Gluing PVC Tubing

The new 4 position pool valve I just installed has two ports facing different directions. The manufacturer provides a plug to be used to plug the unused port. The plug they provided does not fit snugly in the port. It wobbles around about 1/32" when I inserted it completely inside the port. At first I suspected an undersized plug. To determine if the plug diameter was smaller then it should be or if the port was too large, I inserted a 2" diameter PCV pipe. It went into the port approximately half way before it ran into resistance. I was unable to insert the pipe all the way. That indicated to me that the diameter of the port was right where it belonged and the plug diameter was less then it should have been..

A neighbor who was a plumber for 30 years before he retired, told me that the PVC cement would have sealed the space between the port wall and the plug. Based on what I know about how PVC cement works I disagree. I believe the PVC cement softens the surface of the pipe and the port which allows the two surfaces to melt together and seal the joint. It was not designed to fill in and seal the space between the port wall and a loose fitting plug or PVC pipe. I believe a snug interference fit is required to make a water tight joint.

Am I mistaken? Is PVC cement designed to fill in the gap between a loose fitting plug and the port wall. OR does it require a snug dry fit to properly seal the joint???
Bill

Can you post a picture please.

Picture of the cap and the valve in question would be nice.

Your idea of how it works is correct, it’s a chemical weld.

Is the plug they supplied, also meant for a port they supplied? If so I would think it would work but I’m not too familiar with pool fittings. I have come across some odd sizes

Pvc glue is not meant to "fill gaps". You can't glue an 1 1/2" tee onto 2" anything and hope the glue fills the gap. I know that's a ridiculous analogy but trying to put it into perspective. Everything pool related I have dealt with have either been threaded fittings or pressurised fittings that fit snuggly. Have you read through the instructions that came with the valve? Always a good idea to read over everything.

Are you referring to a 4 way Jandy valve? Most are for 1 1/2" ID and 2" OD pvc pipes to go into it. I don't believe the cap they gave you was designed to be used as they showed you, and I certainly would not trust it with the 25-35 psi that most pool pumps produce.

Personally, if you only need a 3 way Jandy valve, you are creating problems by using a 4 way valve and capping one branch. You flip that lever to the blocked off side and you will burn out a pump lickity split.

Is this a glue cap that pipe could go inside it or a plug. When I think of a plug it is threaded. Like said, take a quick picture and post it, then your problem could be solved.

I posted three potos of the valve this morning. I can't find the post. Not certain it made it through.
I've attached a two photos of the plug that cames with the valve and hos no part number. Bill

The photo of the Hayward valve shown in the previous post shows two common ports. There is a third common port facing toward the bottom of the valve. I used the port that is facing down. One of the two horizontal ports facing the camera is blocked with plastic. I have no idea why Hayward designed the valve that way..

The blocked port does not have to be plugged if the wall inside the port is left in tack. When one of the two open horizontal ports is used, the other open port must be plugged.

Hayward provides a plug to seal the unused port. According to Hayward, the plug, which is provided with each new valve, has no part number and is unavailable as a stand alone item.

In my opinion, the diameter of the plug that came with my the new valve I purchased is too small to properly seal the unused port. I estimate there about 1/32" clearance when the plug is fully inserted into the port. I can wobble the plug from side to side. When I inserted a section of 2" diameter PVC tubing, the tubing ran into resistance when it was about half way into the port. This suggest the port diameter is normal and the plug diameter is under size.

I fabricated a plug using a short piece of 2" PVC tubing with a 2" PVC cap cemented to one end. I painted the cap black to match the valve. See photo.
Bill

Had a 135,000 BTU pool heat pump installed yesterday. All of the joints are good. Non are leaking. Best of all the Hayward 4 way valve does not leak and the plug I fabricated to plug an open port, is dry as a bone.

All is good with world.

I found the heat pump installer bonded the heat pump to the pump motor but did not attach the bonding wire from the chlorinator. Easy fix.

Finding out how to turn the heat pump on and off was a challenge. When all else failed I read the instructions to find out that I had to swipe the screen from left to right, then press the Mode button, three times to shut it down. My old heat pump used an ON - OFF switch. OR, I could also just lower the temperature below the existing pool water temp. Now I have to find a liquid type pool water cover to hold in the heat overnight, that works.
Bill