PVC primer and cement safety question?

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andy777

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So I finally built myself a keg/carboy washer, a modification of SLObrewer's design.

http://www.slobrewer.com/howto/kegcarboy-washer/2/

I got a bit sloppy with the purple primer and it got me thinking, is this stuff drinking water safe? I'm using Oatey primer and cement (below) but I find conflicting information on the internet about it's safety for potable water purposes. Any help or advice would be welcome.

http://www.oatey.com/Channel/Shared/Pro ... Packs.html
 
It is safe once it has had 24-48 hours to cure. But you are not drinking the water, just rinsing with it.
 
You should be fine. Just use a good sanitizer like Starsan.

Now, we need a Youtube video of it in action.
 
Its the same glue holding your freshwater pvc pipes together in your house, so it better be safe once cured :)
 
Actually primers/cements have a lot of tetrahydrofuran (THF) in them. Plumbers have been using them for years but PVC is typically used for drain lines, not drinking water.

THF is "relatively non-toxic" but not really good for you...it also leaches from the cement for some time after fabrication. Some environmental clients of ours won't even let our treatment systems be constructed with old fashioned primers/cements. This is because the discharge levels of THF coming out of the system exceed drinking water levels for months and months following system start up.

Are you going to get ill, very sick, and/or die from the minimal dose (you are not drinking lots of water from the carboy cleaner and you are probably letting the carboys dry well before use)? Probably not, but something to think about.

I don't have it anymore, but I used a bottle washer out of PVC with glue for years. I feel fine. :drunk:
 

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