PVC and CPVC are two of the most common construction materials in the world. If you’re into plumbing or need to repair something, you need to know how to work with PVC and CPVC.
What types of glue will bond both materials, and what material is the best? That’s what I’ll talk about in this article!
However, there aren’t too many adhesives that will stick to bond PVC and CVPC. These two materials function a bit differently thanks to their various properties.
For PVC, you should use PVC glue; for CPVC, I recommend using CPVC cement.
But are these two types of glue interchangeable? In other words, can you bond CPVC with PVC glue or PVC with CPVC cement?
Yes and no. CPVC won’t bond properly using PVC glue. While you can use CPVC cement to bond PVC, the other way around doesn’t work.
Keep reading to find out what these two adhesives contain, how they function, and what you can use them for!
Also, check out my guide on the best glues for PVC pipes for more info.
PVC Glue Review
I’m going to talk about PVC glue first. PVC is a special type of plastic known as polyvinyl chloride, and it’s often used in tubing and plumbing.
So, you’ll need a special type of adhesive to bond it. That’s where PVC glue comes into the picture. Its properties are ideal for the smoothness of PVC.
Smooth materials are notoriously difficult to work with, so manufacturers have developed special adhesives to bond them.
PVC glue is the best adhesive for PVC. Superglue or epoxy isn’t good enough, I’m afraid.
PVC glue is made using resin, stabilizers, and fillers. These compounds are then dissolved in a mixture of solvents; the result is the adhesive you can use for PVC projects.
The entire manufacturing process is more complex, but simplicity is best.
Moreover, PVC contains many more compounds than what I mentioned. Still, knowing the main ones should suffice for now.
As for the best brands of PVC glue, I couldn’t recommend one because most brands are very similar. There isn’t one that stands out specifically!
How Does PVC Glue Work?
PVC Glue is made especially for bonding pieces of PVC or plumbing plastic. This process is called cold welding, which most professionals use for plumbing repairs.
Being a solvent adhesive, PVC glue will melt the surface of the PVC pipe, turning them into a liquid.
Once the external layer of the pipe is melted, the other compounds in the PVC glue will harden thanks to the chemical reaction occurring in the adhesive.
This is called cold welding because the resulting bond is extremely strong and impact-resistant. Few things can break it, in fact.
If you want to strengthen the bond, I recommend using primer on the PVC pipes before applying the glue.
That will make the bond much more powerful and harder to break. Thankfully, PVC glue only needs 20 minutes to dry, but it can take up to 24 hours to fully cure.
Is PVC Glue Toxic?
PVC glue is very toxic while in its liquid form. Don’t inhale the fumes; don’t let them touch your skin because they can harm your health.
The fumes can cause respiratory problems and may lead to dizziness and other severe illnesses. I recommend wearing gloves and a respirator mask when working with PVC!
CPVC Glue Review
Technically speaking, CPVC glue is cement. Moreover, besides chemical composition, PVC and CPVC glue are very similar.
CPVC stands for chlorinated polyvinyl chloride, which means it contains chlorine. So, the adhesive used to bond CPVC should be able to handle chlorine.
CPVC glue contains many of the same things that make up PVC glue! However, CPVC cement is a special adhesive type with resin stabilizers and fillers.
This is dissolved in a cocktail of solvents, just like PVC glue. That’s everything you should know about CPVC glue in terms of make-up.
I’d recommend Oatey as one of the best brands of CPVC cement!
How Does CPVC Glue Work?
CPVC glue is specially designed to bond CPVC pipes together, and that’s what it does! Thankfully, the types of applications are very similar to those of PVC glue.
So, CPVC glue will work on PVC pipes with no problems whatsoever.
The way CPVC cement functions is the same as PVC glue.
The solvents contained within the glue will melt the surface layer of the CPVC pipe, while the other ingredients (resin and filler) will activate and harden to a super-powerful bond.
It’s the same cold welding process I mentioned before.
Like PVC glues, if you want to make the CPVC cement bond stronger, apply a layer of primer on the CPVC pipes beforehand!
Fortunately, CPVC cement only needs 15 minutes to dry and 2 hours to cure if the temperature is above 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
Check out my guide on whether PVC glue works on ABS plastic for more info.
Is CPVC Glue Toxic?
CPVC glue is even more toxic than PVC glue! That’s because it contains even more harmful compounds than PVC glue.
Its fumes are especially toxic and harmful to your health. I would never work with CPVC glue without wearing a respirator, which is what most professionals also recommend.
PVC vs. CPVC – Which Is Better?
Is PVC better, or does CPVC have stronger holding power? We’ll see in the guide below, and I’ll also talk about its main differences as I get to them:
Applications
This one is easy. PVC glue is designed to bond PVC pipes, while CPVC cement is designed to bond CPVC pipes.
CPVC cement has no issues bonding PVC pipes. There’s a difference between them, though. PVC glue won’t work for CPVC pipes, but the other way does.
Still, PVC pipes are very resistant to the cold and lack basic heat resistance. CPVC pipes are exactly the opposite!
Materials
PVC and CPVC glue may bond with other materials just fine, but their main use is for PVC and CPVC pipes.
As I said before, PVC glue is only to be used exclusively for PVC pipes, while CPVC glue bonds both PVC and CPVC pipes.
Tensile Strength
Both types of glue are similar in terms of tensile strength and overall integrity.
The only difference is that PVC glue is not heat resistant, unlike CPVC adhesive. This means you can’t use PVC glue for hot pipes.
Cleanup
Technically, you can dissolve PVC and CPVC glue with solvents like acetone. They’re not very solvent-resistant, in other words.
But their bond is very strong and should last a long while despite that.
Health Warnings
Both PVC and CPVC adhesives are incredibly toxic and harmful to your skin. Don’t even think about ingesting them and try not to inhale the toxic fumes either.
Always wear a mask or respirator when working with PVC and CPVC glues!
Main Differences
The main difference between the two adhesives is that CPVC glue can be used for both PVC and CPVC pipes.
It also dries and cures much faster than PVC glue. You can’t paint over PVC and CPVC glue; they’re just as toxic.
Wrap Up
These two types of glue are each used for specific materials and are very similar.
The only real difference is that they aren’t interchangeable for the most part, and one is heat-resistant while the other isn’t.
I recommend sticking to the glue for each type of pipe you’re working with!
