Chuck Spyropulos
Non-member
Does anyone know what type of glue to use for bonding PVC fittings to acrylic? I have some weldon (the thick stuff) but not sure if it will work.
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Bonding PVC Fittings to Acrylic
- Thread starter Chuck Spyropulos
- Start date
pillowfish
#2
I used weldon (I believe #4??) to bond some acrylic to rigid pvc about a year or so ago, it was for a temp fix-but so far I had not any issues with leaks or "pulling away" since it is a piece that does support some structural weight. HTH..just what I had in a pinch
Dave McReeferson
laurifer crustulum
Weld-on will work, I have used it with success, but I don't think it is nearly as strong as an acrylic to acrylic bond. I think the key is making sure you have a nice tight fit and making sure the joint isn't subjected to significant stress.
Chuck Spyropulos
Non-member
Epoxy
Thanks Liam. I bought a hose barb adapter plug that has a little lip around it. I think I'll drill a hole in the cup just big enough to slide the hose barb plug in so that the plug end catches on the inside of the hole. (Of course I'll have to drill out a hole on the plug end of the hose barb adapter plug first). Then I'll epoxy the fitting in on the outside and inside the cup.
If I can find a few 3/4 inch bulkhead fittings lying around I'll use them instead.
Thanks Liam. I bought a hose barb adapter plug that has a little lip around it. I think I'll drill a hole in the cup just big enough to slide the hose barb plug in so that the plug end catches on the inside of the hole. (Of course I'll have to drill out a hole on the plug end of the hose barb adapter plug first). Then I'll epoxy the fitting in on the outside and inside the cup.
If I can find a few 3/4 inch bulkhead fittings lying around I'll use them instead.
Chuck Spyropulos
Non-member
Drain
I actually found a better fitting for this application. I had two LiquidTight fittings normally used for installing LiquidTight electrical conduit. The fittings consist of a treaded end with a large hexagonal surface at the end of the thread (a nut). The large nut provides a larger surface area than the typical Sch 80 male hose adapter. I did have to file off a little under the nut (so the surface of the nut would lie flat against the outside of the cup for a good bonding surface) since there was a sort of rim that did not allow the surface of the nut to lie flat. Then I sawed a 3/4 inch hole in my waste cup. I fitted the threaded end through and marked it so I could cut the end of the thread off and get the fitting to fit flush inside the waste cup. I then cut the threaded end to shortened it to avoid any of the threaded end of the fitting protruding into the waste cup since I did not want to create a situation where a 1/4 inch or so water level would occur in the waste cup.
Then I used a special plastic bonding super glue I found at HD. It has an activator (or primer) and the glue. The primer is like a magic marker and you just "color" it on to both pieces to be bonded. Then I applied glue to the face of the nut at the end of the threads, fed the threaded end through the hole in the cup and pressed them together for 30 seconds. Then I let them sit for 5 minutes or so.
(NOTE: I tested this with scrap acrylic and fittings before I did this and I could not break off the fitting so the bond is really strong.)
Then I took some of the thick WeldOn and applied it around the nut on the outside of the cup to seal any small holes or gaps.
I did the same thing for the floor waste collection cup except I did not chop off any of the threaded fitting since it doesn't make any difference in this case. I clamped a 3/4" ID clear vinyl hose to both fittings using hose clamps and fired up the skimmer. No leaks so far!
I actually drilled the new drain hole in the waste cup at the top of the skimmer in a new location since the old drain hole was too close to the edge of the waste cup. I plugged up the old drain with some scrap acrylic and WeldOn 16. For the waste collector that sits on the ground, I drilled the hole in the same location as the old one since there was plenty of room.
Let us know how it works out
I actually found a better fitting for this application. I had two LiquidTight fittings normally used for installing LiquidTight electrical conduit. The fittings consist of a treaded end with a large hexagonal surface at the end of the thread (a nut). The large nut provides a larger surface area than the typical Sch 80 male hose adapter. I did have to file off a little under the nut (so the surface of the nut would lie flat against the outside of the cup for a good bonding surface) since there was a sort of rim that did not allow the surface of the nut to lie flat. Then I sawed a 3/4 inch hole in my waste cup. I fitted the threaded end through and marked it so I could cut the end of the thread off and get the fitting to fit flush inside the waste cup. I then cut the threaded end to shortened it to avoid any of the threaded end of the fitting protruding into the waste cup since I did not want to create a situation where a 1/4 inch or so water level would occur in the waste cup.
Then I used a special plastic bonding super glue I found at HD. It has an activator (or primer) and the glue. The primer is like a magic marker and you just "color" it on to both pieces to be bonded. Then I applied glue to the face of the nut at the end of the threads, fed the threaded end through the hole in the cup and pressed them together for 30 seconds. Then I let them sit for 5 minutes or so.
(NOTE: I tested this with scrap acrylic and fittings before I did this and I could not break off the fitting so the bond is really strong.)
Then I took some of the thick WeldOn and applied it around the nut on the outside of the cup to seal any small holes or gaps.
I did the same thing for the floor waste collection cup except I did not chop off any of the threaded fitting since it doesn't make any difference in this case. I clamped a 3/4" ID clear vinyl hose to both fittings using hose clamps and fired up the skimmer. No leaks so far!
I actually drilled the new drain hole in the waste cup at the top of the skimmer in a new location since the old drain hole was too close to the edge of the waste cup. I plugged up the old drain with some scrap acrylic and WeldOn 16. For the waste collector that sits on the ground, I drilled the hole in the same location as the old one since there was plenty of room.
Last edited:
Chuck Spyropulos
Non-member
Mods
It was a really simple mod and will hopefully prevent the drain from getting clogged the way it did for the original drain. The original drain hole ID was tiny (~1/4") and required cleaning very frequently.
I think I'm done now with mods for this skimmer and don't plan to do anymore.
In summary these are the mods I did:
1. Removed stock venturi valve and replaced with 1/2 inch male hose adapter to increase air intake
2. Replaced the stock needle wheel with Reef Specialty NeedleWheel
3. Replaced old drain hose and fittings with larger diameter hose
and fittings (3/4" ID)
All of the mods were relatively simple.
Glad to hear
It was a really simple mod and will hopefully prevent the drain from getting clogged the way it did for the original drain. The original drain hole ID was tiny (~1/4") and required cleaning very frequently.
I think I'm done now with mods for this skimmer and don't plan to do anymore.
In summary these are the mods I did:
1. Removed stock venturi valve and replaced with 1/2 inch male hose adapter to increase air intake
2. Replaced the stock needle wheel with Reef Specialty NeedleWheel
3. Replaced old drain hose and fittings with larger diameter hose
and fittings (3/4" ID)
All of the mods were relatively simple.
