plumbing woes. (1 Viewer)

[steve69]

Has anybody else had asmuch “fun” as I have with these things?
They are plastic connectors for the plumbing system in caravans and motorhomes.

Every winter my Elddis is laid up for 4-5 months and every spring when I recharge the water supply and pressurise the system, one (or more) of these things starts leaking.
YES every autumn I drain the entire system to prevent frost damage. The van is now 14 years old and this only started happening over the past 4 winters. I'm guessing the seals in them must age like anything else. A real palaver to replace a couple of them too. Very awkwardly located.

 

[ontheroadagain]

A lot of Adria owners had problems too and the solution appears to be change them to John Guest fittings.

 

[Landy Andy]

have any that you have refitted come off again? Or is just ones you haven’t touched?
When fitting them ideally they should have inserts in the pipe then push into fitting, then pull pipe outward. Then hold lock ring out, then push pipe in again. Pipe will then go in an open extra 5mm. Removing this play/slack stops the pipe walking off each time the system is repressurised. If the system was left at pressure all the time they wouldn’t come off on their own. It’s the removal then applied pressure that causes this, along with installers not get rid of that play/slack mentioned above.
That is my opinion as a plumber who has used various plastic fittings for many many years.

 

[Marie-Claire]

Adria owner and had a few go, they look like whale brand in the pic. As said replace with john guest and each time order an extra as a spare, upto now the jg have all been ok

 

[steve69]

have any that you have refitted come off again? Or is just ones you haven’t touched?
When fitting them ideally they should have inserts in the pipe then push into fitting, then pull pipe outward. Then hold lock ring out, then push pipe in again. Pipe will then go in an open extra 5mm. Removing this play/slack stops the pipe walking off each time the system is repressurised. If the system was left at pressure all the time they wouldn’t come off on their own. It’s the removal then applied pressure that causes this, along with installers not get rid of that play/slack mentioned above.
That is my opinion as a plumber who has used various plastic fittings for many many years.

It's always the original untouched ones. I'm guessing they just age like anything else.
Yes, you need some force to push the pipe fully home with these things. Very tricky getting the leverage in some places.

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[Speve]

If you use the John Guest fitting you can buy Red and blue clips that hold the slip collars out and therefore no leaks as it can’t move

 

[Landy Andy]

It's always the original untouched ones. I'm guessing they just age like anything else.
Yes, you need some force to push the pipe fully home with these things. Very tricky getting the leverage in some places.

I think when they originally assemble them, they don’t get rid of the play/slack in the joint. If assembled correctly, as in my above push fit, then pull pipe, pull grip ring, then push pipe again, I don’t think there would be the issue.

 

[appydaze]

Yes, pull the collar back after inserting to lock and dont use any grease...

 

[The Wino]

I've always used hep2 o fittings for home plumbing they seem very reliable

 

[steve69]

Yes, pull the collar back after inserting to lock and dont use any grease...

The pipes were fully locked. You couldn't pull them out, but they still leaked.

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[appydaze]

To pull apart, reverse procedure ie pull collars back and re~insert to full extent then push collar back...