Weeping compression nut on gate valve & Shower Valve

Fonzyrelli

Fonzyrelli

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Hi everyone

I'm currently doing up my bathroom and I need some help please. :(

Gate valve.

I've currently replaced gate valves on the cold and hot pipes coming into the bathroom so this can isolated whilst the rest of u the house has water but the problem is the cold pipe gate valve is weeping. I've put ptfe tape round the olive, the olive is 3/4 as the pipe is imperial. I've replaced the olive 5 times. Also the pipe seems to move as there is now way of securing 9 so I'm not sure what is going on, I cannot turn the nut anymore as it's tight already. Please help as I've been doing this for 8 days straight trying to sort out this weeping .
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Shower valve

It's weeping on the female elbow, I've put lots of ptfe wrapped on the valve male thread.

20170323_193837.jpg
 
1. Gate valve
Are you sure its the compression side that's weeping. Could be the gland nut with water running onto compression. If you've tried it 8 times and its got PTFE round the olive, then if it is the compression joint leaking it may be that the olive has been tightened too hard onto the pipe and compressed.

2. Shower valve
a. Remove elbow, clean off all old PTFE
b. VERY gently rough up the thread on the shower valve with a file. You must still be able to screw the elbow on and off easily without thread sealant.
c. Wind Loctite 55 round threads, clockwise as you look at the open end. I.e. same direction as nut will turn going on. Start with 8-10 turns of Loctite.
d. Tighten elbow onto it. You can back the elbow off a certain amount, I wouldn't go more than 1/4 turn, to get elbow pointing in the right direction. If you need to back off more, remove Loctite, put more, fresh on (say 12 turns) and try again.
e. At step d. you're aiming for it to be finger tight for a reasonably strong person plus about a further 1/2 to 1 turn with a spanner / grips.
 
Thanks for your time and really appreciate your comment, I checked the gland nut and it's not leaking, I don't think it's compressed to the pipe as I could remove the olive with a bit of force, when I hand tighten the nut I give it another go with a spanner but it gets to a point where feels like I'm going to break the pipe, also seems to weep more when I touch and move the pipe :(
 
Copper or Brass olive? How loose is the olive when it goes on the pipe? What makes you think it's imperial, does a metric olive feel tighter on the pipe?

Some people swear by Loctite thread cord, I use gas PTFE Tape, it's a thicker tape and not had a failure yet. 4 to 5 turns should do it.
 
Dan Robinson said:
Indeed, but equally, I like to use the anaerobic stuff in these situations.
Click to expand...

Ah, yeah, know a chap that swears by loctite's anaerobic tape, never tried it though, worth a trial run? Always looking to find better ways (y)

... And yeah, gotta love pushfit, it's a DIY revelation :sneaky:
 
Madrab said:
Copper or Brass olive? How loose is the olive when it goes on the pipe? What makes you think it's imperial, does a metric olive feel tighter on the pipe?

Some people swear by Loctite thread cord, I use gas PTFE Tape, it's a thicker tape and not had a failure yet. 4 to 5 turns should do it.
Click to expand...


3/4 Brass olive from plumb centre, Metric olive was very loose on the pipe, so I've used 3/4 olive which fit little bit better, I've wrapped it up with ptfe but no luck...
 
oldbuffer said:
1. Gate valve
Are you sure its the compression side that's weeping. Could be the gland nut with water running onto compression. If you've tried it 8 times and its got PTFE round the olive, then if it is the compression joint leaking it may be that the olive has been tightened too hard onto the pipe and compressed.

2. Shower valve
a. Remove elbow, clean off all old PTFE
b. VERY gently rough up the thread on the shower valve with a file. You must still be able to screw the elbow on and off easily without thread sealant.
c. Wind Loctite 55 round threads, clockwise as you look at the open end. I.e. same direction as nut will turn going on. Start with 8-10 turns of Loctite.
d. Tighten elbow onto it. You can back the elbow off a certain amount, I wouldn't go more than 1/4 turn, to get elbow pointing in the right direction. If you need to back off more, remove Loctite, put more, fresh on (say 12 turns) and try again.
e. At step d. you're aiming for it to be finger tight for a reasonably strong person plus about a further 1/2 to 1 turn with a spanner / grips.
Click to expand...


Thanks for your time and really appreciate your comment, I checked the gland nut and it's not leaking, I don't think it's compressed to the pipe as I could remove the olive with a bit of force, when I hand tighten the nut I give it another go with a spanner but it gets to a point where feels like I'm going to break the pipe, also seems to weep more when I touch and move the pipe :(

Read more: https://www.diynot.com/diy/threads/...gate-valve-shower-valve.479618/#ixzz4cEE84qu5
 
If you can remove the olive after its fully tightened then the nut isn't compressing it enough. Its not unknown for nuts to split, but that should be obvious.
Do confirm that the pipe is fully engaged into the valve, apply sealant and PTFE to the olive and fully tighten - that should be quite enough. I have to say, a gate valve wouldn't be my choice of fitting here - much better a quality lever arm one. Maybe you just have bought a 'wrong un' that maybe started life in the Orient?
John :)
 
Burnerman said:
If you can remove the olive after its fully tightened then the nut isn't compressing it enough. Its not unknown for nuts to split, but that should be obvious.
Do confirm that the pipe is fully engaged into the valve, apply sealant and PTFE to the olive and fully tighten - that should be quite enough. I have to say, a gate valve wouldn't be my choice of fitting here - much better a quality lever arm one. Maybe you just have bought a 'wrong un' that maybe started life in the Orient?
John :)
Click to expand...

hi thanks for ur reply,,

maybe your right theres a little weep this morning and im guessing the brass olive is a bit tough to compress compared to copper, it just feels like i cant turn the nut anymore, the pipe is engaged but seems to leak when i move the pipe as there is no where for it to be secure. i replaced like for like , i did contemplate on the lever ball one.
 
When I restored my place, I replaced the old 3/4" stuff with 22mm as necessary. The olives I used were known as 'converter' types and they were brass with a groove all the way round - this would help the olive compress. They were also coated in a splash of green lacquer.
A 3/4" olive should be just fine in your situation and it should be snug on the pipe. There's a good chance you aren't tightening it up enough.....use two large adjustable spanners, one on the valve body and one on the suspect nut and heave them up.
A gate valve really belongs in the days of steam.....they rely on the sluice principle to make a seal as there is no washer but often don't shut off fully. Having no washer meant they were used on oil supply pipes in the past but it's lever arm type all the way now.
John :)
 
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