ABS Glue = yellow or black?

Question

I'm doing a bunch of ABS plumbing for the first time. I have everything cut and ready to assemble so do one last YouTube search for a few tutorials on glueing.

Seems really simple.

HOWEVER, all the tutorials are using this yellow cement. The one I have is black. It's labeled "Medium Black ABS Cement". Is this the right stuff and just a different color? Or do I need to make the road trip back to Home Depot to find the yellow stuff?

score 4 · Accepted Answer · answered Mar 22 '15 at 16:13

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It's ABS cement, you should be fine.

IIRC, the "yellow stuff" is the typical multi-plastic version that's somewhat more commonly found (IMPE) and can join ABS, PVC, CPVC, or any mixture of them - around this area, ABS is rarely seen other than already installed in old installations, so the yellow stuff is more useful to folks who need to repair or adapt it with PVC parts.

answered Mar 22 '15 at 16:13

Ecnerwal

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Thanks! It does seem to work fine. Curious...why is ABS falling out of favor in your area? – DA01 Mar 22 '15 at 17:06
I don't really know - I just don't see it in the stores much at all. I have not actually tried to hunt it down. Is it supposed to have advantages over PVC? – Ecnerwal Mar 22 '15 at 17:13
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Throwing my 2C in ... I've found ABS to be more forgiving of impacts / damage than PVC. ABS will dent or deform, but PVC will shatter. Obviously this isn't a concern after it's installed, but when the pipe is sitting around on a jobsite it could be subjected to various things. ABS also doesn't require priming, whereas PVC does. On the flip side, most people would probably agree that PVC looks nicer and "cleaner" than ABS if the plumbing is exposed, for example in a partially finished or unfinished basement. – William S. Mar 22 '15 at 17:32

score 1 · Answer 2 · edited May 05 '18 at 11:16

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ABS piping produces more noxious fumes when it catches fire than PVC does.

For most new multi-family dwellings ABS is not even permitted for that same reason.

The Yellow "Stuff" is not a multi plastic cement, it is meant solely for ABS and the reason it is yellow is so that you can tell the joint has been properly glued.

The Black is more for aesthetics than anything.

edited May 05 '18 at 11:16

SDsolar

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answered May 04 '18 at 20:11

adam clemas

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ABS Glue = yellow or black?

2 Answers2