Sealing pipe joints

[Autolycus]

I installed a Triton T30i handwash unit a few years ago, and the inlet joint has wept slightly ever since. For non-obvious reasons, or supply pressure has increased lately, it wept faster, and Doing Something About It rose to the top of the heap.

It's a compression joint between a 15mm copper pipe on the downstream side of an isolating valve and the Triton's valve block, which is a nylon moulding. I've fitted a new length of copper and a new olive, but it still weeps at the joint. Triton are adamant that no sealant can be used. I even risked the wrath of this group by wrapping some PTFE round the olive - which duly made it leak worse. Wrapping it round the thread, which would (should) get me banned for life, wouldn't work because there is an axial slot in the threaded portion of the valve that the compression nut screws onto. Triton said it has to be very tight, and I've now not only got it far tighter than I'd normally make a proper compression joint, but as there are no flats on the valve to hold it by, I'm afraid of ripping it off its baseplate.

Any ideas, please, apart from fitting a drain to the soapdish?

-- Kevin Poole

********Use current month and year to reply (e.g. [e-mail])************** Tiltbed car transporter trailer hire - £25/ day. Near Derby. May even tow it for you.

[BigWallop]

Because of the flat side on the outlet spigot, I'd wrap PTFE around it to take up the gap. Five turns around it should be ample though. Or fit another rubber washer between the connector and the outlet spigot to make the tightening more effective.

[Toby]

I believe you can get soft copper olives, as in softer than regular olives. Should do the trick.

[The Natural Philosopher]

You may be able to use something like Hermetite to fill any micro-gaps. Its ounds like there may actually be a score or crack in teh housing the olive compresses into. Or a speck of grit.

[Ed Sirett]

These are awkward buggers to get a seal with. My guess is that Triton (et al.) don't want to have to work out the effect of various gunges and resins around on their nylon.

Also the nylon spigot is shortish making the use of most push fit connectors difficult if not impossible and certainly unremovable afterwards.

I seem to get by with

1) A copper olive not brass. 2) Some silicone grease on the olive and threads. (silicone grease is very inert and AFAIK it does not upset nylon). 3) Hold the body of the compression fitting whilst applying brute force.

Also what gives on the 'guarantee'? Electric showers are a disposable comodity item IME - you pay 50 quid it last a few years - you get a new one. So sod the manufactuers one of which was offering an extended warranty for the same cost as the entire unit!

[Crooksie]

Hi there, yes the best way to do this is with a copper rather than brass olive, (b&q). a good thing to do is to soften the olive further (anneal) this involves heating to near cherry red, then quenching in water. in this state the olive is very delicate easily squashed. be very careful when tightening, or you will ruin it. a few turns of ptfe wont hurt either hope this helps bob

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[Dave Liquorice]

Is that moulding threaded or just a plain 15mm stub?

If it's threaded using a compression fitting doesn't seem quite right even if the nut fits... You really need a tap connector and fibre washer.

[BillR]

That sounds more like it. If its a plastic threaded inlet it almost certainly needs a tap connector with a new fibre washer each time its dissconnected. In this case it doesn't need to be manic tight, just enough to compress the washer.

[Ed Sirett]

No it's definately a 15mm spigot i.e like a very short piece of pipe.

[Dave Liquorice]

Yuk, no wonder it's a begger to seal, especially once you've tried a few times. Softest olive you can get your hands on or make...