Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

I am pre-fitting some PVC fitting for a 3-inch sewer drain line coming down
from a first-floor toilet. Where the drain comes through the basement
ceiling from the toilet, there are two 45-degree 3-inch fittings -- one is
the toilet flange itself which is a 45-degree fitting and the other is a
45-degree elbow. The place where they come through the ceiling is hard to
access.

What I would like to be able to do is put the two PVC fittings together and
then be able to easily rotate both so I can get the correct angle I need to
continue the run. The problem is that when I put the two fittings together,
they are next to impossible to rotate while in place. I need the fittings
to be able to rotate one inside the other to get the correct line-up.

Has anyone ever tried lubricating PVC fittings first just to get the
fittings lined up correctly, then marking them for the correct line-up, and
then remove the lubricant and glue the fittings together? Does anyone know
what kind of lubricant might work for this? So far, I have just tried dish
soap, but that doesn't work -- the parts just stick together as usual and do
not turn easily. Any suggestions on what to use?

Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

"Jay-T" wrote in message
...
I am pre-fitting some PVC fitting for a 3-inch sewer drain line coming down
from a first-floor toilet. Where the drain comes through the basement
ceiling from the toilet, there are two 45-degree 3-inch fittings -- one is
the toilet flange itself which is a 45-degree fitting and the other is a
45-degree elbow. The place where they come through the ceiling is hard to
access.

What I would like to be able to do is put the two PVC fittings together
and then be able to easily rotate both so I can get the correct angle I
need to continue the run. The problem is that when I put the two fittings
together, they are next to impossible to rotate while in place. I need
the fittings to be able to rotate one inside the other to get the correct
line-up.

Has anyone ever tried lubricating PVC fittings first just to get the
fittings lined up correctly, then marking them for the correct line-up,
and then remove the lubricant and glue the fittings together? Does anyone
know what kind of lubricant might work for this? So far, I have just
tried dish soap, but that doesn't work -- the parts just stick together as
usual and do not turn easily. Any suggestions on what to use?

By dish soap, you mean dishwashing liquid? I would have suggested that,
surprised it doesn't work.
Dilute it out a little?
Could be bum fittings as well.
Do *any* of your fittings fit together so that you can rotate them?

The problem is, as I suspect you've already anticipated, that any oil-type
lubricant that ;might work better will jeopardize the pvc glue integrity.

If worse comes to worse, pvc fittings are not that expensive, so maybe you
can just remove some material from them so they can rotate, and sacrifice
them for this particular app, and have spares on hand.
Keep them around for future fit-ups, but mark them so you don't
inadvertantly use them.

--
EA

Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

"Jay-T" wrote in message
...
I am pre-fitting some PVC fitting for a 3-inch sewer drain line coming down
from a first-floor toilet. Where the drain comes through the basement
ceiling from the toilet, there are two 45-degree 3-inch fittings -- one is
the toilet flange itself which is a 45-degree fitting and the other is a
45-degree elbow. The place where they come through the ceiling is hard to
access.

What I would like to be able to do is put the two PVC fittings together
and then be able to easily rotate both so I can get the correct angle I
need to continue the run. The problem is that when I put the two fittings
together, they are next to impossible to rotate while in place. I need
the fittings to be able to rotate one inside the other to get the correct
line-up.

Has anyone ever tried lubricating PVC fittings first just to get the
fittings lined up correctly, then marking them for the correct line-up,
and then remove the lubricant and glue the fittings together? Does anyone
know what kind of lubricant might work for this? So far, I have just
tried dish soap, but that doesn't work -- the parts just stick together as
usual and do not turn easily. Any suggestions on what to use?

By dish soap, you mean dishwashing liquid? I would have suggested that,
surprised it doesn't work.
Dilute it out a little?
Could be bum fittings as well.
Do *any* of your fittings fit together so that you can rotate them?

The problem is, as I suspect you've already anticipated, that any oil-type
lubricant that ;might work better will jeopardize the pvc glue integrity.

If worse comes to worse, pvc fittings are not that expensive, so maybe you
can just remove some material from them so they can rotate, and sacrifice
them for this particular app, and have spares on hand.
Keep them around for future fit-ups, but mark them so you don't
inadvertantly use them.

--
EA

Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

On Dec 11, 8:29�am, "Existential Angst"
wrote:


If worse comes to worse, pvc fittings are not that expensive, so maybe you
can just remove some material from them so they can rotate, and sacrifice
them for this particular app, and have spares on hand.
Keep them around for future fit-ups, but mark them so you don't
inadvertantly use them.

--
EA


I like your idea EA.

Another thing you might try is hair spray. It will make things very
slippery. I use hair spray to install handlebar grips on motorcycles.
Altho I am not sure what would happen if you let it sit long enough to
dry, it may glue them together. Usually takes awhile to dry if you use
a lot. If you try this, let us know if it works. :-)

Hank

Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

On Dec 11, 8:29�am, "Existential Angst"
wrote:


If worse comes to worse, pvc fittings are not that expensive, so maybe you
can just remove some material from them so they can rotate, and sacrifice
them for this particular app, and have spares on hand.
Keep them around for future fit-ups, but mark them so you don't
inadvertantly use them.

--
EA


I like your idea EA.

Another thing you might try is hair spray. It will make things very
slippery. I use hair spray to install handlebar grips on motorcycles.
Altho I am not sure what would happen if you let it sit long enough to
dry, it may glue them together. Usually takes awhile to dry if you use
a lot. If you try this, let us know if it works. :-)

Hank

Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

Jay-T wrote:
I am pre-fitting some PVC fitting for a 3-inch sewer drain line coming
down from a first-floor toilet. Where the drain comes through the
basement ceiling from the toilet, there are two 45-degree 3-inch
fittings -- one is the toilet flange itself which is a 45-degree fitting
and the other is a 45-degree elbow. The place where they come through
the ceiling is hard to access.

What I would like to be able to do is put the two PVC fittings together
and then be able to easily rotate both so I can get the correct angle I
need to continue the run. The problem is that when I put the two
fittings together, they are next to impossible to rotate while in
place. I need the fittings to be able to rotate one inside the other to
get the correct line-up.

Has anyone ever tried lubricating PVC fittings first just to get the
fittings lined up correctly, then marking them for the correct line-up,
and then remove the lubricant and glue the fittings together? Does
anyone know what kind of lubricant might work for this? So far, I have
just tried dish soap, but that doesn't work -- the parts just stick
together as usual and do not turn easily. Any suggestions on what to use?



We spilled some Armor All on the kitchen floor last night and
it darned near turned the place into a skating rink! I don't
know if it would work or how to get it off afterwards but the
PVC cleaner/primer always seem to fix things up fairly well.

TDD

Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

Jay-T wrote:
I am pre-fitting some PVC fitting for a 3-inch sewer drain line coming
down from a first-floor toilet. Where the drain comes through the
basement ceiling from the toilet, there are two 45-degree 3-inch
fittings -- one is the toilet flange itself which is a 45-degree fitting
and the other is a 45-degree elbow. The place where they come through
the ceiling is hard to access.

What I would like to be able to do is put the two PVC fittings together
and then be able to easily rotate both so I can get the correct angle I
need to continue the run. The problem is that when I put the two
fittings together, they are next to impossible to rotate while in
place. I need the fittings to be able to rotate one inside the other to
get the correct line-up.

Has anyone ever tried lubricating PVC fittings first just to get the
fittings lined up correctly, then marking them for the correct line-up,
and then remove the lubricant and glue the fittings together? Does
anyone know what kind of lubricant might work for this? So far, I have
just tried dish soap, but that doesn't work -- the parts just stick
together as usual and do not turn easily. Any suggestions on what to use?



We spilled some Armor All on the kitchen floor last night and
it darned near turned the place into a skating rink! I don't
know if it would work or how to get it off afterwards but the
PVC cleaner/primer always seem to fix things up fairly well.

TDD

Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

On Dec 11, 3:45*am, "Jay-T" wrote:
I am pre-fitting some PVC fitting for a 3-inch sewer drain line coming down
from a first-floor toilet. *Where the drain comes through the basement
ceiling from the toilet, there are two 45-degree 3-inch fittings -- one is
the toilet flange itself which is a 45-degree fitting and the other is a
45-degree elbow. *The place where they come through the ceiling is hard to
access.

What I would like to be able to do is put the two PVC fittings together and
then be able to easily rotate both so I can get the correct angle I need to
continue the run. *The problem is that when I put the two fittings together,
they are next to impossible to rotate while in place. *I need the fittings
to be able to rotate one inside the other to get the correct line-up.

Has anyone ever tried lubricating PVC fittings first just to get the
fittings lined up correctly, then marking them for the correct line-up, and
then remove the lubricant and glue the fittings together? *Does anyone know
what kind of lubricant might work for this? *So far, I have just tried dish
soap, but that doesn't work -- the parts just stick together as usual and do
not turn easily. *Any suggestions on what to use?

Buy or jury-rig a couple of strap wrenches.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=94119

R

Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

On Dec 11, 3:45*am, "Jay-T" wrote:
I am pre-fitting some PVC fitting for a 3-inch sewer drain line coming down
from a first-floor toilet. *Where the drain comes through the basement
ceiling from the toilet, there are two 45-degree 3-inch fittings -- one is
the toilet flange itself which is a 45-degree fitting and the other is a
45-degree elbow. *The place where they come through the ceiling is hard to
access.

What I would like to be able to do is put the two PVC fittings together and
then be able to easily rotate both so I can get the correct angle I need to
continue the run. *The problem is that when I put the two fittings together,
they are next to impossible to rotate while in place. *I need the fittings
to be able to rotate one inside the other to get the correct line-up.

Has anyone ever tried lubricating PVC fittings first just to get the
fittings lined up correctly, then marking them for the correct line-up, and
then remove the lubricant and glue the fittings together? *Does anyone know
what kind of lubricant might work for this? *So far, I have just tried dish
soap, but that doesn't work -- the parts just stick together as usual and do
not turn easily. *Any suggestions on what to use?

Buy or jury-rig a couple of strap wrenches.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=94119

R

Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

Existential Angst wrote:
"Jay-T" wrote in message
...
I am pre-fitting some PVC fitting for a 3-inch sewer drain line
coming down from a first-floor toilet. .... What I would like to be able
to do is put the two PVC fittings
together and then be able to easily rotate both so I can get the
correct angle I need to continue the run. ....

Has anyone ever tried lubricating PVC fittings .... and then remove
the lubricant and glue the fittings together? ...

By dish soap, you mean dishwashing liquid? I would have suggested
that, surprised it doesn't work.
Dilute it out a little?

Yes, I did mean dishwashing liquid. I didn't try diluting it (yet).

Could be bum fittings as well.

I think the fittings are fine.

If worse comes to worse, pvc fittings are not that expensive, so
maybe you can just remove some material from them so they can rotate,
and sacrifice them for this particular app, and have spares on hand.
Keep them around for future fit-ups, but mark them so you don't
inadvertantly use them.

That's a good idea that I didn't think of.

Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

Existential Angst wrote:
"Jay-T" wrote in message
...
I am pre-fitting some PVC fitting for a 3-inch sewer drain line
coming down from a first-floor toilet. .... What I would like to be able
to do is put the two PVC fittings
together and then be able to easily rotate both so I can get the
correct angle I need to continue the run. ....

Has anyone ever tried lubricating PVC fittings .... and then remove
the lubricant and glue the fittings together? ...

By dish soap, you mean dishwashing liquid? I would have suggested
that, surprised it doesn't work.
Dilute it out a little?

Yes, I did mean dishwashing liquid. I didn't try diluting it (yet).

Could be bum fittings as well.

I think the fittings are fine.

If worse comes to worse, pvc fittings are not that expensive, so
maybe you can just remove some material from them so they can rotate,
and sacrifice them for this particular app, and have spares on hand.
Keep them around for future fit-ups, but mark them so you don't
inadvertantly use them.

That's a good idea that I didn't think of.

Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

Hustlin' Hank wrote:
.....
Another thing you might try is hair spray. It will make things very
slippery. I use hair spray to install handlebar grips on motorcycles.
Altho I am not sure what would happen if you let it sit long enough to
dry, it may glue them together. Usually takes awhile to dry if you use
a lot. If you try this, let us know if it works. :-)

I don't have any hair spray, but I guess I could get some and try it. My
hunch is that it would get sticky before I could make the adjustment I need
to make in the fittings.

Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

Hustlin' Hank wrote:
.....
Another thing you might try is hair spray. It will make things very
slippery. I use hair spray to install handlebar grips on motorcycles.
Altho I am not sure what would happen if you let it sit long enough to
dry, it may glue them together. Usually takes awhile to dry if you use
a lot. If you try this, let us know if it works. :-)

I don't have any hair spray, but I guess I could get some and try it. My
hunch is that it would get sticky before I could make the adjustment I need
to make in the fittings.

Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

The Daring Dufas wrote:
Jay-T wrote:
I am pre-fitting some PVC fitting for a 3-inch sewer drain line
coming down from a first-floor toilet. ... Has anyone ever tried
lubricating PVC fittings first just to get the
fittings lined up correctly, ....

We spilled some Armor All on the kitchen floor last night and
it darned near turned the place into a skating rink! I don't
know if it would work or how to get it off afterwards but the
PVC cleaner/primer always seem to fix things up fairly well.

I'm still experimenting. Maybe that will work. Who knows?

This morning I tried baby powder -- didn't work. I got the idea when doing
an Internet search and found something about powdered lubricants.

I also tried Surgi-Lube which is a water-based lubricant that is used in
some medical and EMS applications. That didn't work either.

Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

The Daring Dufas wrote:
Jay-T wrote:
I am pre-fitting some PVC fitting for a 3-inch sewer drain line
coming down from a first-floor toilet. ... Has anyone ever tried
lubricating PVC fittings first just to get the
fittings lined up correctly, ....

We spilled some Armor All on the kitchen floor last night and
it darned near turned the place into a skating rink! I don't
know if it would work or how to get it off afterwards but the
PVC cleaner/primer always seem to fix things up fairly well.

I'm still experimenting. Maybe that will work. Who knows?

This morning I tried baby powder -- didn't work. I got the idea when doing
an Internet search and found something about powdered lubricants.

I also tried Surgi-Lube which is a water-based lubricant that is used in
some medical and EMS applications. That didn't work either.

Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

RicodJour wrote:
On Dec 11, 3:45 am, "Jay-T" wrote:
I am pre-fitting some PVC fitting for a 3-inch sewer drain line
coming down from a first-floor toilet. ...

Buy or jury-rig a couple of strap wrenches.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=94119

There is no room or access to be able to get any type of wrenches or tools
in there to make any adjustments. It is hard to describe where the fittings
are exactly.

If I can't figure out a lubricant that works, I'll just have to reach up
there and do the best I can to make the adjustment by hand.

But, I did wonder if there is any kind of lubricant out there that would
work for this of application. If so, I think it would be useful when
pre-fitting a lot of PVC drain lines that require a number of turns, L's,
45's, etc. It would be an easier way to pre-fit and adjust everything, then
mark them with a line-up mark, and later go back and clean and glue the
connections.

Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

RicodJour wrote:
On Dec 11, 3:45 am, "Jay-T" wrote:
I am pre-fitting some PVC fitting for a 3-inch sewer drain line
coming down from a first-floor toilet. ...

Buy or jury-rig a couple of strap wrenches.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=94119

There is no room or access to be able to get any type of wrenches or tools
in there to make any adjustments. It is hard to describe where the fittings
are exactly.

If I can't figure out a lubricant that works, I'll just have to reach up
there and do the best I can to make the adjustment by hand.

But, I did wonder if there is any kind of lubricant out there that would
work for this of application. If so, I think it would be useful when
pre-fitting a lot of PVC drain lines that require a number of turns, L's,
45's, etc. It would be an easier way to pre-fit and adjust everything, then
mark them with a line-up mark, and later go back and clean and glue the
connections.

Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

Jay-T wrote:
The Daring Dufas wrote:
Jay-T wrote:
I am pre-fitting some PVC fitting for a 3-inch sewer drain line
coming down from a first-floor toilet. ... Has anyone ever tried
lubricating PVC fittings first just to get the
fittings lined up correctly, ....

We spilled some Armor All on the kitchen floor last night and
it darned near turned the place into a skating rink! I don't
know if it would work or how to get it off afterwards but the
PVC cleaner/primer always seem to fix things up fairly well.

I'm still experimenting. Maybe that will work. Who knows?

This morning I tried baby powder -- didn't work. I got the idea when
doing an Internet search and found something about powdered
lubricants.
I also tried Surgi-Lube which is a water-based lubricant that is used
in some medical and EMS applications. That didn't work either.

I don't think anything will work. I am not familiar with PVC plumbing
fittings because ABS plumbing fittings are mandated in my area, however, I
understand that they are made very similar. ABS fittings will never fit
together cold because they are tapered and the female hubs are designed to
be undersize at about the halfway point of insertion. The idea is that the
solvent/glue will disolve both the surface of the fitting and the pipe and
only then will they bottom out when you press them together tightly. This
way you get a solid solvent welded joint that will not leak. Dry, they just
jamb together and not rotate nor bottom out.

Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

Jay-T wrote:
The Daring Dufas wrote:
Jay-T wrote:
I am pre-fitting some PVC fitting for a 3-inch sewer drain line
coming down from a first-floor toilet. ... Has anyone ever tried
lubricating PVC fittings first just to get the
fittings lined up correctly, ....

We spilled some Armor All on the kitchen floor last night and
it darned near turned the place into a skating rink! I don't
know if it would work or how to get it off afterwards but the
PVC cleaner/primer always seem to fix things up fairly well.

I'm still experimenting. Maybe that will work. Who knows?

This morning I tried baby powder -- didn't work. I got the idea when
doing an Internet search and found something about powdered
lubricants.
I also tried Surgi-Lube which is a water-based lubricant that is used
in some medical and EMS applications. That didn't work either.

I don't think anything will work. I am not familiar with PVC plumbing
fittings because ABS plumbing fittings are mandated in my area, however, I
understand that they are made very similar. ABS fittings will never fit
together cold because they are tapered and the female hubs are designed to
be undersize at about the halfway point of insertion. The idea is that the
solvent/glue will disolve both the surface of the fitting and the pipe and
only then will they bottom out when you press them together tightly. This
way you get a solid solvent welded joint that will not leak. Dry, they just
jamb together and not rotate nor bottom out.

Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

On Dec 11, 11:19*am, "Jay-T" wrote:
But, I did wonder if there is any kind of lubricant out there that would
work for this of application. *If so, I think it would be useful when
pre-fitting a lot of PVC drain lines that require a number of turns, L's,
45's, etc. *It would be an easier way to pre-fit and adjust everything, then
mark them with a line-up mark, and later go back and clean and glue the
connections.

I've never seen a plumber do anything but dry-fit the fittings.

Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

On Dec 11, 11:19*am, "Jay-T" wrote:
But, I did wonder if there is any kind of lubricant out there that would
work for this of application. *If so, I think it would be useful when
pre-fitting a lot of PVC drain lines that require a number of turns, L's,
45's, etc. *It would be an easier way to pre-fit and adjust everything, then
mark them with a line-up mark, and later go back and clean and glue the
connections.

I've never seen a plumber do anything but dry-fit the fittings.

Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

On Dec 11, 12:21*pm, wrote:
On Dec 11, 11:19*am, "Jay-T" wrote:

But, I did wonder if there is any kind of lubricant out there that would
work for this of application. *If so, I think it would be useful when
pre-fitting a lot of PVC drain lines that require a number of turns, L's,
45's, etc. *It would be an easier way to pre-fit and adjust everything, then
mark them with a line-up mark, and later go back and clean and glue the
connections.

I've never seen a plumber do anything but dry-fit the fittings.

True, but then again the guy probably broke out the Sawzall with the
Axe demolition blade and made an opening he could climb right into.
Sometimes I swear it would be easier to build the house around the
plumbing than to repair what the Hackmaster General did to the
framing.

R

Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

On Dec 11, 12:21*pm, wrote:
On Dec 11, 11:19*am, "Jay-T" wrote:

But, I did wonder if there is any kind of lubricant out there that would
work for this of application. *If so, I think it would be useful when
pre-fitting a lot of PVC drain lines that require a number of turns, L's,
45's, etc. *It would be an easier way to pre-fit and adjust everything, then
mark them with a line-up mark, and later go back and clean and glue the
connections.

I've never seen a plumber do anything but dry-fit the fittings.

True, but then again the guy probably broke out the Sawzall with the
Axe demolition blade and made an opening he could climb right into.
Sometimes I swear it would be easier to build the house around the
plumbing than to repair what the Hackmaster General did to the
framing.

R

Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

"Jay-T" wrote in
:

I am pre-fitting some PVC fitting for a 3-inch sewer drain line coming
down from a first-floor toilet. Where the drain comes through the
basement ceiling from the toilet, there are two 45-degree 3-inch
fittings -- one is the toilet flange itself which is a 45-degree
fitting and the other is a 45-degree elbow. The place where they come
through the ceiling is hard to access.

What I would like to be able to do is put the two PVC fittings
together and then be able to easily rotate both so I can get the
correct angle I need to continue the run. The problem is that when I
put the two fittings together, they are next to impossible to rotate
while in place. I need the fittings to be able to rotate one inside
the other to get the correct line-up.

Has anyone ever tried lubricating PVC fittings first just to get the
fittings lined up correctly, then marking them for the correct
line-up, and then remove the lubricant and glue the fittings together?
Does anyone know what kind of lubricant might work for this? So far,
I have just tried dish soap, but that doesn't work -- the parts just
stick together as usual and do not turn easily. Any suggestions on
what to use?




What type of store did you buy them in?

Try running sandpaper/Abrasive Cloth around the outside of the male end
and very slightly knock the outer edge off/bevel it. Dry fit befoe
install as well.

If that's ng, try another supplier. Dry fit at the store.

I'm not even a good wanna-be plumber but my understanding is those
fittings HAVE to be clean before priming and gluing if you don't want it
leaking. All the lubricants you mention are contaminates.

Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

"Jay-T" wrote in
:

I am pre-fitting some PVC fitting for a 3-inch sewer drain line coming
down from a first-floor toilet. Where the drain comes through the
basement ceiling from the toilet, there are two 45-degree 3-inch
fittings -- one is the toilet flange itself which is a 45-degree
fitting and the other is a 45-degree elbow. The place where they come
through the ceiling is hard to access.

What I would like to be able to do is put the two PVC fittings
together and then be able to easily rotate both so I can get the
correct angle I need to continue the run. The problem is that when I
put the two fittings together, they are next to impossible to rotate
while in place. I need the fittings to be able to rotate one inside
the other to get the correct line-up.

Has anyone ever tried lubricating PVC fittings first just to get the
fittings lined up correctly, then marking them for the correct
line-up, and then remove the lubricant and glue the fittings together?
Does anyone know what kind of lubricant might work for this? So far,
I have just tried dish soap, but that doesn't work -- the parts just
stick together as usual and do not turn easily. Any suggestions on
what to use?




What type of store did you buy them in?

Try running sandpaper/Abrasive Cloth around the outside of the male end
and very slightly knock the outer edge off/bevel it. Dry fit befoe
install as well.

If that's ng, try another supplier. Dry fit at the store.

I'm not even a good wanna-be plumber but my understanding is those
fittings HAVE to be clean before priming and gluing if you don't want it
leaking. All the lubricants you mention are contaminates.

Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

On Dec 11, 3:45*am, "Jay-T" wrote:
I am pre-fitting some PVC fitting for a 3-inch sewer drain line coming down
from a first-floor toilet. *Where the drain comes through the basement
ceiling from the toilet, there are two 45-degree 3-inch fittings -- one is
the toilet flange itself which is a 45-degree fitting and the other is a
45-degree elbow. *The place where they come through the ceiling is hard to
access.

What I would like to be able to do is put the two PVC fittings together and
then be able to easily rotate both so I can get the correct angle I need to
continue the run. *The problem is that when I put the two fittings together,
they are next to impossible to rotate while in place. *I need the fittings
to be able to rotate one inside the other to get the correct line-up.

Has anyone ever tried lubricating PVC fittings first just to get the
fittings lined up correctly, then marking them for the correct line-up, and
then remove the lubricant and glue the fittings together? *Does anyone know
what kind of lubricant might work for this? *So far, I have just tried dish
soap, but that doesn't work -- the parts just stick together as usual and do
not turn easily. *Any suggestions on what to use?

Waterless hand cleaner makes a good temporary lubricant and it cleans
off easy.


Jimmie

Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

EXT wrote:

I don't think anything will work. I am not familiar with PVC plumbing
fittings because ABS plumbing fittings are mandated in my area,
however, I understand that they are made very similar. ABS fittings
will never fit together cold because they are tapered and the female
hubs are designed to be undersize at about the halfway point of
insertion. The idea is that the solvent/glue will disolve both the
surface of the fitting and the pipe and only then will they bottom
out when you press them together tightly. This way you get a solid
solvent welded joint that will not leak. Dry, they just jamb together
and not rotate nor bottom out.

Interesting. I didn't know that the fittings were tapered. That explains
why no amount of lubricant would work.

I just did a Google search for " are PVC fittings tapered " (without the
quotes) and found more info. Here are two links that I found:

http://www.askmehelpdesk.com/plumbin...ing-55381.html

http://www.genovaee.com/?id,288 (on that page, click on the first link at
the top of the list on the right)

Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

Thanks all for your ideas and suggestions. I was able to finish the job
this afternoon. I ended up just using brute force to twist the two
45-degree angled fittings to where they made the complex angle turn I needed
etc. What helped was that I put a piece of 3-inch PVC in the bottom
45-degree coupling and used that for leverage to turn that one.

Jay-T wrote:
I am pre-fitting some PVC fitting for a 3-inch sewer drain line
coming down from a first-floor toilet. Where the drain comes through
the basement ceiling from the toilet, there are two 45-degree 3-inch
fittings -- one is the toilet flange itself which is a 45-degree
fitting and the other is a 45-degree elbow. The place where they
come through the ceiling is hard to access.

What I would like to be able to do is put the two PVC fittings
together and then be able to easily rotate both so I can get the
correct angle I need to continue the run. The problem is that when I
put the two fittings together, they are next to impossible to rotate
while in place. I need the fittings to be able to rotate one inside
the other to get the correct line-up.
Has anyone ever tried lubricating PVC fittings first just to get the
fittings lined up correctly, then marking them for the correct
line-up, and then remove the lubricant and glue the fittings
together? Does anyone know what kind of lubricant might work for
this? So far, I have just tried dish soap, but that doesn't work --
the parts just stick together as usual and do not turn easily. Any
suggestions on what to use?

Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

Jay-T wrote:
I am pre-fitting some PVC fitting for a 3-inch sewer drain line
coming down from a first-floor toilet. Where the drain comes through
the basement ceiling from the toilet, there are two 45-degree 3-inch
fittings -- one is the toilet flange itself which is a 45-degree
fitting and the other is a 45-degree elbow. The place where they
come through the ceiling is hard to access.

What I would like to be able to do is put the two PVC fittings
together and then be able to easily rotate both so I can get the
correct angle I need to continue the run. The problem is that when I
put the two fittings together, they are next to impossible to rotate
while in place. I need the fittings to be able to rotate one inside
the other to get the correct line-up.
Has anyone ever tried lubricating PVC fittings first just to get the
fittings lined up correctly, then marking them for the correct
line-up, and then remove the lubricant and glue the fittings
together? Does anyone know what kind of lubricant might work for
this? So far, I have just tried dish soap, but that doesn't work --
the parts just stick together as usual and do not turn easily. Any
suggestions on what to use?

1. Lube it up with whatever you've got.
2. Place in position.
3. Mark pieces.
4. Remove and get as much chicken-fat, or whatever you used, off the parts.
5. Cement the parts together and install.

I believe since this is a DRAIN, and under no pressure, the chances of it
leaking are remote.

Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

Jay-T wrote:
I am pre-fitting some PVC fitting for a 3-inch sewer drain line coming
down from a first-floor toilet. Where the drain comes through the
basement ceiling from the toilet, there are two 45-degree 3-inch
fittings -- one is the toilet flange itself which is a 45-degree fitting
and the other is a 45-degree elbow. The place where they come through
the ceiling is hard to access.

What I would like to be able to do is put the two PVC fittings together
and then be able to easily rotate both so I can get the correct angle I
need to continue the run. The problem is that when I put the two
fittings together, they are next to impossible to rotate while in
place. I need the fittings to be able to rotate one inside the other to
get the correct line-up.

Has anyone ever tried lubricating PVC fittings first just to get the
fittings lined up correctly, then marking them for the correct line-up,
and then remove the lubricant and glue the fittings together? Does
anyone know what kind of lubricant might work for this? So far, I have
just tried dish soap, but that doesn't work -- the parts just stick
together as usual and do not turn easily. Any suggestions on what to use?



The glue make a good lube. Rotate as needed as you glue them up. It's
not rocket science.

s

Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

"Steve Barker" wrote in message
...
Jay-T wrote:
I am pre-fitting some PVC fitting for a 3-inch sewer drain line coming
down from a first-floor toilet. Where the drain comes through the
basement ceiling from the toilet, there are two 45-degree 3-inch
fittings -- one is the toilet flange itself which is a 45-degree fitting
and the other is a 45-degree elbow. The place where they come through
the ceiling is hard to access.

What I would like to be able to do is put the two PVC fittings together
and then be able to easily rotate both so I can get the correct angle I
need to continue the run. The problem is that when I put the two
fittings together, they are next to impossible to rotate while in place.
I need the fittings to be able to rotate one inside the other to get the
correct line-up.

Has anyone ever tried lubricating PVC fittings first just to get the
fittings lined up correctly, then marking them for the correct line-up,
and then remove the lubricant and glue the fittings together? Does
anyone know what kind of lubricant might work for this? So far, I have
just tried dish soap, but that doesn't work -- the parts just stick
together as usual and do not turn easily. Any suggestions on what to
use?



The glue make a good lube. Rotate as needed as you glue them up. It's
not rocket science.


Actually, it is rocket science -- or at least 3-dimensional geometry
involving complex angles.

Sure, the glue makes a good lubricant -- for about 15 seconds. Then it
makes a good glue, and whatever you have in place at the time the glue sets
you are stuck with, whether it works or not. For this application, it was a
matter of having to dry fit the pieces together first to see if they would
even be capable of making the complex turn that was involved and end up with
a pipe coming down at the correct angle to be able to make the next
connection.

Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

Jay-T wrote:
I am pre-fitting some PVC fitting for a 3-inch sewer drain line coming
down from a first-floor toilet. Where the drain comes through the
basement ceiling from the toilet, there are two 45-degree 3-inch
fittings -- one is the toilet flange itself which is a 45-degree fitting
and the other is a 45-degree elbow. The place where they come through
the ceiling is hard to access.

What I would like to be able to do is put the two PVC fittings together
and then be able to easily rotate both so I can get the correct angle I
need to continue the run. The problem is that when I put the two
fittings together, they are next to impossible to rotate while in
place. I need the fittings to be able to rotate one inside the other to
get the correct line-up.

Has anyone ever tried lubricating PVC fittings first just to get the
fittings lined up correctly, then marking them for the correct line-up,
and then remove the lubricant and glue the fittings together? Does
anyone know what kind of lubricant might work for this? So far, I have
just tried dish soap, but that doesn't work -- the parts just stick
together as usual and do not turn easily. Any suggestions on what to use?

How about K-Y jelly? Or better yet Astro Lube! After all, you are
dealing with male to female fittings.

Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

"Jay-T" wrote in message
...
"Steve Barker" wrote in message
...
Jay-T wrote:
I am pre-fitting some PVC fitting for a 3-inch sewer drain line coming
down from a first-floor toilet. Where the drain comes through the
basement ceiling from the toilet, there are two 45-degree 3-inch
fittings -- one is the toilet flange itself which is a 45-degree fitting
and the other is a 45-degree elbow. The place where they come through
the ceiling is hard to access.

What I would like to be able to do is put the two PVC fittings together
and then be able to easily rotate both so I can get the correct angle I
need to continue the run. The problem is that when I put the two
fittings together, they are next to impossible to rotate while in place.
I need the fittings to be able to rotate one inside the other to get the
correct line-up.

Has anyone ever tried lubricating PVC fittings first just to get the
fittings lined up correctly, then marking them for the correct line-up,
and then remove the lubricant and glue the fittings together? Does
anyone know what kind of lubricant might work for this? So far, I have
just tried dish soap, but that doesn't work -- the parts just stick
together as usual and do not turn easily. Any suggestions on what to
use?



The glue make a good lube. Rotate as needed as you glue them up. It's
not rocket science.


Actually, it is rocket science -- or at least 3-dimensional geometry
involving complex angles.

Sure, the glue makes a good lubricant -- for about 15 seconds. Then it
makes a good glue, and whatever you have in place at the time the glue
sets you are stuck with, whether it works or not. For this application,
it was a matter of having to dry fit the pieces together first to see if
they would even be capable of making the complex turn that was involved
and end up with a pipe coming down at the correct angle to be able to make
the next connection.

Hmmmm.... if that turn is *too* complex, I'd hang a sign on the toilet that
says, "Flush Often, Please".
Esp. with 3" pipe.
Mebbe N'Yawkers just have bigger bowel movements? Our code is 4".
Texas proly has a 6" code.... 48 oz steaks, donchaknow....
--
EA

Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

"Tony" wrote in message
...
Jay-T wrote:
I am pre-fitting some PVC fitting for a 3-inch sewer drain line coming
down from a first-floor toilet. Where the drain comes through the
basement ceiling from the toilet, there are two 45-degree 3-inch
fittings -- one is the toilet flange itself which is a 45-degree fitting
and the other is a 45-degree elbow. The place where they come through
the ceiling is hard to access.

What I would like to be able to do is put the two PVC fittings together
and then be able to easily rotate both so I can get the correct angle I
need to continue the run. The problem is that when I put the two
fittings together, they are next to impossible to rotate while in place.
I need the fittings to be able to rotate one inside the other to get the
correct line-up.

Has anyone ever tried lubricating PVC fittings first just to get the
fittings lined up correctly, then marking them for the correct line-up,
and then remove the lubricant and glue the fittings together? Does
anyone know what kind of lubricant might work for this? So far, I have
just tried dish soap, but that doesn't work -- the parts just stick
together as usual and do not turn easily. Any suggestions on what to
use?

How about K-Y jelly? Or better yet Astro Lube! After all, you are
dealing with male to female fittings.

It's AstroGlide, and its origins were male-male.
Still, given that, uh, demanding work environment/application, proly would
work all the better on pvc.
--
EA

Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

"Jay-T" wrote in message
...
Hustlin' Hank wrote:
.....
Another thing you might try is hair spray. It will make things very
slippery. I use hair spray to install handlebar grips on motorcycles.
Altho I am not sure what would happen if you let it sit long enough to
dry, it may glue them together. Usually takes awhile to dry if you use
a lot. If you try this, let us know if it works. :-)

I don't have any hair spray, but I guess I could get some and try it. My
hunch is that it would get sticky before I could make the adjustment I
need
to make in the fittings.



I think hairspray has acetone or some other such solvent and might very well
melt the plastic like the glue does.

--
Roger Shoaf

If knowledge is power, and power corrupts, what does this say about the
Congress?

Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

Existential Angst wrote:
"Jay-T" wrote in message
...
"Steve Barker" wrote in message
...
Jay-T wrote:
I am pre-fitting some PVC fitting for a 3-inch sewer drain line coming
down from a first-floor toilet. Where the drain comes through the
basement ceiling from the toilet, there are two 45-degree 3-inch
fittings -- one is the toilet flange itself which is a 45-degree fitting
and the other is a 45-degree elbow. The place where they come through
the ceiling is hard to access.

What I would like to be able to do is put the two PVC fittings together
and then be able to easily rotate both so I can get the correct angle I
need to continue the run. The problem is that when I put the two
fittings together, they are next to impossible to rotate while in place.
I need the fittings to be able to rotate one inside the other to get the
correct line-up.

Has anyone ever tried lubricating PVC fittings first just to get the
fittings lined up correctly, then marking them for the correct line-up,
and then remove the lubricant and glue the fittings together? Does
anyone know what kind of lubricant might work for this? So far, I have
just tried dish soap, but that doesn't work -- the parts just stick
together as usual and do not turn easily. Any suggestions on what to
use?


The glue make a good lube. Rotate as needed as you glue them up. It's
not rocket science.

Actually, it is rocket science -- or at least 3-dimensional geometry
involving complex angles.

Sure, the glue makes a good lubricant -- for about 15 seconds. Then it
makes a good glue, and whatever you have in place at the time the glue
sets you are stuck with, whether it works or not. For this application,
it was a matter of having to dry fit the pieces together first to see if
they would even be capable of making the complex turn that was involved
and end up with a pipe coming down at the correct angle to be able to make
the next connection.

Hmmmm.... if that turn is *too* complex, I'd hang a sign on the toilet that
says, "Flush Often, Please".
Esp. with 3" pipe.
Mebbe N'Yawkers just have bigger bowel movements? Our code is 4".
Texas proly has a 6" code.... 48 oz steaks, donchaknow....

the outlet on the toilet is 2.5 inches at best and most are 2". 4" pipe
is overkill. And I've never seen 4" pipe in a house. It won't fit down
a wall.

s

Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

Steve Barker wrote:
Existential Angst wrote:
"Jay-T" wrote in message
...
"Steve Barker" wrote in message
...
Jay-T wrote:
I am pre-fitting some PVC fitting for a 3-inch sewer drain line
coming down from a first-floor toilet. Where the drain comes
through the basement ceiling from the toilet, there are two
45-degree 3-inch fittings -- one is the toilet flange itself which
is a 45-degree fitting and the other is a 45-degree elbow. The
place where they come through the ceiling is hard to access.

What I would like to be able to do is put the two PVC fittings
together and then be able to easily rotate both so I can get the
correct angle I need to continue the run. The problem is that when
I put the two fittings together, they are next to impossible to
rotate while in place. I need the fittings to be able to rotate one
inside the other to get the correct line-up.

Has anyone ever tried lubricating PVC fittings first just to get
the fittings lined up correctly, then marking them for the correct
line-up, and then remove the lubricant and glue the fittings
together? Does anyone know what kind of lubricant might work for
this? So far, I have just tried dish soap, but that doesn't work
-- the parts just stick together as usual and do not turn easily.
Any suggestions on what to use?


The glue make a good lube. Rotate as needed as you glue them up.
It's not rocket science.

Actually, it is rocket science -- or at least 3-dimensional geometry
involving complex angles.

Sure, the glue makes a good lubricant -- for about 15 seconds. Then
it makes a good glue, and whatever you have in place at the time the
glue sets you are stuck with, whether it works or not. For this
application, it was a matter of having to dry fit the pieces together
first to see if they would even be capable of making the complex turn
that was involved and end up with a pipe coming down at the correct
angle to be able to make the next connection.

Hmmmm.... if that turn is *too* complex, I'd hang a sign on the
toilet that says, "Flush Often, Please".
Esp. with 3" pipe.
Mebbe N'Yawkers just have bigger bowel movements? Our code is 4".
Texas proly has a 6" code.... 48 oz steaks, donchaknow....

the outlet on the toilet is 2.5 inches at best and most are 2". 4" pipe
is overkill. And I've never seen 4" pipe in a house. It won't fit down
a wall.

Four inch pvc fits in walls! In my last house there was one interior
(non load bearing) wall that was 2x6 studs. They had some special name
for it but I forget the name. In that wall are 2 4" pvc pipes, one for
the plumbing waste vent through the roof and the other was put in and
capped in the attic just in case I ever needed it for Radon abatement.
I agree 3" is fine for the toilet. When the trap/path leaving a toilet
gets to be 4", then maybe a 4" pipe would be needed. It is however very
common for the main pipe to be 4" where the smaller pipes join and that
normally goes out to the septic or city sanitary sewer.

Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

They had some special name
for it but I forget the name.

Wet wall, waste wall, or utilities wall? (as seen in "The Matrix")

Lubricating PVC fittings to pre-fit
 

"Roger Shoaf" wrote in message
...

"Jay-T" wrote in message
...
Hustlin' Hank wrote:
.....
Another thing you might try is hair spray. It will make things very
slippery. I use hair spray to install handlebar grips on motorcycles.
Altho I am not sure what would happen if you let it sit long enough to
dry, it may glue them together. Usually takes awhile to dry if you use
a lot. If you try this, let us know if it works. :-)

I don't have any hair spray, but I guess I could get some and try it. My
hunch is that it would get sticky before I could make the adjustment I
need
to make in the fittings.



I think hairspray has acetone or some other such solvent and might very
well
melt the plastic like the glue does.

HIGHLY unlikely. that would make it be pretty toxic.

some msds files:

non-aerosol hairspray:
http://www.pg.com/content/pdf/01_abo...8627641%29.pdf
aerosol hairspray:
http://www.pg.com/content/pdf/01_abo...5925520%29.pdf

mostly: water, alcohol, some sort of polymer glue, and fragrences.