Question from Angelique
The plumbers can fasten almost all the pipes in our bathroom with “no hub bands,” which are rubber bands and metal clamps (I assume this is the safest thing for me!)
However, the ring where the toilet meets the floor has to be glued, and our plumber warned us that this is a very stinky glue that the chemically-sensitive clients he knows could smell for days. I don’t know if I need to be too worried about it, as we will still have weeks of remodeling after they glue that thing in, but still, I’d like to know the safest and/or least smelly ABS glue.
Debra’s Answer
I’m not sure you need glue. There is a wax ring that seals the pipe.
Here are some instructions. No mention of glue. I’ve installed toilets in my house and don’t recall any glue.
afm has a non toxic adhesive; it’s not cheap; i think it’s for tiles; wonder if it’s
good for your situation; should contact afm and see if they have anything
I found out that the plumbers misspoke. The glue is for pipes that are underneath the toilet, not to glue the toilet to the floor. These pipes are glued, then covered with cement. The problem is that they will not be covered with cement for a while, hence the plumber’s concern with ABS glue.
What do you think of these options, which I learned by talking to a few companies:
Gorilla’s original glue is waterproof and should work for ABS.
http://www.gorillatough.com/index.php?page=gorilla-glue
Gorilla also makes a low-odor epoxy that will work: http://www.gorillatough.com/index.php?page=epoxy
A rival company, GorillaPVC, makes a low-VOC all-purpose that glues ABS, but they warn that it’s smelly.
I looked at the MSDS for these, and if it had to be one of these, I would use the epoxy, which is safest. But it’s made from a BPA resin, and BPA is an endocrine disruptor.
The GorillaPVC is advertised as “nontoxic” but it’s made from PVC (that’s not nontoxic!).
I can’t seem to find a nontoxic glue for ABS plastic. Readers, any suggestions?
But as you say, the pipes will be well sealed.
During the curing time, I suggest ventilation and fans. You don’t want to seal the fumes under the house where they can come up in other rooms. Do what you can to contain the fumes to an area and ventilate them out.