Tag Archives: Viscosity


Stop Changing Your Oil So Often…Synthetic Motor Oil Will Solve Some Problems

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So what if synthetic motor oil outlasts conventional motor oil.  Just change your oil more often you lazy bum!

Seriously though, synthetic oil is pricey and changing synthetic motor oil every 3,000 miles is not very cost effective.  Considering that synthetic oil truly lasts longer than conventional oil, you’re not going to be purchasing oil as often which might actually save you some money and you get the awesome benefits attached to synthetic oil like better gas mileage and superior engine protection (preventing costly breakdowns which saves you even more money).

What is synthetic oil and how does it last longer than conventional oil?

Synthetic oil has basestock oils that have been “synthesized” from component molecules (or heavily processed depending on the manufacturer).  What it boils down to is eliminating the native contaminants from the base oils and keeping separate the specific molecules of oil that provide the base viscosity, lubricating properties and resistance to breakdown.

In a nutshell this means that you have a pure starting point.  When your oil breaks down and/or becomes contaminated your oil is no longer capable of properly protecting your engine.  Synthetic oil can be engineered to prevent breakdown and subsequent self contamination while maintaining its base lubrication properties for longer.  Some conventional oils on the other hand are more prone to oxidation sludging and other depositing that changes the lubricating properties of the oil (as some say because they are not pure).

Certain synthetic oils will last longer in the tough environement of your engine as compared to conventional oils.

This really is an oversimplification of a complex topic but the point is in many cases the extra money spent on synthetic motor oil can be offset by extending the change intervals. The overall cost of operating your vehicle is going to go down and you’re still going to get excellent engine protection past that 3,000 mile mark.

So you can save money and protect your engine if you select the right synthetic motor oil for your application.

Need to Know Solvent Cement Standards

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DEFINITION: Often called Pipe Glue, or PVC Glue, the product is actually a Solvent Cement, consisting of sol­vents that melt the surface portion of the conduit & fitting, and PVC resins that serve as a filler between these parts . When applied properly, the sol­vents evaporate or “flash off” leaving a single mass of conduit, fitting and resin forming a sealed joint.

BODY: All solvent cements are characterized by body referring to the mix of solvent and resin. The bigger the pipe or conduit, the more resin is needed to make a good seal . NEMA has recently adopted the ASTM­D2564 standard, which was universally used in all other industries using PVC pipe. Now that standards have been set for the body of the cement viscosity, we feel it is important this is made clear to Electrical Inspectors and the Industry. We feel the Industry has suffered be­cause inferior products with no real standards have saturated the market. Although some manufacturers have displayed that they are ASTM-D2564 compliant, they fail to label their cans as to what specifications they meet. Thus the user, using Regular Bodied Ce­ments (Good through either 2” or 4” Schedule 40) will not know the difference when using it on 6” or Schedule 80. We have adopted the ASTM Standard for all of our Solvent Cements. Medium Bodied Cements have more resin than Light or Regular Bodied Products. We Do not suggest the Standard Bodied Products for applications on Schedule 80 Conduits.

CLEAR OR GRAY?: The resins used determine the product tint . Originally most resins were gray, so many people developed a preference thru use. Clear or gray cements perform the same . Gray resin is more expensive than clear, therefore gray cements are higher in price.

LO-VOC ‘GREEN’: Lo-VOC PVC Cements „Green‟ Cements and Primers are environmentally safe. These Cements and Primers produce low levels of Volatile Organic Com­pounds (VOC). VOC‟s are unhealthful when breathed or ingested and reduce air quality. Required as of 2009 In California, Connecticut, Maryland and New Jersey. They meet Environmental State & District Rules.

ASTM D-2564: The Electrical Industry has adopted this standard, to give us a bench mark to equate products. It states minimum performance criteria for all bod­ies of cements. All of our cements have achieved the upper levels of ASTM D-2564. We are certified by NSF.

SHELF LIFE: Most Solvent Cements have a rated shelf life of 1-2 years. Most have no shelf life guarantee . All United Elchem Cements have a full 3-Year shelf life from Manufacturer date . Each can and carton has the date on the bottom indicating the date of manufacture. The first number is the year followed by a letter month code (IE: C=March). To the best of our knowledge, the manufacturers of conduit do not make their own PVC Cements, and it goes thru multiple warehouses . We will give you fresh product all of the time .

COLD WEATHER: Most product complaints on PVC cements occur during cold weather. Most commonly, the complaint is the joint will not set up , and the pipe & fitting fail to bond . Solvents in General Duty Cements are designed to evaporate and allow the joint to set up down to 400F. (the colder the weather – the slower the set up ). High humidity also slows the cure process. POLAR-WELD Cold Weather Cement Uses a unique solvent that will continue to flash down to 00. This solvent is more expensive ; therefore cements rated for cold climates do cost more.

WET WEATHER APPLICATIONS: As little as 2% moisture in a can of PVC Cement can cause it to become lumpy and ruin the product. Applying conventional Cements to wet pipe, or in heavy rain means the joint will not bond . PLUMB-TITE Wet Application Cements will work in these conditions when nothing else will work. It’s unique solvents make this a more costly product than General Duty Cements.

PRIMERS: All PVC Cements work better when Primed . The Solvents in a Primer pre-soften the PVC making a more bondable connection . Primers should still be wet when PVC Cements are applied. Most Electrical Conduit Joints are made without the use of a Primer .