simple tap fitting, advice needed please.

[David P]

I have just put in a butler sink and moved two separate kitchen taps from standard upright fittings (that were fixed through the worktop) to wall mounted ones.
I have two brass wall mounted elbows (that will be behind some t&g panelling), each has a 4" chrome extension pipe that gives enough clearance from the wall for the butler sink (this passes through the t&g), and finaly the taps are screwed on the front.

My problem is that when I screw in the extension and the tap, the tap screws in firmly to being horizontal (needing a quarter turn more ) - If i dont tighten the taps fully the joints leak, if I go for full tightening the extensions develop a leaky hairline crack. So far i have split two extension tubes by tightening this extra quarter turn, which involves considerable force. I have tried two different thicknesses of ptfe tape to try and get the taps to seat in the upright position, I have also tried using jointing compound (not together with the ptfe).

I give up! what is the clever trick that all you professional plumbers use to get a tap to seat in a conventional vertical position?

 

[dextrous]

Either smear some compound onto ptfe (gas rated - it's thicker and better), or try some loctite55 tape.

Don't overtighten anything!

 

[David P]

Either smear some compound onto ptfe (gas rated - it's thicker and better), or try some loctite55 tape.

Don't overtighten anything!

Thanks dextrous. does the locktite tape set? I just know that if the taps aren't really firm then they will get twisted round by the heavy handed family.

Is the idea to use enough ptfe/compound to form a sort of washer at the base of the thread?

 

[dextrous]

Wrap PTFE (several turns) around the thread then smear it with compound.

Don't know if loctite sets - never had to take one apart to find out

 

[Goldberg]

My problem is that when I screw in the extension and the tap, the tap screws in firmly to being horizontal (needing a quarter turn more ) - If i dont tighten the taps fully the joints leak, if I go for full tightening the extensions develop a leaky hairline crack.

If the tap tail is bottoming in the extension, then use either sufficient washers to get the tap vertical, or PTFE on the threads with LSX to discourage it from undoing.

 

[David P]

I have tried gas ptfe, wrapped about 5 times around - there are no leaks - but i still doesn't cure the problem, that the tap doesn't point straight down when it is firmly seated.
when the taps are in the right position, they can be easily unscrewed by hand (told you it was a heavy handed family).
seen some reference to fibre washers on another site, but they look awful indoors, the extension tubes have no collar so any washers used would need to be behind the taps themselves.

 

[David P]

If the tap tail is bottoming in the extension, then use either sufficient washers to get the tap vertical, or PTFE on the threads with LSX to discourage it from undoing.

cross posted there goldberg, thanks for replying.
erm. xcuse my ignorance but LSX?

 

[Goldberg]

LSX?

http://www.fernox.com/?cccpage=ls_x&sub=4