"George Tingsley" wrote in message
oups.com...

Doctor Drivel wrote:
"George Tingsley" wrote in message
ups.com...

Redeye wrote:
after a rather more eventful weekend than i was hoping for, i'm hoping
somebody can explain this....

i finished plumbing in everything in my new bathroom a couple of weeks
ago. no real problems and all went quite well. so, i was a bit
surprised to be woken at 1am on saturday to the sound of water running
and a hysterical girlfriend. it appears that one of the compression
joints has spontaneously exploded, allowing mains pressure water to go
everywhere. fortunately no real damage done, just a lot of mopping up
to do downstairs.

the bit i don't understand is why this joint went so suddenly. here's
the facts :
You did not tighten it enough
for 15mm pipe if you tighten the nut as much as you can by hand and
then tighten by a further 3/4 of a complete turn
if it should weep you can tighten by another 1/8 turn
Beware of being told that you cannot over tighten compression fittings
thats a guaranteed way of making them leak
PTFE can be used on the threads but never on the olive

Wrapping PTFE on the threads of a compression joint serves no purpose
whatsoever. In fact a lot of it may prevent the nut being screwed fully
home.

Wrong im sorry to say

You are talking though your rear end boy. I think you should stick to
drains. Look at the the the cutaways you posted. Read what I wrote.

Having now read all the massages in this subject
It appears to me that most of the regular experts?
are talking out of their posteriors and even if I clam to have been a
plumber for 50 years why should anyone believe me over Mr Drivel or
Plowman?

Plowman is a senile idiot, That is clear. He never serviced his boier fro
12 years and advised everyone else to do the same - a madman. I am a
heating engineer. I don't do drains.

I had a rummage in my fittings box and turned up a few old carded
compression fittings
A few facts quoted from the manufactures which you would hope know more
about their products then a diyforum

By Opella
Usual cleaning info
Apply PTFE tape to male fitting threads only
Hand tighten nut then spanner tighten nut further 1/2 turn 15mm 3/4
turn 22mm
DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN- in large print

PTFE does nothing to make a seal on the compresion nut threads. If there is
aleak it will leak out beteen the pipe and nut which has no threaded joint
at all. Look at the fitting and how it is made up. Look at the cutaways.