Plumbing 101: Leak free joints? Do they really exist for the DYI?
#1
06-23-16, 07:10 PM
Plumbing 101: Leak free joints? Do they really exist for the DYI?
I did just read the thread about tape / dope. Perfect lead in for me.
I'm putting up a rain head in a bathroom. It's connecting to a nipple coming out of the ceiling. The manufacturer said use 2 wraps of teflon tape. I did that, then screwed on the shower head. Gave it a 1/8? - 1/4? turn with pipe wrench (box wrenches are better for that, right?). Can't turn it too much more (so it's on pretty tight).
turned on the water, and at that connection, there's a drip, drip, drip.
take off the tape? crank it down tighter? call a pro?
That's typical for me and non-solder connections. The type on the sink faucet hoses with the rubber in the middle? Make it hand tight, right? it'll take me 5 - 6 times to get it to stop dripping, including new hoses cause I try tightening with a wrench / people say I ruined the rubber. And then i put those battery operated water leak detectors under all the sinks I've worked on just in case...
Solder and PVC with the primer / cement, I'm good. Any of these others? What's the trick?
THANKS!
I'm putting up a rain head in a bathroom. It's connecting to a nipple coming out of the ceiling. The manufacturer said use 2 wraps of teflon tape. I did that, then screwed on the shower head. Gave it a 1/8? - 1/4? turn with pipe wrench (box wrenches are better for that, right?). Can't turn it too much more (so it's on pretty tight).
turned on the water, and at that connection, there's a drip, drip, drip.
take off the tape? crank it down tighter? call a pro?
That's typical for me and non-solder connections. The type on the sink faucet hoses with the rubber in the middle? Make it hand tight, right? it'll take me 5 - 6 times to get it to stop dripping, including new hoses cause I try tightening with a wrench / people say I ruined the rubber. And then i put those battery operated water leak detectors under all the sinks I've worked on just in case...
Solder and PVC with the primer / cement, I'm good. Any of these others? What's the trick?
THANKS!
#3
06-23-16, 07:22 PM
how much of each? and how much force do you crank down on the connection?
The rain head supposedly has all these little channels to spread the water across the 12" head. Am I wrong to worry that bits of dope would ooze into the water flow and clog nozzles?
The rain head supposedly has all these little channels to spread the water across the 12" head. Am I wrong to worry that bits of dope would ooze into the water flow and clog nozzles?
#4
06-23-16, 07:39 PM
Member
Make sure you only put the tape and dope on the threads. Yes you need to crank down hard on the connections, but not so hard as to crack the fittings. If this is a high end US made fitting then it should snug down nicely. But if it's a foreign made fitting it could be suspect. Does it have a washer on it or is it just a straight pipe connection?
#5
06-23-16, 07:47 PM
Member
I don't bother with the tape any more, just rectorseal. I put enough on so you don't see any bare brass (or chrome). The threads are at least half full of it all around the fitting. Excess will be squeezed out the top. On small fittings (less than 2" dia or so) you can just put it on the male threads.
If you don't slop a bunch of it over the end or inside of the fitting, but keep it on the threads, It won't make it's way into the water so no chance to clog anything up.
Describing how tight is really hard to do over the net. You develop a feel after doing it for a while. You have to be willing to break or strip a fitting or two to learn how tight is too tight.
Let's just say quite tight. If you used dope and it leaks, take it apart, reapply dope, and tighten it more.
The hardest thing is when fittings have to line up and it comes down to "can I go all the way around again or should I stop here". My answer is if you didn't have to work hard to get it where it's at, it will almost always go another turn.
If you don't slop a bunch of it over the end or inside of the fitting, but keep it on the threads, It won't make it's way into the water so no chance to clog anything up.
Describing how tight is really hard to do over the net. You develop a feel after doing it for a while. You have to be willing to break or strip a fitting or two to learn how tight is too tight.
Let's just say quite tight. If you used dope and it leaks, take it apart, reapply dope, and tighten it more.
The hardest thing is when fittings have to line up and it comes down to "can I go all the way around again or should I stop here". My answer is if you didn't have to work hard to get it where it's at, it will almost always go another turn.
#6
06-23-16, 07:47 PM
Group Moderator
Look inside the rain head and see if it has a rubber compression o-ring inside the fitting. If so, the head needs to be turned on tighter. You also should probably use dope with the tape. Those thread fittings are often pretty loose, coming from different mfg's overseas.
#7
06-25-16, 08:18 AM
I just put on a P trap wrapped at the threads with tape and got a minor leak. Took it off, re wrapped it a couple times, then re installed with no leak.
Wrap in the direction of the thread. Keep it flat as you wrap and don't let it wrinkle or clump up on there. Wrap up to the top thread but don't overlap onto the edge of the pipe. Then take a minute and make sure it's seated properly before tightening. Problems with taped joints are normally due to the tape not being applied properly, being scraped off as the pipe is threaded in and creating an avenue for water to escape. If it clumps up a bunch it might keep the pipe just a smidgen from being 100% tightened, defeating the purpose of the stuff.
Wrap in the direction of the thread. Keep it flat as you wrap and don't let it wrinkle or clump up on there. Wrap up to the top thread but don't overlap onto the edge of the pipe. Then take a minute and make sure it's seated properly before tightening. Problems with taped joints are normally due to the tape not being applied properly, being scraped off as the pipe is threaded in and creating an avenue for water to escape. If it clumps up a bunch it might keep the pipe just a smidgen from being 100% tightened, defeating the purpose of the stuff.
#8
06-25-16, 08:58 AM
Xsleeper - both the nipple and shower head are from Jaclo. That nipple with the satin nickel finish cost something like $30 (should i be embarrassed to admit that?!).
They are together now, with the slow leak so I will check later for the o-ring, but I don't think one is there.
I went to home depot yesterday and the plumber working there said to use a strap wrench to tighten it and pitched me on 'brush on blue block'. said I could hand tighten and this stuff would stop leaks. Just afraid some oozing into the water flow / block the channels in the rain head.
I tried the strap wrench but it didn't get a grip - too big for the diameter of shower head part? I am thinking to get box wrenches to fit on the slots of the shower head? I was using a pipe wrench in a sweat sock to tighten. Still scraped off some of the satin nickel finish near the flats.
They are together now, with the slow leak so I will check later for the o-ring, but I don't think one is there.
I went to home depot yesterday and the plumber working there said to use a strap wrench to tighten it and pitched me on 'brush on blue block'. said I could hand tighten and this stuff would stop leaks. Just afraid some oozing into the water flow / block the channels in the rain head.
I tried the strap wrench but it didn't get a grip - too big for the diameter of shower head part? I am thinking to get box wrenches to fit on the slots of the shower head? I was using a pipe wrench in a sweat sock to tighten. Still scraped off some of the satin nickel finish near the flats.
