Thread: ABS to PVC connection

I'm sure this has been posted before but I didn't find it quickly so here goes... I inspected a 1974 home yesterday and a portion of the sewer line was ABS and PVC. I don't know of a solvent that would allow this connection to work?? Although, it all seemed to be working just fine. We filled every fixture and let them go. There were no signs of previous leaking at ceilings or walls that would indicate a problem either. My question is... Have I been misinformed about the two of these product being compatible?

Thanks,
Reis

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There are products manufactured that say they can join PVC to ABS, but the last I knew they were not approved. Just who has to approve it I don't know. These cements weren't around in 1974 so it is probably a moot point. I have seen quite a few PVC to ABS joints and none were leaking, but I still write them up as incorrect.

My understanding is the two materials expand and contract at different rates. Places where they are glued together are more likely to fail since they move at different rates.

The glues for both products basically melt the product. ABS and PVC are different products and require different materials to melt them. Once melted they have to harden but you have co-mingled the products such that they are neither PVC or ABS but a mixture.

Local codes dictate whether chemically bonded pvc to abs is kosher. There are cements that are NSF standard 61 for DWV and sewer but, these systems can not be tested with compressed air.

ABS to PVC Transition Green Cement :: Oatey.com

Originally Posted by Corn Walker

ABS to PVC Transition Green Cement :: Oatey.com

Thats one of the cements I was talking about, but look at the spec sheet, it still defers to local codes.

Here's The Great State of New Jersey's official position on this subject.

ABS & PVC are different polymers. The solvent cements used for either will temporarily melt either material. After the solvents evaporate what you have is a sort of mechanical connection rather than the weld that you would have joining like materials. Hence, the restriction to use on non pressure piping systems. No code worth adopting would condone the mixing of different piping materials without the use of a proper connection between the two. I have disapproved many installations of mixed materials with solvent cement joints. Even in DWV systems just some light lateral strain on these joints will often cause them to fail and start leaking.

Art Dotson
Construction Code Services, LLC
Walnut Grove, MO

Jointing the ABS and PVC while both systems of pipe jointing primarily rely on a cement system, ABS and PVC have different molecular structures and different thermal expansion rates. The pipe make-ups and materials are different and so too are the cements, which are of different solution and manufacture and are not cross compatible, according to the solvent manufactures.

Originally Posted by Darren Miller

Here's The Great State of New Jersey's official position on this subject.

Geez Edith, Now they're regulating blow up pools