Got one of me chrome 15mm compression joints is being a bit retiscent.
Was weeping (few drops in 6 hours). Tightened slighly. Less weeping - wet but no drips in 4 hours. Gave it one more fraction of a turn.
Seems nearly better but might still be a hint of damp about it.
Shall I leave it and let nature take its course (ie the minerals in the water)?
I'm rather wary of over tightening these things, especially as this one is on a pipe that took me 2 hours to bend right!
Ta
Tim
A smear of linseed putty on the olive solves that - you'll need a new olive though.
NT
Provided you've got enough movement on the pipes, undo the nut, pull the pipe out far enough to smear a bit of LS-1 round both edges of the olive, and re-assemble.
You'll need to isolate and/or drain it first, of course.
Tabby wibbled on Thursday 12 August 2010 00:04
Not just on the outside? Those olives are not coming off in a hurry! ;->
Roger Mills wibbled on Thursday 12 August 2010 00:17
Ah - LS-1 the leak sealer. Is that OK for potable use? Don't have any to hand but I could get some if it doesn't clear itself up.
I have had a worse drip on an old (ie original to the house) joint I remade once, fix itself eventually, though that took a couple of months as it was a proper drip.
Hurts the pride though - all the other joints are perfectly dry, despite a couple being under the bath and a bugger to swing spanners on.
I much prefer soldering, but it's not really an option with pretty chrome...
That's not a problem, I have ball valves 3 feet away - the fancy BES ones with flow restrictor elements - which I highly recommend BTW. I've set the flow to about 8l/min which is more than enough for a little basin, avoids a power-jet of water splashing about (it's all mains pressure) and best of all, allows the overflow to cope with both taps full on (kids you see...).
The weep is so slow now (damp in 2 hours, no actual drip yet) that I'll give it a bit longer. I think I know why - it's a chromed compression elbow and those are buggers to hold still with a spanner whilst doing the nut up, unlike the all-brass ones I have that have proper machined flats on the sides.
I reckon it must have twisted slightly doing up the other end of it so the olive isn't quite seating right. Trouble is of course, if I disassemble it, it'll just do it again in a slightly different way.
Half of me wants to add another 1/16 turn to the nut, the other half fears going "critical" on the olive and starting to distort it - it is pretty tight right now.
Cheers
Tim
Tim Watts wibbled on Thursday 12 August 2010 01:11
W00t. Did summon the courage for a little fraction of a turn last night. Seems dry this morning...
could be condensation this weather anyway.
It's fine for potable water and is very good. However, you could try wrapping some PTFE round the olive. This often works, depending on where it's not sealing properly.
Not used these. Are you referring to 17527 on page 101? Do they come with a "standard" cartridge or do you have to choose from the list and buy it separately?
What's the difference in practice between a ball valve without a flow restrictor (but partially turned off) and a ball valve with a flow restrictor? I'm hoping that the flow restrictor does a similar job to partially closing the valve, but doesn't make it as fecking noisy?
Cheers, DaveyOz
No, olives must be cut off. If you dont have a spare olive I guess you could try linseed all round the olive, I don't know if it'd work but perhaps. Linseed between olive and pipe really does - just a tiny smear.
Linseed putty isnt approved for potable use. Fwiw the linseed oil and chalk are both used in edible products, though probably in a purer grade.
NT
yes quite quiet.
you need to buy the catridge -without it works like an ord valve
Does it leak at the screwdriver isolation part?
Ideal thing for a wash basin with hopelessly inadequate overflow.
no
"Less frequently than one drip a second from a newly-mate compression joint and it'll probably seal itself anyway. More frequent dripping than that, remake the joint" -- that's what a wise plumber taught me thirty years ago and I've found it reliable advice.
I don't see the need for the olive to be removed, but fwiw, olive pullers really do work very well. Should be in everyone's tool kit.
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