Leak!

[bennettp23]

Hi,

I took my toilet out to tile under it. Got it all back in and screwed down OK but as I knew I have a gap between the Cistern inlet ant the water feed. The feed is really fillered in and so I didn't want to have to move it.

Untitled

• bennettp23
• 11 Jun 2009
• 1

So I went and got a male to female coupler thingy. Put it all together but I've got a leak I can't get rid of!

Untitled

• bennettp23
• 11 Jun 2009
• 1

Sorry second pic a bit dark.

I'm pretty sure its coming from the top of my coupler, i.e. the join between the cistern and my coupler.

I've got an O ring in there which I'm not sure I should have?? I didn't have any PTFE but I didn't think I would need it??

Should I be just screwing the cistern threaded pipe into the coupler with PTFE or is there a completely different way to do things??

The leak is very small but I'm scared of tightening the coupler too much onto the plastic cistern feed, I'm pretty sure its as tight as it can be.

The only other thing I can think off is to get a small flexible pipe that are around these days and use that between the feed tap and the cistern?

Any help much appreciated!

Thanks

Paul.[/img]

 

[seco services]

on your (FI) Female coupler to the cistern should have ptfe on the thread and it won't leak, but it will probably break the plastic next time it needs to come off.

not really the right fitting for the float valve.
you could use a 300mm flexi with iso valve is you removed the bottom pushfit fitting.

if that was me i would make up a longer section of copper pipe.

 

[fatplumber]

This is a union. The mating surfaces are the face of the ballcock and the shoulder of the fitting, not the thread. The gaskin, in this case PTFE should go round the end of the tap union. The nut will pull the union against the valve and squash the PTFE tight, creating the seal. Make sure that you don't cross the thread.

 

[DazzarGaz]

Just to clarify, have you got a fibre washer, rubber washer or rubber o-ring between the coupler and cistern plastic pipe?
You really need a rubber washer and don't apply too much torque to the plastic. If you do you'll rotate the plastic pipe and loosen the nut securing it to the cistern. This causes water to leak from the cistern itself and not the water from the pipe. This might be the case here.
Wrap a sheet of toilet paper around the pipe and you'll soon see where the water is coming from.

 

[bennettp23]

Thanks all.

I also thought I'd need a rubber washer in between the cistern plastic feed and the coupler but the guy in the plumb shop said no need!

I think what I need is both the rubber washer and PTFE, I'll get them today.

Thanks everyone for your help I'llgive you an update.

 

[Paul Barker]

You don't need both; use rubber alone or ptfe alone. Hepworth tap connector which has a shamfered rubber interface with the poorly machined nylon of the modern float valve, clearly purpose designed. Brass fittings work great with brass, but require great skill with nylon.

 

[bennettp23]

Think I'll go with the rubber then. Thanks Paul.

 

[bennettp23]

Put in a fibre washer and replaced the fibre washer in the stop tap connect just in case.

All good now, dry as a bone!

Thanks again everyone, much appreciated.