diameter pipes (1/2 to 1 1/4") change from 2 minutes at 60 to 100 F, to 5 minutes at 40-60F to 10 minutes at 0 - 40 F.

So if you can do your gluing on a cool morning you'll have more set time to adjust your fittings.

And as larger pipes all have longer set times (a 15" or larger PVC pipe needs 4 hours to 48 hours depending on temperature) we can infer that the more-generously the glue is applied the longer should be the set time.

Also see Oatey' Heavy Duty Clear PVC Cement as again, a heavier-body PVC cement will have a longer set-up time.

• Oatey, OATEY® SOLVENT CEMENTS SET UP / CURING TIMES Oatey®, 4700 W. 160th St. I Cleveland, OH 44135 800.321.9532 I Fax: 800.321.9535 www.oatey.com, retrieved 18 March 2015, anew 2 May 2020, original source https://images.homedepot-static.com/catalog/pdfImages/d2/d25ece3c-3e81-4223-9270-c18977273030.pdf

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