Solvent Cements For Plastic Pipe-No. 2

Solvent Cements For Plastic Pipe-No. 2



Over the years Black Swan has manufactured a tremendous amount of solvent cement for plastic pipe. We can't even begin to guess how many joints have been put together with our products.

Black Swan has had very few complaints over the years about the solvent cements not working.
But, every year we do get a few complaints. We usually ask to get a sample of a leaking joint so we can evaluate the joint and see why there was a failure. It is a very rare moment when the cement has been the cause of the problem. The problem generally has been that the person making the installation has made an error.

Below we will list the most common reasons why a solvent cement joint has failed. If you can avoid these problems, you will surely be able to make a good solvent cement connection:


1. Make sure the solvent cement is in good condition. The cement should be liquid and not
of a jelly consistency. If the cement has a jelly consistency, this means the cement is going bad and will not be able to do it's job. The cement will not be able to attack the plastic and allow the end user to make a good connection.

2. Make sure the pipe is cut square and not at an angle. If the pipe is cut at an angle, you will be reducing the bonding area. The less bonding area you have, the greater the chance of having a leak.

3. When you cut the pipe, make sure there are no burrs at the end of the pipe. If there are burrs at the end of the pipe, these burrs will scrape away the solvent cement on the inside of the fitting. If there are areas that contain no cement (because the burrs wiped away the cement), you will have no connection being made and you will have leaks.

4. Make sure the pipe and fittings are clean and that there is no grease, dirt, moisture, etc. on the pipe and fittings. If there is grease, moisture or dirt on the pipe and fittings, the cement will not be able to make contact with the plastic and will not be able to do it's job.

5. Make sure that there is a good fit between the pipe and the fitting. If the fitting is too large or the pipe is too small, the cement will not be able to connect the two together. Too large a gap between the two pieces of plastic and you will never be able to make a connection.

6. When using solvent cement to connect the pipe and fitting, you have to make sure that you do apply the cement. Yes, you heard correctly. There have been many complaints that the cement did not work and upon inspection you find that no cement was ever applied.

7. You also have to make sure that you apply enough cement to make the connection. If you apply too little cement, there will not be enough cement to attack the plastic and bond the pipe and the fitting together. You also have to apply enough cement to fill any gaps between the pipe and the fitting.

8. You also have to make sure that you do not apply too much cement. By applying too much cement, you can weaken the structure of the pipe and the fitting. This could cause leaks in the future.

9. When you apply the cement to the pipe and the fitting, you only have a short time to work before the cement will dry and will no longer be able to bond the pipe and fitting together. The amount of time you have depends on the temperature and other weather conditions. The cement must be wet in order to make the connections. So, you have to apply the cement quickly and then put the pipe and the fitting together quickly. Again, if you wait too long and the cement dries, there will be no connection.

If you use too small an applicator, by the time you apply all of the cement to the pipe and fitting, the first cement applied may already be dry. Make sure you have the correct size applicator.

If it is extremely hot outside, the cement will dry very quickly. And, if the cement dries quickly, you will not be able to make a connection.

10. When you apply the cement and you push the pipe into the fitting, you should give the pipe a slight turn and hold the pipe for 30 seconds. If you don't do this, the pipe will push out and you will not have enough area being bonded together. You will have leaks. The slight turn helps spread the cement around to improve your chances of a good connection.

11. And last, it is always a good idea to use a Primer when working with plastic pipe and fittings. The Primer will clean the pipe and then it will start softening the plastic in advance of the cement being applied. Many problems can be avoided if the end user would just use a good, strong Primer.


Black Swan is a leading manufacturer of solvent cements and primers. Always ask for our products when you are getting ready to connect plastic pipe and fittings. If the wholesaler or retail store does not carry our products, immediately walk out and never return to that location until they start stocking Black Swan products. That is our advice to you.

Thank you for reading this article and if you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact Black Swan directly. We will try and help you as best as we can.

And remember, Black Swan has over 200 other products in our line. Always use Black Swan for all of your plumbing chemical needs.