Dope for Dummies

PVC shutoff valve

If you're reading this, chances are very good that you use the internet to research unfamiliar tasks, especially those once-in-a-lifetime DIY jobs that crop up on a homeowner's To Do list from time to time. One of the staff at the Antisocial Network recently researched whether it's possible to replace the handle on a shutoff valve in PVC pipe (it's not), and ran across this bit of typical freelancer dumbassery. It comes to you courtesy of – where else? – eHow.com! That's where a gentleman claiming the name Owen E. Richason IV shared his expertise in "How to Install a Shutoff Valve to a PVC Pipe," which Leaf Group has moved to Hunker.com. Maybe we should have said, "shared his lack of expertise"...

While working with PVC is easy enough that one HubPages freelancer thinks it's an ideal "ladies' craft project," doing so still requires the proper tools. Among them is adhesive, which all those DIY plumbers use to assemble and seal their giant Tinkertoy® projects. Adhesive, however, is not what Richason says you must use:

"Insert the shutoff valve onto the PVC piping. Cover one end of the PVC piping with pipe dope and slide the shutoff valve onto it. Then, brush on pipe dope to the other connecting side of the PVC pipe and insert it into the shutoff valve. Allow the adhesive to dry according to the manufacturer's instructions printed on the can." Pipe dope? Is Owen for real? Pipe dope is a liquid sealant that plumbers use to seal threaded joints in galvanized and copper pipe, especially the sort of rough-in joints that are unlikely to ever be disassembled. Those that may someday require disassembly – shower heads, faucets, etc. –  are typically sealed with PTFE (Teflon®) tape. For assembling PVC slip joints (those that aren't threaded), you use PVC adhesive. You sure as hell don't use pipe dope, because the joint would fall apart almost immediately! What a dumbass!

Here's a bit of information our Dumbass of the Day probably didn't know: if you do (for some reason) decide to use pipe dope on your threaded PVC joints, be sure not to use a petroleum-based formula: the oil-based version (usually a gray paste or gel) can weaken the PVC joint instead of strengthen it!

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