Water system, help please?

If you have leaks from theaded plastic fittings or plastic to metal threaded joints I have found that Loctite 5331 is the cure. http://www.loctite.co.uk/loctite-4087.htm?nodeid=8802626764801 Its a bit expensive, but used as instructed it sealed all my Tru Design threaded fittings, which have quite slack threads that would have needed a lot of PTFE tape, with no leaks at all. All PTFE tape must be removed before using it.
 
prv said:
Not surprising really, if they're straight threads with no sealing face to compress a washer against.

Pete
Click to expand...

Thats it, pretty much. Its like a huge threaded washer - I was a bit dubious myself :)
Hence why I resorted to the LSX.
 
Norman_E said:
If you have leaks from theaded plastic fittings or plastic to metal threaded joints I have found that Loctite 5331 is the cure. http://www.loctite.co.uk/loctite-4087.htm?nodeid=8802626764801 Its a bit expensive, but used as instructed it sealed all my Tru Design threaded fittings, which have quite slack threads that would have needed a lot of PTFE tape, with no leaks at all. All PTFE tape must be removed before using it.
Click to expand...

Nope, the plastic ones were perfect - they have a plastic insert inside the brass knuckle, not had any issue with the modern style ones - just the really old fashioned stuff. (At least I think its old fashioned.. but then I'm a plastic skin fitting sort of chap..)
 
If you are referring to the straight bit of female to female pipe joining the fitting to the tank I suspect you may be using the wrong fitting. You are ( I think) using a fitting with a parallel thread. If I get the post correctly
You need a BSP straight connector - (If you are, then ignore the rest of this thread & accept apologies)
( BSP =British steel pipe i believe)

That has tapered threads each end so as you tighten the fitting it tightens up on the threads. With parallel threads you have nothing to tighten against & are relying on PTFE to seal the joint & that will never work correctly
Go into a proper plumbing shop -& ask for a female to female straight BSP connector of the diameter you need & see if that does the trick they will confirm if I am right
If you cannot get a straight connector with BSP tapered threads get a "T" & a tapered plug & stick the plug in the unused outlet
If you do not want to keep stripping the whole lot down every time you get a leak or want to service it, get a loose union ( but make sure it has BSP threads)& you can disconnect the assembly from the storage unit in one piece. With this you will not have to rotate everything to get it off. It make annual draining down a doddle. Do not use the supplied drain down valves for that they fail & have to be replaced
 
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Daydream believer said:
You need a BSP straight connector - (If you are, then ignore the rest of this thread & accept apologies)
( BSP =British steel pipe i believe)

That has tapered threads each end
Click to expand...

Not quite right on the terminology - British Standard Pipe threads can be either tapered or parallel, and if not specified then the default is parallel. He already has a "female to female straight BSP connector" - what you're suggesting would be labelled as BSPT.

That said, a parallel male thread into a female taper thread is not supposed to be an allowed combination (the reverse is acceptable), though it would probably work better than the existing lashup of parallel parts with no sealing faces. Might be the best approach in the circumstances - the straight thread coming off the tank is a bit of a bugger. Mine had female threads with tapered hex nipples stuck in them, which was much easier to work with.

Pete
 
As an aside I took the part into screwfix and showed them (in case it was duff) and the guy behind the counter said something along the lines of "yes its a 1/2 inch widget fettle bog standard doohickey" (I've inserted what I understood for the actual words he said).

The kit is as far as I can see the same from all suppliers of this pre-made valve. I think its the fact that the calorifier outputs are quite old that may not help - I just looked at an image I took when I got the calorifier and the fittings which were on it are identical (ie: the collar) to what I replaced when fitting the temp valve. However - they are stained quite a bit which suggests to me that there may have been a bit of a leak even on the old install on whatever boat is was on before I bought it.

One thing is certain, the fitting doesn't tighten up until i reach the very end of the thread - so one can only assume that this is a parallel thread? The collar screws on very easily - so I must assume that both are straight threads? Will a tapered collar actually fit on a straight thread?

I wish I'd paid more attention in CSE Metalworking.
 
I'm asking for pity now. Please humour me.

This appears (from looking at it online) to be exactly what I have:

1-72898-s.jpg

http://www.chandleryworld.co.uk/catalogue/straight-equal-socket-bsp-female-parallel_p0-1818.html

If I understand correctly, this is a parallel thread which is why it leaks? I've been googling for ages and can't find a tapered thread female to female brass fitting. Found loads that look like what I have (described as BSP - which I assume isn't what I need) as a quick google reveals this:

G: Series British Standard Pipe - Parallel ( Straight ) BSP or BSPF
Also referred to as British Gas, British Pipe Parallel or Parallel Fastening thread.
Various Symbols: BSP, BSPP, BSSPI, BSPF, BSPG, PS, R, G.
 
SiteSurfer said:
I'm asking for pity now. Please humour me.

This appears (from looking at it online) to be exactly what I have:

1-72898-s.jpg

http://www.chandleryworld.co.uk/catalogue/straight-equal-socket-bsp-female-parallel_p0-1818.html

If I understand correctly, this is a parallel thread which is why it leaks? I've been googling for ages and can't find a tapered thread female to female brass fitting. Found loads that look like what I have (described as BSP - which I assume isn't what I need) as a quick google reveals this:

G: Series British Standard Pipe - Parallel ( Straight ) BSP or BSPF
Also referred to as British Gas, British Pipe Parallel or Parallel Fastening thread.
Various Symbols: BSP, BSPP, BSSPI, BSPF, BSPG, PS, R, G.
Click to expand...

Don't think they make a taper thread pipe socket as generally you will fir a tapered male thread fitting into those.

If you have a parallel male threaded item you will need a soft washer (copper, fiber, nylon) inbetween the flatish faces.

The only other way, but not generally the correct way, is to use loctite pipe sealer or at a push sikaflex, but sikaflex will be difficult to undo later.

Can you post pic of the 2 fittings disconnected from each other looking into the end that screws together as to me it looks like a union type of fitting of some kind.
 
Rogershaw said:
Don't think they make a taper thread pipe socket as generally you will fir a tapered male thread fitting into those.

If you have a parallel male threaded item you will need a soft washer (copper, fiber, nylon) inbetween the flatish faces.

The only other way, but not generally the correct way, is to use loctite pipe sealer or at a push sikaflex, but sikaflex will be difficult to undo later.

Can you post pic of the 2 fittings disconnected from each other looking into the end that screws together as to me it looks like a union type of fitting of some kind.
Click to expand...

+1 to all of that :)

I assume the flexi hose and its associated valve is a thermostatic mixer to produce warm water rather than very hot?

Pete
 
prv said:
+1 to all of that :)

I assume the flexi hose and its associated valve is a thermostatic mixer to produce warm water rather than very hot?

Pete
Click to expand...

Thks for that Pete

It looked like a pressure relief valve to me you you may be correct as if it was PRV the connection from the bottom of the valve to the cold water would be wrong and would cause problems with the PRV.

I fitted a thermostatic mixer to my shower as SWMBO wanted very hot water for washing dishes and we have discussed this before but not relevant to the OP's problem.
 
The fitting is (as Pete says) part of the thermostatic valve kit for the calorifier (Sigmar).

sigmar-thermostatic-mixing-valve-qkflkmt15003-4300-p.jpg


What I started with:
26227547244_ebacfe95f3_z.jpg
[/url]Untitled by Owen Lees, on Flickr[/IMG]

The bare ends on the calorifier look like this:
26798618166_4c8fd65e1d_o.jpg
[/url]Untitled by Owen Lees, on Flickr[/IMG]

My first attempt at fitting was like this (since replaced with LSX compound which cured 99%, all but the tiny leak on the female collar into the calorifier body)
26560137780_27f80de63b_z.jpg
[/url]Untitled by Owen Lees, on Flickr[/IMG]

I'm back at the boat on Friday night to carry on trying to sort out the water system, so will take all ideas seriously. Essentially though I think the only real issue is this BSP female to female connector which is weeping as it connects to the calorifier, the end on the valve appears to be fine (now).
 
That thread looks like it should be tapered but it also looks like it has a "flange" when the red ring is removed. I would try to fit a copper washer between the socket and the calorifier thread and the socket and see it it will lock the copper washer in place. If not try some sikaflex on the thread.

The other thing to try is part of a union fitting like this

https://www.google.co.za/imgres?
imgurl=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/Verschraubung_4072.jpg&imgrefurl=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piping_and_plumbing_fitting&h=800&w=1200&tbnid=tIAhJGF0HCzp_M:&tbnh=160&tbnw=240&docid=e7lVqvRvA8nYtM&usg=__T67evzDRwynO3GBDgeOqJXGrO8w=&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwjempSBl8PMAhVnL8AKHYqJDH8Q9QEIHjAA#h=800&tbnh=160&tbnw=240&w=1200

You only need the 2 lower items the nut and the item with the external thread with the nut screwed onto the external thread of the calorifier
 
This is the image you refer to?
Verschraubung_4072.jpg


I get what you are saying here, this would seal on the calorifier stub outlet and then everything else attaches to this. My only query is that I'd be left with essentially a duplication of what I have now?
 
SiteSurfer said:
No there's nothing, the thread just stops. Nothing to tighten against.
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That's the problem that thread should be tapered but it seams its not> what is the distance between the end of the thread and the shoulder. You could always fit more than one washer to make up the space. Bit if a bodge but should work.
 
Been doing some research and the Sigmar documentation suggests that the output from the calorifiers is BSP. Might this then be why?
 
Rogershaw said:
No duplication as I see it the item with the external thread would screw into the socket with the nut fitted and then this as you say screw onto the calorifier thread.
Click to expand...

Ah ok. Yes I see it now. That might present a problem with the tap sticking out too far and obstructing the locker, however - well worth investigating.
 
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