I am installing a showerhead, and if I were to turn the neck until it is fully tightened it would be spraying at the wall. So I turned it back counter-clockwise a bit, to aim it into the tub. I have applied pipe dope, but the joint leaks because it is not fully tightened. What can I do to seal the joint? Thanks! Adam
teflon tape.
randy
try teflon tape around the threads, retighten, if it leaks add more teflon tape till it stops
And make that last turn slowly. Bring it to the proper position and don't back it off.
Have you tried Teflon Tape on the threads?
-- coolcamaro79
Gobs of Teflon tape aren't likely to stop the leakage. Since brass is so easily deformed, it makes more sense to simply buy another fitting. Another sneaky trick is to use automtive sealants instead of pipe dope. Permatex #3, Hylomar, and others are especially well suited to handling hot water. You'll need to thoroughly clean off the pipe dope for the sealants to work well. HTH
Joe
Wow, thanks everyone. I will start with trying the teflon tape tonight after work. If that doesn't do it, I will look into the alternative solution with the automotive sealants! If anyone else has different ideas, I will check the thread again. Thanks, Adam
As a slightly different point of view, how tight is "tight"...virtually all the time one can simply torque the fixture around one more turn to get it where it is required...this, of course, implies one isn't using a
24" pipe wrench and a cheater bar on a 1/2" brass fitting... :)
You could go back a few decades and use what we used to use then, some thin cotton string wrapped in the male threads, along with a little pipe dope.
You're probably experiencing what's called a "spiral leak" with water flowing through the tiny channel between the flat crest of the male thread and the sharp bottom of the female threads. Pipe dope is generally enough to fill that narrrow passage and keep it from leaking.
Many people don't realize that standard NPT pipe threads are not intended to seal without using some kind of pipe dope to block that spiral leak path. There is a special series of pipe threads called "NPTF-dryseal" which was designed for fuel and solvent use back before Teflon was a twinkle in DuPont's eye. (The "F" stood for fuel.) Those threads were designed with a shape which deformed and makd a complete metal to metal seal without any auxillary dope required.
HTH,
Jeff
get a longer neck
The teflon tape sealed it right up! Thanks all for the help! Adam
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