I was pasting some pipe today and it occurred to me, do you use primer on RNC?

Greg:

No, never did personally. IMHO, per mfg instructions (Carlon, last I looked) they only sold glue. A little caveat to this subject, their instructions allude that the PVC 'system' to be UL listing compliant MUST all be from same mfg; Carlon in this case.

Has anyone actually failed a job for not using Carlon cement?

What if you had Carlon pipe and Cantex fittings. Would you use 2 different cans of cement? (one on each side)

My real question was more directed to cleaning dirty pipe. Do you think that is a good idea? A plumber/plumbing inspector will tell you that the primer makes that joint several times stronger, particularly if the pipe is dirty.

BTW maybe the lack of primer is why Carflex is not listed in a cemented fitting. I guarantee you, if you prime it and glue it, the fitting will pull out of the box before the joint fails.

I would not red tag a job if a different brand of glue was used then the pipe providing the glue used was listed for use on electrical PVC conduit. No different then mixing pipes of different makers IMO

That sort of blows away the 110.2(B) thing then doesn't it?
The manufacturer instructions say to use THEIR cement.

At a certain point this becomes the classified breaker argument.

BTW I bet if you look at Carlon cement, Cantex Cement and Oatey (plumber's cement) the MSDS will say they have the same ingredients.

At any rate that was not where I was going

I was just curious if anyone cleans the pipe with primer and I got that answer.

No.

Does wiping it off with my hand count. That's the only cleaner the pipe gets.

I suppose it depends on whether you care if the joint pulls apart.

Greg:

My comment re: Carlon was something that came up a few years ago. NO, I did not fail anyone, nor am I aware of anyone that failed, other than one (1) instance of this issue. The supporting data was mined from the Carlon mfg installation PDF via Carlon website.

As to cleaning PVC, with my EC hat on, practice was to wipe the ends & bell with a clean rag before applying glue. I do not remember any pull aparts.

Should I apologize for going off your original inquiry.....sorry!

Primer is certainly something to consider.

I've had too many joints fail, especially on the larger pipe. Oddly enough, the type of glue used, and the weather, seemd to be the biggest factors.

The 'electrical' glue is pretty thin; add a hot sun and lower air pressures at altitude, and you have a prescription for the stuff to dry much quicker than you can assemble the pieces.

Oddly enough, some of the 'plumbing' stuff - like the gray glue - has a heavier body and allows for a longer working time. Using primer also seems to aid the working time. The PVC 'cleaner' they sell (clear rather than purple) seems to extend working time as well. The 'cleaner' is nowhere near as aggressive a solvent as the primer.

I note that the plumbing code requires the use of primer. Naturally, we are not concerned about any 'leaks' in our pipe; it's the wire insulation that keeps the electricity inside.

Interesting topic… Out of habit, I use primer on all the NM pipe and conduit fittings I install, whether it’s for pressure or just electrical wiring. I’ve never seen where primer was required, but I also don’t really see where it’s not allowed.
There’s no doubt in my mind that it makes for a much stronger faster setting, joints that are impervious to water seepage. Granted with conduit, you may still get condensation accumulation inside, but at least there won’t be additional water leaking in from the joints themselves.
Unless you actually saw me using it though, you probably would never know I had, since I normally use the Rectorseal PR-3 clear PVC/CPVC primer.

As far as the Carlfex being cemented directly in FS box fittings, I’ve seen that done on dock wiring before and I would agree that is the strongest, most durable and watertight connection that can be made. It looks like it would make for much easier wire pulls as well.
I’ll bet the only reason Carlon doesn’t get its Carflex UL listed for installation that way is because they would lose all that money they make for their required crappy Carflex connectors.

I will say, If you defy the listing and directly glue the Carflex in an FS box, continue your defiance and use primer.

I know from "spaflex", the white equivalent, Pool installers will tell you the primer is as important as the cement.

Most inspectors I know would question that installation tho. As "crappy" as the Carlon connector might be, it is the only listed solution.
It should be noted that Carlon does say you can direct glue ENT in their boxes and fittings. I was surprised when I read that in light of the Carflex thing.

Here's NEMA's take on the use of primer:
http://www.udevices.com/pdf/solvent.pdf

Electrical PVC cement comes in 3 flavors; Regular, Medium, and Heavy Bodied.
The Heavy Bodied cement is recommended for larger pipe sizes, it has a longer cure time (hence more time to fit the conduit), and easier fills the voids between the socket and the conduit.
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I've tried all kinds of primer/glue combinations with Carflex, always with unsatisfactory results. The glue just doesn't stick to the Carflex.

I guess that's why the make the cheap plastic fittings.

NEMA seems to be saying PVC cement is a generic product regulated by ASTM D 2564.

Here comes another question. If Cement is Cement, how about the 10 second blue?

I did get off subject. My bad. I don not use primer. I clean the pipe if needed then a generous amount of glue on both pieces and do a little twist when putting them together.

" the nature of the particular project
must be considered"

Everyone likes to hear that they're right, but I never expected NEMA to state exactly what I did in my earlier post!

As for connecting the plastic flex directly to b oxes, etc., without using connectors, I vaguely recall reading a UL statement somewhere -perhaps UL "Question Corner" in the IAEI magazine?- that the stuff was listed for connecting that way. I was surprised when I read that, as not using a connector seems to go against everything I've ever done with other wiring methods.

I must object to the very idea that doing something with "brand A" might be OK, but not with "brand B." Life is complicated enough without opening the door to THAT form of BS- especially when you consider the plain illiteracy of so much that's printed.

I recall an ad campaign where the voice-over asserted that 'the eggs are from real chickens, the juice from real oranges, and the sausage is from Jimmy Dean.' Really? With all the sausage made, Jimmy must have been one very large man! Sort of puts "Girl Scout Cookies" in a new light too, but I wonder .....

with a smokey oak bouquet.......?




seriously, here's a consideration..... UG installs here are expected to leak , thus the URD, or THWN , rated for wet location wire

so.....for the part of UG installs exclusively underground , why glue anything underground at all?~S~

"Leak"? maybe but you don't want it to pull apart.