How would you go about curing this annoying leak on fresh water system?

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Mike k

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There is a plastic pipe with a brass insert ( with o ring) and brass securing nut that attaches to a male threaded pipe coming from the calorifier.It takes the pressurised pump fresh water supply and there is a leak at the junction which drips whilst under pressure. Its a pain because its wets all the contents of the locker situated on the bottom. I have tried ptfe tape but this seems to disallow the mating of the joining surfaces and therefore the drip continues. I have tried external leak sealer and self amalgamating tape though the position in a locker made this a difficult job so not confident I have made a seal with the tape. How would the panel seek to stop the leak?
 
It depends where it is leaking. Is it the brass connector - new O-ring and some thread sealant. Plastic pipe to brass piece - small jubilee clip.
If the self-amalg tape has worked then hopefully it will hold. Great stuff.
 
Mike k said:
There is a plastic pipe with a brass insert ( with o ring) and brass securing nut that attaches to a male threaded pipe coming from the calorifier.It takes the pressurised pump fresh water supply and there is a leak at the junction which drips whilst under pressure. Its a pain because its wets all the contents of the locker situated on the bottom. I have tried ptfe tape but this seems to disallow the mating of the joining surfaces and therefore the drip continues. I have tried external leak sealer and self amalgamating tape though the position in a locker made this a difficult job so not confident I have made a seal with the tape. How would the panel seek to stop the leak?
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The plastic pipe should have a brass ring, like a wedding ring, around the pipe, same as when joining up copper pipe.
O rings are not usually used in these situations, or am I missing something.
 
There is a plumbers silicone sealant that works well if a smear is put on before the joint is made. I think that it is the fernox ls x leak sealer at 5.75 for a small tube. Screwfix stock number 23614.
 
Mike k said:
There is a plastic pipe with a brass insert ( with o ring) and brass securing nut that attaches to a male threaded pipe coming from the calorifier.It takes the pressurised pump fresh water supply and there is a leak at the junction which drips whilst under pressure. Its a pain because its wets all the contents of the locker situated on the bottom. I have tried ptfe tape but this seems to disallow the mating of the joining surfaces and therefore the drip continues. I have tried external leak sealer and self amalgamating tape though the position in a locker made this a difficult job so not confident I have made a seal with the tape. How would the panel seek to stop the leak?
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I think a photo of the fitting would help you get the correct solution. It's possible that it's a regular plumbing fitting, in which case it needs an olive rather than an O-ring.
 
pvb said:
I think a photo of the fitting would help you get the correct solution. It's possible that it's a regular plumbing fitting, in which case it needs an olive rather than an O-ring.
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But if it is a joint directly on to an externally thread pipe, as stated in #1 an O ring should make a seal but the end of the pipe must be machined square and perhaps hollowed slightly like a compression fitting the O ring seating like an olive does.

The plastic pipe is hopefully a neat fit inside the externally threaded pipe
 
VicS said:
But if it is a joint directly on to an externally thread pipe, as stated in #1 an O ring should make a seal but the end of the pipe must be machined square and perhaps hollowed slightly like a compression fitting the O ring seating like an olive does.

The plastic pipe is hopefully a neat fit inside the externally threaded pipe
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Have you ever seen a calorifier fitting like that? Most of them use regular plumbing fittings.
 
I would smother the internals of the joint with loctite 577. Trying to seal a leak externally rarely works because the pressure within the piper will build up within the repair material, which will not normally withstand it, so the leak recurs in short order.
 
thanks for replies , its not a joint that uses an olive; the plastic pipe has an insert with a flat head with an o ring around it,?That should mate with the male threaded pipe coming from the calorifier and locked by the nut behind the insert flat head. I will take pics next time in am down.
 
Mike k said:
thanks for replies , its not a joint that uses an olive; the plastic pipe has an insert with a flat head with an o ring around it,?That should mate with the male threaded pipe coming from the calorifier and locked by the nut behind the insert flat head. I will take pics next time in am down.
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Sounds like the ones I had on my Turbo 36 - as suggested Loctite 577.
 
Somewhere at sometime I have played with the fitting you describe.
I was probably in a customers house or boat cursing the plumbing trade whilst calculating the profit on the job , which would help finance my next sailing trip.
If I remember correct, the O rings will be the seal, they normally are, if an O ring is damaged you will not get a seal.
The brass to brass is a mechanical joint; but is not the water seal.

Your plastic pipe has to be true and square on the fitting , if it is under tension, down the line , so to speak, the brass to brass does not have the strength to keep the O ring in place.

Presuming no load or tension on pipe, the O ring to brass will be the fail.
I have O rings in the van , But that does not help.

If you are in Suffolk you are welcome to hollow O ring box.

Please pleas plea , do not cover the problem in 577, t will not be the answer.

Best guess is a little silly lube , not to be confused with Lenny Henry
 
thanks for all replies, feedback is, I think its cured maybe its only temp.The combo of the external leak sealer and self amalgamating tape seems to have worked for now.
 
Mike k said:
thanks for all replies, feedback is, I think its cured maybe its only temp.The combo of the external leak sealer and self amalgamating tape seems to have worked for now.
Click to expand...

Agreed its temporary. You haven't cured the problem, you've only hidden it.
 
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