Help with elbow hot water fitting on dishwasher!!

[DK]

I'm installing a new Bosch dishwasher. The way the thing is set up, the elbow fitting where you connect the hot water to, has to be pointing straight right, at the 3:00 position. The instructions say to be sure not to tighten it too much.

I bought a new elbow fitting at Home Depot, and when I tighten it -- but not overtighten it -- so it points to the 3:00 position, it leaks water (yes, I'm using pipe thread compound on the threads). If I try to tighten it further, and do another revolution, I can get it around to about the 11:00 position, and then it seems if I tighten it any further, I'm going to be wrenching on it and possibly damaging it.

Any ideas on what to do? I assume all elbow fittings have the threads starting in the same place, so even if I replace that, I'd run into a similar problem.

Any advice would be appreciated!!

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, How about using some Teflon tape?

[DMSTraining]

Instead of pipe dope try Teflon tape. Go around the treads counterclockwise about 4 times. It will fill the treads tigher than the pipe compound and might end up in the right place. If it is still not tight at the 3:00 position, take it out, clean off all old tape then try to wrap 5 turns. Maybe it will come to the right place. In the alternative, If you are hooking up a stainless steel braided supply line, is it possible you could use a staight fitting instead of the standard elbow, and the bend the braided line enough to get on it?

Dave Scudamore Aroundtoit Handyman

[Steve Barker]

You might try another of the same fitting. I don't believe that the threads all start in the same place.

[mm]

I think at least he'd have to get a different brand, which means at a different store. I would think all of the same brand would start in the same place. At least for many years on end until for seem reason they had to change something about them.

[DK]

Thanks for the tips, everyone. Good idea on the tape ... I didn't realize that tape is more leak proof than the liquid/gel pipe compound. I always thought they were about equally as effective, but -- now that a few of you have mentioned it -- I suppose the tape does a better job of staying in place on the threads, whereas the pipe compound gel stuff tends to get pushed back as you tighten the connection.

I'm connecting this to flexible copper pipe that meets it from the 3:00 position, so that's really my only choice of where to hook them up.

Anyway, the tape is worth a try!! Thanks everyone again for the help.

[MLD]

Just had a dishwasher installed. On the elbow the plumber used teflon tape and then spread compound over the tape. Also used a flexible SS braided supply line. He did this on every threaded connection. MLD

[DavesTeam]

You might consider replacing the copper with the stainless steel flex line if that allows you to hook up somewhere else that is tight but not 3:00. My point was not that the tape would make a better seal, just that the sheer volume would fill the tread to help it come tight at a different position. NOTE to MLD. The plumber may be able to do that but I have had leaks when using joint compound over teflon tape. The compound seemed to allow the tape to swivel around the treads.

Dave Scudamore Aroundtoit Handyman