Leaking compression joint(cold)

[The Wino]

A lot of plumbers I've watched on site would tighten the compression fitting as supplied, then loosen it off again and then wind a couple of twist of PTFE around the thread then re-tighten. I don't recall having to go back on their work frequently.
Each to their own I guess
Mike.

Thats what I do and I think our plumber does that too. My friend was a gas safe engineer he did the same on the central heating fitting

 

[Basildog]

A lot of plumbers I've watched on site would tighten the compression fitting as supplied, then loosen it off again and then wind a couple of twist of PTFE around the thread then re-tighten. I don't recall having to go back on their work frequently.
Each to their own I guess
Mike.

I started plumbing at around 14 years old and have worked with lots of different plumbers, the only time you will see them using PTFE tape on a compression fitting is to bodge it up .
Normally on a radiator tail that’s been whacked with the vacuum.
Go on a plumber’s forum and mention paste on compression fittings

 

[Leakylunar]

No wonder it leaked, the olive could still move along the pipe, I’ve nipped it up from finger tight 1/2 a turn . Fingers crossed that sorts it. Thank for all the advice

 

[Lenny HB]

A lot of plumbers I've watched on site would tighten the compression fitting as supplied, then loosen it off again and then wind a couple of twist of PTFE around the thread then re-tighten. I don't recall having to go back on their work frequently.
Each to their own I guess
Mike.

That will do absolutely nothing, the tread is nothing to do with the joint seal, it just holds the two lumps of bass together. Any plumber who does that or thinks it seals the joint needs a big boot up his rear end. Obviously hasn't got a clue how the joint works.

 

[The Wino]

Thats what I do and I think our plumber does that too. My friend was a gas safe engineer he did the same on the central heating fitting

Must admit I didn't read bouncyfolkboats thread properly it is a waste of time on the thread if you're going to use it its on the olive.

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[pappajohn]

Yes, it said 1/4 -1/2 turn from finger tight.

Tight is not ½ turn from finger tight...tighten until it won't move any more.
Just done my mains stop tap today....old fitting new olive and pipe.....can't remove the tap, it the incoming mains stoptap....
flux (presumably) had eaten it's way through the copper pipe though anyone's guess why it had flux on it.
Anyway, no good sealing the threads....it will leak via the olive seat and come out between pipe and fitting nut.
PTFE tape around the olive will stop all leaks.

 

[dulvil]

Don’t forget that if it still leaks put a scaffold bar on your grips for a bit more force

 

[buzz1]

Ptfe tape , works for me,

 

[buzz1]

Even ptfe tape what ever it’s called

 

[olley]

PTFE bone of contention on here
I have using something for 50+ years, paste+hemp and then tape when it came out, changed to ptfe cord about 10-15 years ago.
If you think it's a bodge that's fine, it's worked for me both domestic and commercial and I didn't get call backs.
It's what works for you, not what people tell you should or shouldn't do.
Too many people think theirs is the only way something should be done, they forget, theirs more than one-way to skin a cat.

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[dulvil]

PTFE bone of contention on here
I have using something for 50+ years, paste+hemp and then tape when it came out, changed to ptfe cord about 10-15 years ago.
If you think it's a bodge that's fine, it's worked for me both domestic and commercial and I didn't get call backs.
It's what works for you, not what people tell you should or shouldn't do.
Too many people think theirs is the only way something should be done, they forget, theirs more than one-way to skin a cat.

Paste and hemp,ptfe, for threads not olives on comp fittings

 

[BillyKontiki]

Assemble the fitting dry and give it a few jags after hand tight you won’t have any problems,
remember if you’re using nylon or plastic piping you must use a metal or plastic insert.
If you need to disassemble the joint a small wrap of ptfe or paste on the existing olive only will guarantee A trouble free joint on reassembly.

 

[poppycamper]

Ah good old PTFE tape.... the most used and abused and misunderstood sealing material out there..
PTFE tape was invented as "Thread Tape" and was designed just for that... to seal a male thread that was screwed Into a female thread that had no other form of sealing.. Good example your garden tap..
It is not, and never has been designed to be used on compression fittings, they seal by the compression of the olive, and if they don't something is wrong.. unscrew and fix properly and not by bodging with thread tape.
Anyone that says differant and comes out with the saying "works for me" really really do not know what they are doing and I know this is water pipes but how many times have we heard so called experts using thread tape on gas compression fittings because it "works for them"".
If you don't know what you doing... get someone who does..

 

[Leakylunar]

Anyway this morning pipe work seems fine. Lesson learnt brass olives need more than 1/4 turn

 

[St3v3]

PTFE bone of contention on here
I have using something for 50+ years, paste+hemp and then tape when it came out, changed to ptfe cord about 10-15 years ago.
If you think it's a bodge that's fine, it's worked for me both domestic and commercial and I didn't get call backs.
It's what works for you, not what people tell you should or shouldn't do.
Too many people think theirs is the only way something should be done, they forget, theirs more than one-way to skin a cat.

Are you using it on the thread?

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[Leakylunar]

Didn’t use any just needed nipping up

 

[Puddleduck]

LSX

 

[St3v3]

Didn’t use any just needed nipping up

Asking olley, but glad you're sorted

 

[olley]

Are you using it on the thread?

If you mean the nut thread then no, only the olive.
Only time you use it on the threads are if they are screwed fittings, like one below which has a bsp taper thread at one end.

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

Didn’t use any just needed nipping up

Excellent to get it sorted. I've just noticed your Avatar, seems you've got previous form on leaking stuff,

Mike.

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[olley]

Ah good old PTFE tape.... the most used and abused and misunderstood sealing material out there..
PTFE tape was invented as "Thread Tape" and was designed just for that... to seal a male thread that was screwed Into a female thread that had no other form of sealing.. Good example your garden tap..
It is not, and never has been designed to be used on compression fittings, they seal by the compression of the olive, and if they don't something is wrong.. unscrew and fix properly and not by bodging with thread tape.
Anyone that says differant and comes out with the saying "works for me" really really do not know what they are doing and I know this is water pipes but how many times have we heard so called experts using thread tape on gas compression fittings because it "works for them"".
If you don't know what you doing... get someone who does..

Love it, only two ways to do things, my way or the wrong way. You sound just like my wife.

 

[jockaneezer]

PTFE bone of contention on here
I have using something for 50+ years, paste+hemp and then tape when it came out, changed to ptfe cord about 10-15 years ago.
If you think it's a bodge that's fine, it's worked for me both domestic and commercial and I didn't get call backs.
It's what works for you, not what people tell you should or shouldn't do.
Too many people think theirs is the only way something should be done, they forget, theirs more than one-way to skin a cat.

I've fitted miles of pipework for mostly oil and compressed air, the galvanised piping for the air always went together with ptfe but the black oil piping had to be Stag Red Lead and hemp (for insurance purposes) and the Stag joints were always a bugger to undo if you had to break into the system.
Just going through my stash and I remembered the Loctite 542 Hydraulic seal that works surprisingly well on "tired" hydraulic fittings when you're out in the field, it has the added advantage that it stops fittings coming loose from vibration too.

 

[olley]

Last few years I was working on commercial it was all pressfit, no paste/tape needed.

 

[BillyKontiki]

Without a doubt pressfit fittings are widely used nowadays on domestic and gas installations they’re the way to go.

 

[Peregrinator]

Over tightening does cause it to leak but I've yet to get the compression joints I've used to seat and seal properly with a 1/4 - 1/2 turn after finger tight.

Some people swear by PTFE tape. Others don't use it.

Edit: I was using it on pipes that had previously had olives on. I had removed them and used new olives and PTFE tape to cushion any distortion. It isn't needed for new pipes.

For the two thermostatic showers I've installed in the last 3 weeks, both had PTFE tape and between 1/2 and 3/4 of a turn after finger tight. One leaked at 1/3 turn and didn't stop until 3/4.

Ps. I'm not a plumber and have only fitted around 10 showers. I'm sure others will advise from a professional point of view.

I always use PTFE on the thread only, agree with you, have to tighten more.

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[Peregrinator]

Sorry but if you heed to use ptfe tape on compression fittings something is wrong and asking for hassle later in time

It depends on the fittings you get, there is a lot of cheap fittings out there that are real rough, even some supposed UK made were made in China

 

[Peregrinator]

Last few years I was working on commercial it was all pressfit, no paste/tape needed.

Although some out there are guaranteed for 25 to 50 years which is only recent, there are cheap ones only guaranteed for ten years, My Brother installed all his water and heating pipe work with pushfit over 20 years ago, I think it was around 1998, three months ago I had to go and help him replace most of the pipe work, as one fitting detached it self, reason was it became brittle, and then found another that was leaking, reason was seal went hard, so he started checking those that was easy to get to, and found most of the seals were hard, and fell apart when he disconnected them, we have replaced most of the pipe work now, but there are some we can't get to has they are behind walls, so at the moment he is just praying.

 

[olley]

Although some out there are guaranteed for 25 to 50 years which is only recent, there are cheap ones only guaranteed for ten years, My Brother installed all his water and heating pipe work with pushfit over 20 years ago, I think it was around 1998, three months ago I had to go and help him replace most of the pipe work, as one fitting detached it self, reason was it became brittle, and then found another that was leaking, reason was seal went hard, so he started checking those that was easy to get to, and found most of the seals were hard, and fell apart when he disconnected them, we have replaced most of the pipe work now, but there are some we can't get to has they are behind walls, so at the moment he is just praying.

Pressfit is different to pushfit.
With pressfit you use a tool to squeeze the fitting on to the pipe, once on it ain't coming off.
It does use an 'O' ring to seal around the pipe, and I do wonder how long they will last, but nothing lasts forever.
In some areas of the UK copper rots quickly due to something in the water, so plastic is preferred.

 

[Silver-Fox]

Pressfit is different to pushfit.
With pressfit you use a tool to squeeze the fitting on to the pipe, once on it ain't coming off.
It does use an 'O' ring to seal around the pipe, and I do wonder how long they will last, but nothing lasts forever.
In some areas of the UK copper rots quickly due to something in the water, so plastic is preferred.

Although I’m not a plumber I’ve done my fair share of pipe work.

As far as push fit plastic goes if the two ends don’t terminate above floor level I won’t fit it.
It also needs to be continuous pipe as well

 

[Lenny HB]

Although I’m not a plumber I’ve done my fair share of pipe work.

As far as push fit plastic goes if the two ends don’t terminate above floor level I won’t fit it.
It also needs to be continuous pipe as well

Talking to my BIL a few weeks ago he was saying the local building inspector will only allow continuous runs under the floor.
Oh dear, I plumbed my conservatory & utility room underfloor in plastic, at least it's not part of the main house as such & suspended floors.

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