Leak on threaded fitting


  #1  
Old 02-17-04, 09:00 AM
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Plumbing oops

Hello-

I'm finishing my basement and I am in the process of installing the vanity and the toilet. I had 1/2" copper stubs sticking out of the wall, to which I sodered a threaded 1/2" end. I then purchased shut-off valves for the toilet and the hot/cold vanity water and screwed them on, wrapping plumber's tape around the end of the threaded stubs about 3 times before doing so.

Well, those threaded shut-off valves each leaked (through the threads) about 1 drop per 5 minutes, no matter how I threaded them on. I even made the mistake of over-torquing one of them on to the point that I bent the 1/2" copper pipe in the wall and had to open the wall and do some quick "emergency" plumbing before I could turn the water back on - oopps. After the repair, I used shut-offs with compression fittings and they don't drip at all.

So in retrospect since this happened yesterday and I wasted hours on my little mistake and was extremely frustrated, why in the world did those threaded shut-off valves leak no matter what I did? Do plumbers simply not use threaded ends?

Thanks for your time in advance,
Steve
 
  #2  
Old 02-17-04, 09:03 AM
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Pipe Dope, Pipe Dope, Pipe Dope

Never had a leaking one using pipe dope.
 
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Old 02-17-04, 09:14 AM
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Cool

And although I'm sure that you know it, teflon tape only goes on one way...clockwise as the threaded end faces you, or it will often "unravel" when tightening the fitting on.
 
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Old 02-17-04, 09:48 AM
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Pipe dope and plumbing tape

Hi-

I'm pretty sure that I put the plumber's tape on in that direction, but thanks for mentioning that.

The previous poster said to put "pipe dope" on the threaded connection? What is pipe dope and how does it work?

Thanks,
Steve
 
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Old 02-17-04, 10:00 AM
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Pipe dope is the paste that gets applied to the threads, tape in not needed if pipe dope is used.

It lubes the threads, allowing the tapered threads to pull tight, and seals it.
 
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Old 02-17-04, 12:04 PM
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Thanks

Thanks plumber2000. I'll go buy some right now and try it on my last threaded fitting.

Steve
 
  #7  
Old 02-17-04, 01:43 PM
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Worked great!

Thanks guys. I bought the stuff and it worked great.

Steve
 
 

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