Hey everyone,

My bathroom faucet was leaking from the compression fitting on the supply line to the hot water pipe. I bought a new supply line, installed it last night, and that leak is gone.

However, there is now a leak where the supply line connects to the faucet valve stem. I didn't use any teflon tape on this connection. Should I have put some on? Also, how tight should that connection be? I was told to hand-tighten the compression fitting on the pipe and then give it a 1/4 turn with a wrench, which I did. Does the connection to the faucet work the same way, or can I just tighten it as hard as I can with a wrench?

The supply line is a 3/8" comp to 1/2" FIP.

Thanks!

 

I would tighten it some more & teflon tape can't hurt.

 

Never use Teflon tape or any "goo" on anything but tapered pipe threads. The flexible hoses for faucet supplies seal by compressing a rubber cone inside the nut. You may tighten the fitting until it stops leaking but do NOT reef on it with gorilla strength. Just tighten it in small steps until it stops leaking.

 

To add to what furd said, if you added teflon tape to the flexible type supply line it needs to be removed. The flexible lines have built in washers. The tape will only hamper the ability to seal the supply line.

If it is the rigid type with nut and ferrule, teflon paste is normally used.

Mike NJ

 

More then once I have bought the flexible supply lines only to find they just wouldn't seal. Since I usually bought two and both leaked they were obviously from a bad lot. Solution: different brand or buy from a different store. The new ones always worked first try.

 

The original post didn't say anything about it being a flexible supply line.

 

Your right I didn't read carefully. Flex lines despite an occasional bad one are so much easier it didn't occur to me he'd be trying to use copper.

 

Thanks for all the help everyone.

I didn't use any teflon tape since I figured the washer was meant to do the sealing. Oh yeah, this is a flexible braided supply line made of some polymer, not steel.

I think the quality on this line is a bit suspect. I'm gonna try tightening it a little more, and if that doesn't work, I'm gonna buy a different brand.

 

All flexible supply lines have a plastic tube through which the water flows. The better ones have a stainless steel overbraid.

 

plastic to plastic = no Teflon tape...plastic to metal = no Teflon tape...ONLY metal to metal - YES Teflon tape...

 

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