I installed a shower "remodel kit". When I thread the threaded steel horizontal pipe into the threaded vertical pipe that runs up the wall, the horizontal pipe gets tight at about the 3 o'clock position and I don't think it will turn to the 6 o'clock position so that the bend points down towards the shower floor so that I can mount the shower head.. I used plumber's tape to tighten it up but it still leaks at the wall. What am I missing? Thanks!
Leaking pipe fitting
May 08, 2004
6 Replies
A steel pipe would be unusual for a water supply line.
Did you wrap the teflon tape tightly in the proper direction? If you face the end of the pipe you are wrapping it around, it should wrap clockwise (1.5 to 2 wraps), so tightening the pipe tightens the tape.
Sounds like either you did not tape it properly, or something is split.
My house was built in the 50's and galvanized was the metal of the era, so I wouldn't discount his pipe being steel. That being said a one option would be to use a cheater pipe on the pipe wrench to get it to move the other 180 degrees. Teflon paste sometimes works better than the tape. T-Bone
I like the ease of use and clean use of the tape, but I find good oil pipe dope seems to work better.
The joint should be leak free even before you reach the "totally tight" position. In other words, you should be able "back off" from the totally tight position and it should be OK. The fact that it's leaking after being torqued all the way down leads me to believe that there's something wrong with the threads (either male or female). Maybe it's cross-threaded.
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