Pro Handyman Blog

If you have landscaping at your house, you will likely have the opportunity to work with landscape plumbing issues, namely PVC piping and fittings. Working with PVC is easy as it cuts and glues quickly. But don’t forget the primer.

When connecting PVC, you want a nice square cut. Once you have the length measured out use a PVC cutting tool or a hacksaw to quickly cut the pipe. If you use a hacksaw, clean off the burrs left by the blade. Use primer to clean the exterior surface of the pipe and the interior surface of the fitting. Primer is colored (often purple) so that you can see if you have complete coverage on the mating surfaces, as well as a point of differentiation with the color of the PVC glue. Primer (and glue) are very flammable and dry quickly. Once you prime the piping, it will dry to a tacky feel.

Apply the glue using a dauber in the can. Go for complete coverage at the same areas where you previously primed. Use too much glue rather than too little. Push the pipe into the fitting with a gently twist and hold it still until it sets up (probably 30 seconds on a summer day). Once everything is assembled and dried you can slowly turn the water back on to test for leaks.