tap tail connection fitting worry

[TimW]

Not a plumber. Mother's dripping kitchen tap, agreed to replace it. bought a nice £35 screwfix replacement mixer tap. Removed the old one including copper tap tails which of which the 15mm end went onto std brass compression joint elbows. The new one came with flexible braided tails and the nut on the end fitted straight on to the existing compression elbow. It obv wasn't a compression joint though, it had a flat black rubber washer in it, sort of like a hose fitting. Is that okay to bodge it onto a compression elbow or do I have to go back and replace the elbows?

I just medium tightened everything, checked for leaks and declared it done, telling myself that if builders do it it really is that simple and there can't be any hidden pitfalls.

Tim w

[Tim+]

Go back and replace the elbows. ;-). Without a flat sealing face the washers will probably leak at some point.

Tim

[Tim+]

Of course Sod's law dictates that when you go back and do it properly, you'll definitely have a leak or two to fix afterwards. ;-)

Tim

[The Natural Philosopher]

If it ain't leaking leave it

[harry]

Most taps can be overhauled without removing them.

[Roger Hayter]

It may well not apply to yours, but the Italian tap tails I was supplied with had a 15mm diameter termination which could be used either with a rubber washer or a standard compression olive. It the rubber washer worked at all it would have been by compressing its inner diameter onto the pipe.