Plastic to Brass Plumbing Fixture leaking

"hedbutter" (hedbutter) 08/30/2018 at 08:05 • Filed to: None

0

24

Oppo- installed a water softener while doing some other plumbing upgrades in the house. Everything else is water tight and sealed nicely other than where the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! on the water softener connects to the brass fitting (its a sharkbite fitting to connect to the PEX) . I tried making the following

No Tape, Hand tight + 1/4 Turn (lot s of leaking)

No Tape, really torqued down until it wouldn’t go any further (still lots of leaking, filled a 2 gal bucket 2.5 times in a week)

Taped plastic threads, really torqued down (very little leaking , not enough to cover the bottom of the bucket.

While taping the threads worked better , i marred the plastic pretty good, it appears that there is some stripping of the plastic occurring and theres still a small leak. I bought replacements, but wanted to if i should tape/use pipe dope/etc to keep this from leaking. 

pip bip - choose Corrour > hedbutter 08/30/2018 at 08:22

0

silicone sealant?

PartyPooper2012 > hedbutter 08/30/2018 at 08:24

0

pipe dope will probably not stop leak. Is sharkbite pushed in all the way and straight? Sometimes if you push it in a bit crooked, you get crooked results.

I don’t know much about water softeners or what type of connectors are in play.

Are you sure you have the right size fittings? 

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > hedbutter 08/30/2018 at 08:28

0

Those plastic fittings may be tapered so these nowt you can do unless your fittings have o-rings. Therefore, you need to use what we call hook ups to go from the PEX fitting to the softener....

https://www.amazon.com/LASCO-10-0413-12-Inch-Stainless-Braided/dp/B003B6KIXE

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > pip bip - choose Corrour 08/30/2018 at 08:31

2

 No...just no.

pip bip - choose Corrour > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media 08/30/2018 at 08:34

1

oh?

Wacko > hedbutter 08/30/2018 at 08:34

0

i went with copper to pex fittings, way cheaper, but must be soldered in place.

but i have a pex tool, since i redid my plumbing....

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > hedbutter 08/30/2018 at 08:37

0

This is going to sound stupid, but is the fitting the plastic is screwed into actually 1/4 pipe thread or a very similar size of something else? There are some compression fitting and other sizes that are really close but won’t seal.

Barring a thread mismatch, I would assume it just got crossthreaded the first time and you’d be best off with a new fitting + teflon tape. Assuming that the metal threads aren’t damaged in some way.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > hedbutter 08/30/2018 at 09:04

1

Duct tape!!!

E92M3 > hedbutter 08/30/2018 at 09:14

1

Dope or plumbers putty is not going to stop a leak that is under pressure. It works for drains, but a pressurized line will just leak again. You could try using glue for pex pipes on the plastic threads that are damaged and put it back together again. Or you may need to fab up a new connection at the softener.

hedbutter > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 08/30/2018 at 09:51

0

Yep, they are both the same thread ( NPT i think). I made sure the thread goes on nice and smooth. I was thinking it was cross-threaded from my first attempt at torquing it down as well. I got a new fitting for the water softener and will inspect the brass fittings for damage as well. Thank you!

hedbutter > Wacko 08/30/2018 at 09:53

0

The water softener is the plastic part, i actually have all crimped in place pex for the res t of the hous e now. The plastic from the water softener to the Brass is where the leak is. 

hedbutter > E92M3 08/30/2018 at 09:54

0

Thank you! Didnt know that about the dope but makes sense. It goes PEX-> Brass Sharkbite (no leaks)-> Softner (leaks from brass threads). 

Wacko > hedbutter 08/30/2018 at 09:56

0

from the manifold?

cause my my kenmore manifold is like this

with 2 copper inserts that i soldered my copper to pex fittings to.

hedbutter > PartyPooper2012 08/30/2018 at 09:58

0

Makes sense! The sharkbite fitting is leak free, its only a slight drip from the threaded area on the plastic-> brass connection .

Water Softener Out (leaking at the threads)- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073X56GRG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Sharkbite Connector-

https://www.supplyhouse.com/SharkBite-U086LF-3-4-Sharkbite-x-1-Female-Reducing-Adapter-Lead-Free

hedbutter > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media 08/30/2018 at 10:00

0

The fitting i have is the correct thread required by the softener/the directions mentioned using brass/copper threaded stub outs for install. 

hedbutter > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly 08/30/2018 at 10:01

1

This is terrifying 

PartyPooper2012 > hedbutter 08/30/2018 at 10:02

0

I would imagine there be some sort of a rubber washer inside where plastic and brass meet. Maybe its missing? They like to fall out and land in a place that has not seen sun in about a century. 

Wacko > hedbutter 08/30/2018 at 10:06

0

is this what your brass connects to to the softner?

hedbutter > Wacko 08/30/2018 at 10:18

0

yep- mine came with the below, which pus directly into the back part.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073X56GRG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Wacko > hedbutter 08/30/2018 at 10:29

0

did you apply thread seal tape ? cause plastic to brass you do need tape.

hedbutter > Wacko 08/30/2018 at 12:16

0

The first two runs i did not. the 3rd (and best run i did) bnut that was the third time of the plastic being threaded so im guessing it didnt handle it well. Ill try 4-5 layers of tape on the next one, thanks!

E92M3 > hedbutter 08/30/2018 at 15:55

0

Can you post a picture? Maybe I can offer a solution then.

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > hedbutter 08/30/2018 at 18:11

0

No doubt. However, it still leaks. Plumbers tape isn’t the best thing to use on this sort of plastic fitting in conjunction with a metal fitting because it gets mangled by the brass (especially if you use too much) and butchers the thread. Worse it can distort the plastic fitting . Too little sometimes makes no impact. Liquid threadsealer can help but few are compatible with both metal and plastic and it takes 24 hours or so for it to cure regardless.

And that’s where those flexible connections come in. I always use them in this sort of transition situation and, provided they are not overtightened (finger tight plus half a turn) , they work every time...

hedbutter > E92M3 08/31/2018 at 07:23

0

Here it is. The sharkbite to threads brass connection threads directly o the plastic.