weeping rad valve

[rick]

On the balancing valve on a radiator it is weeping ever so slightly from the 15mm compression nut. The house was recently rented and I noticed pipe pulled away form the pipe clips, sop it looks like it had been disturbed. Reseated pipe, undid the compression fitting nut and refitted.

Over night it is still weeping ..... such a tiny amount iut can't be seen, but I had put down dry cloth and it is damp.

Tried putting 1/4 turn extra on compression fitting ......... if this does not fix it ..... seen 2 'tweaks' done by plumbers.

1. remove pipe, wrap 2 turns of PTFE tape around the olive and refit., probably would put PTFE tapes around the compression threads as well

1. remove pipe, and smear olives and olive seat with Fernox LS-X joint sealer.

Thoughts on either approach ?

I know ideally I should cut out the pipe, (its a 90 degree slow bend to horizontal pipe under the rad) bend a new piece, and then solder that in place. Just a lot of work I'd rather not do now.

[Andy Burns]

1. has worked for me.

Though, it has to be said that

1. wind a rag around the valve to stop the dribble running down the pipe, intend to look at it later, come back several weeks later and the leak had "crusted up" and sealed itself ...

[Andy Burns]

should have added, where 1. didn't.

[nothanks]

Put a smear of jointing compound (I'm not a fan of anything called "leak sealer") on the mating faces - pretty much guaranteed to work.

[rick]

LS-X is a jointing compound to seal against leaks, its not a pout-in sealer - I agree on not using them.

[newshound]

I'm with Andy, having given it a tweak, give it a chance to seal itself before going to the trouble of draining it. If this does not work, you

*might* get away with backing the nut right off *without* disturbing the pipe and olive, and putting a generous smear of sealant (boss white or Flomasta) over the male threads and exposed side of the olive before tightening it up again.

[Tim+]

Failing that, try adding a litre of some ?leak fixing gloop? made by Sentinel. Ours had been losing pressure for years and I really didn?t expect it to work but it seems like it has.

Tim

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

Sounds like your tenants had an issue with it and tried and failed to fix it to me. Brian