I put a new water valve in the refrigerator,Now when i put back the copper
supply it has a small leak at the fitting.
I cut the fitting off & installed a new compression ferrule & it still leaks
no matter how tight i make it.
Does it need teflon tape on the threads,it didn't have any before i changed
the valve.
How can i fix the leak ?

--
Dell Inspiron
Pentium dual-core 2.2 GHz
2 GB DDR2 SDRAM
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1


--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: ---

On Mar 30, 9:15*am, "desgnr" wrote:
I put a new water valve in the refrigerator,Now when i put back the copper
supply it has a small leak at the fitting.
I cut the fitting off & installed a new compression ferrule & it still leaks
no matter how tight i make it.
Does it need teflon tape on the threads,it didn't have any before i changed
the valve.
How can i fix the leak ?

--
Dell Inspiron
Pentium dual-core 2.2 GHz
2 GB DDR2 SDRAM
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1

--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: ---

Nope, you don't use teflon tape on compression fittings. The threads
are not sealing, the compression ring is. Teflon tape is only used on
tapered pipe thread.

Are you sure it is the compression fitting and not the nearby valve
stem? I've seen a lot of these that leak at the valve stem after they
have sat for years without being touched and then someone tunrs them
off. Make sure the valve stem is all the way open and snug.

If it is the compression fitting all I can suggest is trying again.
Make sure everything is clean and the copper line is straight in the
fitting and fully in as you tighten.

A couple things to try:

1) Spray the nut, ferrule, and end of the tube with oil
before tightening. This allows the surfaces to slip instead
of grab.
2) snug, not "as tight as you can get". The ferrules deform
easily.

I know of a plumber who uses Rectorseal #5 on compression
fittings, but I've not had to do that.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"desgnr" wrote in message
...
I put a new water valve in the refrigerator,Now when i put
back the copper
supply it has a small leak at the fitting.
I cut the fitting off & installed a new compression ferrule
& it still leaks
no matter how tight i make it.
Does it need teflon tape on the threads,it didn't have any
before i changed
the valve.
How can i fix the leak ?

--
Dell Inspiron
Pentium dual-core 2.2 GHz
2 GB DDR2 SDRAM
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1


--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints:
---

"desgnr" wrote in message
...
I put a new water valve in the refrigerator,Now when i put back the copper
supply it has a small leak at the fitting.
I cut the fitting off & installed a new compression ferrule & it still
leaks no matter how tight i make it.
Does it need teflon tape on the threads,it didn't have any before i
changed the valve.
How can i fix the leak ?

Try putting a liberal amount of pipe dope on\around the feral before
tightening.

On Mar 30, 9:15*am, "desgnr" wrote:
I put a new water valve in the refrigerator,Now when i put back the copper
supply it has a small leak at the fitting.
I cut the fitting off & installed a new compression ferrule & it still leaks
no matter how tight i make it.
Does it need teflon tape on the threads,it didn't have any before i changed
the valve.
How can i fix the leak ?

--
Dell Inspiron
Pentium dual-core 2.2 GHz
2 GB DDR2 SDRAM
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1

--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: ---

One of the most common mistakes with compression fittings is
tightening them too tight. Sometimes if you have trouble with the
brass ferrules you can try a plastic one. They seem to be a little
more forgiving. Make sure the pipe is clean with no rough spots. Don't
quite seat the pipe all the way against the stop. Google How to
install a compression fitting" think there is a video with some good
tips.

Jimmie

On Mar 30, 12:05*pm, JIMMIE wrote:
On Mar 30, 9:15*am, "desgnr" wrote:

I put a new water valve in the refrigerator,Now when i put back the copper
supply it has a small leak at the fitting.
I cut the fitting off & installed a new compression ferrule & it still leaks
no matter how tight i make it.
Does it need teflon tape on the threads,it didn't have any before i changed
the valve.
How can i fix the leak ?

--
Dell Inspiron
Pentium dual-core 2.2 GHz
2 GB DDR2 SDRAM
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1

--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: ---

One of the most common mistakes with compression fittings is
tightening them too tight. Sometimes if you have trouble with the
brass ferrules you can try a plastic one. They seem to be a little
more forgiving. Make sure the pipe is clean with no rough spots. Don't
quite seat the pipe all the way against the stop. Google How to
install a compression fitting" think there is a video with some good
tips.

Jimmie

I cant always think of how to tell someone how to do something so I
went to my book. To keep from over tightening it. hand tighten the nut
and then tighten about 3/4 a turn with a wrench. Very important, use a
second wrench to hold the body of the fitting. Cu and nylon ferrules
work a little better than the brass ones because they are softer.

Jimmie

"Doug Miller" wrote in message
...

Try putting a liberal amount of pipe dope on\around the feral before
tightening.

To the OP: No, don't. You already got very good advice from "jamesgangnc".
To tom: don't answer questions when you don't know what you're talking
about.

That solution has worked for me on more than one occasion.

Doug......perhaps you shouldn't respond to issues you're ignorant about.

In article , "tom" wrote:

"desgnr" wrote in message
...
I put a new water valve in the refrigerator,Now when i put back the copper
supply it has a small leak at the fitting.
I cut the fitting off & installed a new compression ferrule & it still
leaks no matter how tight i make it.
Does it need teflon tape on the threads,it didn't have any before i
changed the valve.
How can i fix the leak ?

Try putting a liberal amount of pipe dope on\around the feral before
tightening.

To the OP: No, don't. You already got very good advice from "jamesgangnc".
To tom: don't answer questions when you don't know what you're talking about.

desgnr wrote:
I put a new water valve in the refrigerator,Now when i put back the
copper supply it has a small leak at the fitting.
I cut the fitting off & installed a new compression ferrule & it still
leaks no matter how tight i make it.
Does it need teflon tape on the threads,it didn't have any before i
changed the valve.
How can i fix the leak ?


On more than one occasion I've "saved" an dripping overtightened ferrule
fitting by putting a couple of wraps of teflon tape around the ferrule
lapping it onto the far end of the copper tubing by about 1/8".

The teflon compresses to form a "gasket" which seals the leak.

Scoff if you will, but I've always said that the essence of pragmatism
can be stated as, "If it woiks, use it." G

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10e12 furlongs per fortnight.

I wonder if the OP used the same nut and fitting from the previous
installation, while just buying a new ferrule. If the old fitting
had been tightened too much, there might have been damage or
deformation of the nut or seat.

--
Nonny
Suppose you were an idiot.
And suppose you were a member
of Congress.... But then I repeat myself.'

-Mark Twain
..

In article , "tom" wrote:

"Doug Miller" wrote in message
...

Try putting a liberal amount of pipe dope on\around the feral before
tightening.

To the OP: No, don't. You already got very good advice from "jamesgangnc".
To tom: don't answer questions when you don't know what you're talking
about.

That solution has worked for me on more than one occasion.

No, it hasn't. Maybe it *appeared* to work, because there wasn't enough
pressure behind the leak to push the water past a massive glob of pipe dope,
but it's still not the right way to do it.

Pipe dope is not a sealant, and has no place on a compression ferrule.

If a compression fitting leaks, it's due to a poor fit. The proper solution is
to fix the problem causing the poor fit, not to cover it up with a blob of
pipe dope.

Doug......perhaps you shouldn't respond to issues you're ignorant about.

I didn't.

Thanks all:
I will by a new ferrule & nut.
Jeff The Drunk wrote in message ...
On Tue, 30 Mar 2010 13:06:13 -0400, Jeff Wisnia
wrote:

desgnr wrote:
I put a new water valve in the refrigerator,Now when i put back the
copper supply it has a small leak at the fitting.
I cut the fitting off & installed a new compression ferrule & it still
leaks no matter how tight i make it.
Does it need teflon tape on the threads,it didn't have any before i
changed the valve.
How can i fix the leak ?


On more than one occasion I've "saved" an dripping overtightened ferrule
fitting by putting a couple of wraps of teflon tape around the ferrule
lapping it onto the far end of the copper tubing by about 1/8".

The teflon compresses to form a "gasket" which seals the leak.

Scoff if you will, but I've always said that the essence of pragmatism
can be stated as, "If it woiks, use it." G

Jeff

Well that makes a little more sense than pipe dope.



--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: ---

I know a plumber who uses Rectorseal on both the ferrule,
and the threads of the nut. Might work better. I havn't
tried it.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"tom" wrote in message
...

Try putting a liberal amount of pipe dope on\around the
feral before
tightening.

Jeff The Drunk wrote:
On Tue, 30 Mar 2010 11:25:09 -0500, "tom" wrote:

"Doug Miller" wrote in message
...

Try putting a liberal amount of pipe dope on\around the feral before
tightening.
To the OP: No, don't. You already got very good advice from "jamesgangnc".
To tom: don't answer questions when you don't know what you're talking
about.

That solution has worked for me on more than one occasion.

Doug......perhaps you shouldn't respond to issues you're ignorant about.

Pipe dope is not a sealer it's a thread lube to allow steel/cast
fittings to be tightened without thread bind. I've NEVER had problems
with ferruled connections leaking when they were done carefully.
Another poster going by Jimmie pretty much explained how to make
successfully and lasting compression joints.

Pipe dope is a sealer also. It's made for pipe threads, not compression
fittings, but still it is a sealer.

Note the product information "Lubricates and seals all threaded joints"

http://www.hardwareandtools.com/Grea...y-6596688.html

Doug Miller wrote:
In article , "tom" wrote:
"Doug Miller" wrote in message
...

Try putting a liberal amount of pipe dope on\around the feral before
tightening.
To the OP: No, don't. You already got very good advice from "jamesgangnc".
To tom: don't answer questions when you don't know what you're talking
about.

That solution has worked for me on more than one occasion.

No, it hasn't. Maybe it *appeared* to work, because there wasn't enough
pressure behind the leak to push the water past a massive glob of pipe dope,
but it's still not the right way to do it.

Pipe dope is not a sealant, and has no place on a compression ferrule.

It is also a sealant, not for compression fittings, but still it is a
sealant.

"Lubricates and seals all threaded joints"

http://www.hardwareandtools.com/Grea...y-6596688.html