How to Remove PVC Glue

By
Lee Wallender
Lee Wallender
Lee Wallender

Lee has over two decades of hands-on experience remodeling, fixing, and improving homes, and has been providing home improvement advice for over 13 years.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process
Updated on 02/10/23
Reviewed by
Richard Epstein
Richard Epstein
Reviewed by Richard Epstein
Richard Epstein is a licensed master plumber with over 40 years experience in residential and commercial plumbing. He specializes in estimating as well as design and engineering for plumbing systems, and he works for one of New York's largest union plumbing construction companies.
Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board
PVC glue being removed with sandpaper from PCV pipe end

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

Project Overview
  • Working Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 10 - 20 mins
  • Skill Level: Beginner
  • Estimated Cost: $10 to $20

PVC pipes are a great asset to do-it-yourself plumbers because they join like a dream. Next to ABS and PEX pipes, PVC pipes are the most secure pipes that you can join with such ease. That advantage turns into a disadvantage the moment you try to separate the pipes and remove the PVC glue.

Doing so is truly a challenge, especially when removing PVC glue from PVC itself. Removing PVC glue from other materials is considerably easier. But there are a few methods that can help you remove PVC glue from PVC and from wood, metal, or other plastics.

Removing PVC Pipe and Glue

  • Cut out and replace the pipe if possible
  • Twist the pipe in opposite directions
  • Heat the pipe with a heat gun
  • Sand the pipe to remove the glue

How PVC Pipe Glue Works

PVC glue is not glue. The term glue is a convenient handle, but it minimizes the power of a substance that works at the deepest level of PVC's molecular structure.

White glue, wood glue, and hot melt glue are examples of glues that sit on the surface of the materials and harden. The hardened glue grips one material to the other material. PVC glue works completely differently.

PVC glue is a solvent that melts the two pipes and bonds them together. As soon as PVC glue is applied to PVC pipe, it immediately works on the top layer of the PVC, softening and dissolving it. When a second piece of PVC is pushed against the first piece, the softened plastic of each piece bonds with the other. The result is a continuous section of PVC. In many cases, the joint is stronger than the pipe itself.

The good news is that you might be able to catch the pipes in time if you just now joined them. Another factor that can work to your advantage is that PVC pipes are sometimes poorly joined. Any voids in the bonding make them good candidates for separation. In a hurry, the plumber or do-it-yourselfer may have only partially applied the PVC glue to the joint.

Featured Video

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • Heat gun
  • Tongue-and-groove pliers
  • PVC pipe cutter or hacksaw
  • Thick gloves

Materials

  • Sandpaper

Instructions

Materials and tools to remove PVC glue

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

  1. Cut the PVC Pipe

    Cutting back the PVC pipe to a new point is actually the best way to separate PVC pipes and remove the glue. Professional plumbers usually will cut away PVC pipe rather than try to separate it. PVC pipe is soft and easy to cut. Unlike copper pipe, PVC is inexpensive to replace.

    PVC pipe cut with hacksaw to separate

    The Spruce / Kevin Norris

    Use a hacksaw or a PVC pipe cutter to cut off the section you would like to separate. Make sure that you cut back several inches on each side to leave enough room to fit the new coupling, elbow, or other PVC fitting. Keep the cut straight. Deburr the pipe on both sides with sandpaper.

    If you're unable to cut and replace the PVC pipe, move onto two other methods: twisting off the pipe or heating the pipe.

  2. Twist the PVC Pipe

    Twisting the PVC pipes in opposite directions may provide enough torque to separate the two pipes. Two tongue-and-groove pliers working against each other, one on each side of the pipe joint, may help to break the bond.

    Warning

    PVC pipe has low collapse strength when compared to other pipes. For example, 2-inch diameter schedule 40 PVC pipe is rated at 225 pounds per square inch before it will collapse. Be careful about applying pressure to the pipe from pliers.

    PVC pipes twisted in opposite directions with tongue-and-groove pliers

    The Spruce / Kevin Norris

  3. Heat the PVC Pipe

    Even though it wasn't heat that initially fused the PVC pipes, it was a chemical process similar to heat. So, by applying heat to the pipe with a heat gun, you may be able to soften the joint enough to separate the pipes.

    A heat gun is like a high-powered hairdryer, and it's often used for removing paint or loosening metal pipes.

    Start with the heat gun on a lower setting and begin to heat up the PVC pipe. As the pipe heats up, work on the pipe with the pliers by twisting it away from the other pipe. It's a slow process, so be patient. In many cases, you may have to sacrifice one pipe by breaking it away from the other pipe. Go slow and protect surfaces around or behind the PVC from burning or melting.

    Old PVC glue on pipes heated with heat gun

    The Spruce / Kevin Norris

  4. Remove Glue From PVC Pipe

    If you do manage to separate the PVC pipes, you may want to try to remove the glue from the pipes. Fortunately, PVC pipe glue isn't like other glues: It's very watery and doesn't lump up. The surface of previously glued PVC pipe will be distorted and colored purple (because of the color of the glue).

    Sanding down the distortion and sloughing away the purple color is the best way to remove the glue. Start with sandpaper in the #220 grit range and work up to finer-grit sandpaper to smooth away any grooves.

    Tip

    If you intend to reuse the PVC pipe, you may not be able to properly join the pipe if too much material has been removed from the sanding.

    Sandpaper wrapped around PVC pipe to remove old PVC glue

    The Spruce / Kevin Norris

How to Remove PVC Glue From Other Materials

On open, accessible materials other than PVC, scraping and using a solvent is often enough to remove the PVC glue.

  1. With a plastic putty scraper, push off as much of the PVC glue as you can. Avoid gouging the material.
  2. Wearing latex or nitrile gloves, dampen a clean cloth with acetone.
  3. Place the dampened rag over the PVC glue for a few seconds.
  4. Quickly switch back to the scraper and scrape away the remnants of the glue.
  5. If the PVC glue is not fully removed, repeat the process of dampening it with acetone and scraping several more times.
  6. Clean off acetone with a clean cloth and fresh water.