I had a pig of a job with some brass screw joints. Used PTFE tape and
ensured the rubber seating washers were perfectly in place but found it
damn near impossible to get a perfect join without a tiny leak somewhere.

Would it have been better to forget the rubber washer / PTFE and go
straight to putting some flux on the threads, tightening up and
soldering the joints? Is this "acceptable practice"?

It was very complex joint for some bath taps. For each supply (hot and
cold) there was a brass fitting for connection to the tap. Attached to
this was a small extension brass fitting to reach through the tiled
wall. Attached to that was a brass fitting to take a flexible pipe. This
meant there were three separate brass fittings between the tap and the
flexible pipe the other side of the wall. The ensemble of three brass
fittings taking two rubber washers. If you include the rubber washer on
the flexible hose and at the tap join that is four rubber washers for
the hot supply and another four for the cold supply. 8 bleedin rubber
washers in all! I just couldn't get every damn joint tightened up
properly without a leak somewhere.

So regarding the three brass fittings in the middle, would it have been
better to simply solder those three together and forget the supplied
rubber washers / PTFE tape?

--
David in Normandy.
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
by a filter and not reach my inbox.

"David in Normandy" wrote in message
. fr...
I had a pig of a job with some brass screw joints. Used PTFE tape and
ensured the rubber seating washers were perfectly in place but found it
damn near impossible to get a perfect join without a tiny leak somewhere.

Would it have been better to forget the rubber washer / PTFE and go
straight to putting some flux on the threads, tightening up and soldering
the joints? Is this "acceptable practice"?

It was very complex joint for some bath taps. For each supply (hot and
cold) there was a brass fitting for connection to the tap. Attached to
this was a small extension brass fitting to reach through the tiled wall.
Attached to that was a brass fitting to take a flexible pipe. This meant
there were three separate brass fittings between the tap and the flexible
pipe the other side of the wall. The ensemble of three brass fittings
taking two rubber washers. If you include the rubber washer on the
flexible hose and at the tap join that is four rubber washers for the hot
supply and another four for the cold supply. 8 bleedin rubber washers in
all! I just couldn't get every damn joint tightened up properly without a
leak somewhere.

So regarding the three brass fittings in the middle, would it have been
better to simply solder those three together and forget the supplied
rubber washers / PTFE tape?


this is (at least) the second somewhat unusual plumbing query you have come
up with.... are you actgually in Normandy? can we deduce you are offering
your services in Normandy inexchange for Euros and tapping into the "free"
reserves of knowledge here to enable you to do it?

Jim K

On 03/08/2011 19:22, Jim K wrote:
"David in wrote in message
. fr...
I had a pig of a job with some brass screw joints. Used PTFE tape and
ensured the rubber seating washers were perfectly in place but found it
damn near impossible to get a perfect join without a tiny leak somewhere.

Would it have been better to forget the rubber washer / PTFE and go
straight to putting some flux on the threads, tightening up and soldering
the joints? Is this "acceptable practice"?

It was very complex joint for some bath taps. For each supply (hot and
cold) there was a brass fitting for connection to the tap. Attached to
this was a small extension brass fitting to reach through the tiled wall.
Attached to that was a brass fitting to take a flexible pipe. This meant
there were three separate brass fittings between the tap and the flexible
pipe the other side of the wall. The ensemble of three brass fittings
taking two rubber washers. If you include the rubber washer on the
flexible hose and at the tap join that is four rubber washers for the hot
supply and another four for the cold supply. 8 bleedin rubber washers in
all! I just couldn't get every damn joint tightened up properly without a
leak somewhere.

So regarding the three brass fittings in the middle, would it have been
better to simply solder those three together and forget the supplied
rubber washers / PTFE tape?


this is (at least) the second somewhat unusual plumbing query you have come
up with.... are you actgually in Normandy? can we deduce you are offering
your services in Normandy inexchange for Euros and tapping into the "free"
reserves of knowledge here to enable you to do it?

Jim K



It is actually the same flaming plumbing job for the same person. I can
say categorically that I have absolutely no intention of becoming a
professional plumber! Frankly I wish I'd never offered to do this
bleeding job! It is one thing muddling along doing your own plumbing in
your own time, but an entirely different affair doing a job for a friend
of a friend, especially when it goes tits up.

And yes I am in Normandy and yes any advice re the problem would be
gratefully received.

--
David in Normandy.
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
by a filter and not reach my inbox.

In article , David in
Normandy scribeth thus
On 03/08/2011 19:22, Jim K wrote:
"David in wrote in message
. fr...
I had a pig of a job with some brass screw joints. Used PTFE tape and
ensured the rubber seating washers were perfectly in place but found it
damn near impossible to get a perfect join without a tiny leak somewhere.

Would it have been better to forget the rubber washer / PTFE and go
straight to putting some flux on the threads, tightening up and soldering
the joints? Is this "acceptable practice"?

It was very complex joint for some bath taps. For each supply (hot and
cold) there was a brass fitting for connection to the tap. Attached to
this was a small extension brass fitting to reach through the tiled wall.
Attached to that was a brass fitting to take a flexible pipe. This meant
there were three separate brass fittings between the tap and the flexible
pipe the other side of the wall. The ensemble of three brass fittings
taking two rubber washers. If you include the rubber washer on the
flexible hose and at the tap join that is four rubber washers for the hot
supply and another four for the cold supply. 8 bleedin rubber washers in
all! I just couldn't get every damn joint tightened up properly without a
leak somewhere.

So regarding the three brass fittings in the middle, would it have been
better to simply solder those three together and forget the supplied
rubber washers / PTFE tape?



It is actually the same flaming plumbing job for the same person. I can
say categorically that I have absolutely no intention of becoming a
professional plumber! Frankly I wish I'd never offered to do this
bleeding job! It is one thing muddling along doing your own plumbing in
your own time, but an entirely different affair doing a job for a friend
of a friend, especially when it goes tits up.


Well I've never had a problem with Brass compression joints apart from
one that had a damaged Olive and a wrap of PTFE tape cured it of that
little weep..

I wonder are these French fittings your using and might they be
different from the English version, seems very odd indeed that your
having to consider soldering them!..

Very drastic. Any change of a few Pix anywhere for us to look at?..

--
Tony Sayer

On 03/08/2011 16:38, David in Normandy wrote:
I had a pig of a job with some brass screw joints. Used PTFE tape and
ensured the rubber seating washers were perfectly in place but found it
damn near impossible to get a perfect join without a tiny leak somewhere.

Would it have been better to forget the rubber washer / PTFE and go
straight to putting some flux on the threads, tightening up and
soldering the joints? Is this "acceptable practice"?

It was very complex joint for some bath taps. For each supply (hot and
cold) there was a brass fitting for connection to the tap. Attached to
this was a small extension brass fitting to reach through the tiled
wall. Attached to that was a brass fitting to take a flexible pipe. This
meant there were three separate brass fittings between the tap and the
flexible pipe the other side of the wall. The ensemble of three brass
fittings taking two rubber washers. If you include the rubber washer on
the flexible hose and at the tap join that is four rubber washers for
the hot supply and another four for the cold supply. 8 bleedin rubber
washers in all! I just couldn't get every damn joint tightened up
properly without a leak somewhere.

So regarding the three brass fittings in the middle, would it have been
better to simply solder those three together and forget the supplied
rubber washers / PTFE tape?


ABSOLUTELY. There's still a way of taking it out, presumably.

On Wed, 3 Aug 2011 20:32:45 +0100, tony sayer
wrote:

In article , David in
Normandy scribeth thus
On 03/08/2011 19:22, Jim K wrote:
"David in wrote in message
. fr...
I had a pig of a job with some brass screw joints. Used PTFE tape and
ensured the rubber seating washers were perfectly in place but found it
damn near impossible to get a perfect join without a tiny leak somewhere.

Would it have been better to forget the rubber washer / PTFE and go
straight to putting some flux on the threads, tightening up and soldering
the joints? Is this "acceptable practice"?

It was very complex joint for some bath taps. For each supply (hot and
cold) there was a brass fitting for connection to the tap. Attached to
this was a small extension brass fitting to reach through the tiled wall.
Attached to that was a brass fitting to take a flexible pipe. This meant
there were three separate brass fittings between the tap and the flexible
pipe the other side of the wall. The ensemble of three brass fittings
taking two rubber washers. If you include the rubber washer on the
flexible hose and at the tap join that is four rubber washers for the hot
supply and another four for the cold supply. 8 bleedin rubber washers in
all! I just couldn't get every damn joint tightened up properly without a
leak somewhere.

So regarding the three brass fittings in the middle, would it have been
better to simply solder those three together and forget the supplied
rubber washers / PTFE tape?



It is actually the same flaming plumbing job for the same person. I can
say categorically that I have absolutely no intention of becoming a
professional plumber! Frankly I wish I'd never offered to do this
bleeding job! It is one thing muddling along doing your own plumbing in
your own time, but an entirely different affair doing a job for a friend
of a friend, especially when it goes tits up.


Well I've never had a problem with Brass compression joints apart from
one that had a damaged Olive and a wrap of PTFE tape cured it of that
little weep..

I wonder are these French fittings your using and might they be
different from the English version, seems very odd indeed that your
having to consider soldering them!..

I played the part of 'plumber's mate' for a friend who was installing
water pipes etc in his house in France and yes, the fittings (and I'm
guessing, the alloys and composition of the metals and the solders and
the fluxes) are very different. We eventually succeeded through a
mixture of compression and soldered joints and while I'm sure that
French plumbers all have their little knacks for making a quick, easy
and successful job of it, the English knacks we imported pas réussi à
couper la moutarde.

Nick

On 03/08/2011 21:33, Newshound wrote:
On 03/08/2011 16:38, David in Normandy wrote:
I had a pig of a job with some brass screw joints. Used PTFE tape and
ensured the rubber seating washers were perfectly in place but found it
damn near impossible to get a perfect join without a tiny leak somewhere.

Would it have been better to forget the rubber washer / PTFE and go
straight to putting some flux on the threads, tightening up and
soldering the joints? Is this "acceptable practice"?

It was very complex joint for some bath taps. For each supply (hot and
cold) there was a brass fitting for connection to the tap. Attached to
this was a small extension brass fitting to reach through the tiled
wall. Attached to that was a brass fitting to take a flexible pipe. This
meant there were three separate brass fittings between the tap and the
flexible pipe the other side of the wall. The ensemble of three brass
fittings taking two rubber washers. If you include the rubber washer on
the flexible hose and at the tap join that is four rubber washers for
the hot supply and another four for the cold supply. 8 bleedin rubber
washers in all! I just couldn't get every damn joint tightened up
properly without a leak somewhere.

So regarding the three brass fittings in the middle, would it have been
better to simply solder those three together and forget the supplied
rubber washers / PTFE tape?


ABSOLUTELY. There's still a way of taking it out, presumably.

Thank you for the feedback. It might just save my bacon! LOL

Yes, if the three pieces were soldered together to form a single piece
it could still be easily mounted or unmounted. I think the problem is
just having too many rubber washers in the assembly, so when fastening
the back end of the tap on to it or the flexible pipe to the other end I
think one or more of the other rubber washers in between is
over-tightening and distorting.


--
David in Normandy.
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
by a filter and not reach my inbox.

In article , David in
Normandy scribeth thus
On 03/08/2011 21:33, Newshound wrote:
On 03/08/2011 16:38, David in Normandy wrote:
I had a pig of a job with some brass screw joints. Used PTFE tape and
ensured the rubber seating washers were perfectly in place but found it
damn near impossible to get a perfect join without a tiny leak somewhere.

Would it have been better to forget the rubber washer / PTFE and go
straight to putting some flux on the threads, tightening up and
soldering the joints? Is this "acceptable practice"?

It was very complex joint for some bath taps. For each supply (hot and
cold) there was a brass fitting for connection to the tap. Attached to
this was a small extension brass fitting to reach through the tiled
wall. Attached to that was a brass fitting to take a flexible pipe. This
meant there were three separate brass fittings between the tap and the
flexible pipe the other side of the wall. The ensemble of three brass
fittings taking two rubber washers. If you include the rubber washer on
the flexible hose and at the tap join that is four rubber washers for
the hot supply and another four for the cold supply. 8 bleedin rubber
washers in all! I just couldn't get every damn joint tightened up
properly without a leak somewhere.

So regarding the three brass fittings in the middle, would it have been
better to simply solder those three together and forget the supplied
rubber washers / PTFE tape?


ABSOLUTELY. There's still a way of taking it out, presumably.

Thank you for the feedback. It might just save my bacon! LOL

Yes, if the three pieces were soldered together to form a single piece
it could still be easily mounted or unmounted. I think the problem is
just having too many rubber washers in the assembly, so when fastening
the back end of the tap on to it or the flexible pipe to the other end I
think one or more of the other rubber washers in between is
over-tightening and distorting.


If thats the case then something else must be wrong. Consider that these
units are sold by the hundreds Thousands even and if all of them were
like that they'd soon stop making them. If you've tightened it so much
that its distorted then stop being so heavy handed is the answer to
that!.

Still be interesting to see a few Pictures of this assembly..
--
Tony Sayer

On 03/08/2011 22:04, Nick Odell wrote:
On Wed, 3 Aug 2011 20:32:45 +0100, tony
wrote:

In ge.fr, David in
scribeth thus
On 03/08/2011 19:22, Jim K wrote:
"David in wrote in message
. fr...
I had a pig of a job with some brass screw joints. Used PTFE tape and
ensured the rubber seating washers were perfectly in place but found it
damn near impossible to get a perfect join without a tiny leak somewhere.

Would it have been better to forget the rubber washer / PTFE and go
straight to putting some flux on the threads, tightening up and soldering
the joints? Is this "acceptable practice"?

It was very complex joint for some bath taps. For each supply (hot and
cold) there was a brass fitting for connection to the tap. Attached to
this was a small extension brass fitting to reach through the tiled wall.
Attached to that was a brass fitting to take a flexible pipe. This meant
there were three separate brass fittings between the tap and the flexible
pipe the other side of the wall. The ensemble of three brass fittings
taking two rubber washers. If you include the rubber washer on the
flexible hose and at the tap join that is four rubber washers for the hot
supply and another four for the cold supply. 8 bleedin rubber washers in
all! I just couldn't get every damn joint tightened up properly without a
leak somewhere.

So regarding the three brass fittings in the middle, would it have been
better to simply solder those three together and forget the supplied
rubber washers / PTFE tape?



It is actually the same flaming plumbing job for the same person. I can
say categorically that I have absolutely no intention of becoming a
professional plumber! Frankly I wish I'd never offered to do this
bleeding job! It is one thing muddling along doing your own plumbing in
your own time, but an entirely different affair doing a job for a friend
of a friend, especially when it goes tits up.


Well I've never had a problem with Brass compression joints apart from
one that had a damaged Olive and a wrap of PTFE tape cured it of that
little weep..

I wonder are these French fittings your using and might they be
different from the English version, seems very odd indeed that your
having to consider soldering them!..

I played the part of 'plumber's mate' for a friend who was installing
water pipes etc in his house in France and yes, the fittings (and I'm
guessing, the alloys and composition of the metals and the solders and
the fluxes) are very different. We eventually succeeded through a
mixture of compression and soldered joints and while I'm sure that
French plumbers all have their little knacks for making a quick, easy
and successful job of it, the English knacks we imported pas réussi à
couper la moutarde.

Nick

Another thing I've found here in France is the water pressure seems a
hell of a lot higher than back in the UK; so is very unforgiving of
anything less than rock solid joints. I wonder what the respective
nominal values are for the water pressure in France and England?


--
David in Normandy.
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
by a filter and not reach my inbox.

"David in Normandy" wrote in message
. fr...

8

Another thing I've found here in France is the water pressure seems a hell
of a lot higher than back in the UK; so is very unforgiving of anything
less than rock solid joints. I wonder what the respective nominal values
are for the water pressure in France and England?

Its just thinner, they water it down more than we do.

In article ,
dennis@home wrote:
"David in Normandy" wrote in message
.fr...

Another thing I've found here in France is the water pressure seems a hell
of a lot higher than back in the UK; so is very unforgiving of anything
less than rock solid joints. I wonder what the respective nominal values
are for the water pressure in France and England?

Its just thinner, they water it down more than we do.

Sounds like they water it down less than us !

Nick
--
Serendipity: http://www.leverton.org/blosxom (last update 29th March 2010)
"The Internet, a sort of ersatz counterfeit of real life"
-- Janet Street-Porter, BBC2, 19th March 1996

On 03/08/2011 22:04, David in Normandy wrote:
On 03/08/2011 22:04, Nick Odell wrote:
On Wed, 3 Aug 2011 20:32:45 +0100, tony
wrote:

In ge.fr, David in
scribeth thus
On 03/08/2011 19:22, Jim K wrote:
"David in wrote in message
. fr...
I had a pig of a job with some brass screw joints. Used PTFE tape and
ensured the rubber seating washers were perfectly in place but
found it
damn near impossible to get a perfect join without a tiny leak
somewhere.

Would it have been better to forget the rubber washer / PTFE and go
straight to putting some flux on the threads, tightening up and
soldering
the joints? Is this "acceptable practice"?

It was very complex joint for some bath taps. For each supply (hot
and
cold) there was a brass fitting for connection to the tap.
Attached to
this was a small extension brass fitting to reach through the
tiled wall.
Attached to that was a brass fitting to take a flexible pipe. This
meant
there were three separate brass fittings between the tap and the
flexible
pipe the other side of the wall. The ensemble of three brass fittings
taking two rubber washers. If you include the rubber washer on the
flexible hose and at the tap join that is four rubber washers for
the hot
supply and another four for the cold supply. 8 bleedin rubber
washers in
all! I just couldn't get every damn joint tightened up properly
without a
leak somewhere.

So regarding the three brass fittings in the middle, would it have
been
better to simply solder those three together and forget the supplied
rubber washers / PTFE tape?



It is actually the same flaming plumbing job for the same person. I can
say categorically that I have absolutely no intention of becoming a
professional plumber! Frankly I wish I'd never offered to do this
bleeding job! It is one thing muddling along doing your own plumbing in
your own time, but an entirely different affair doing a job for a
friend
of a friend, especially when it goes tits up.


Well I've never had a problem with Brass compression joints apart from
one that had a damaged Olive and a wrap of PTFE tape cured it of that
little weep..

I wonder are these French fittings your using and might they be
different from the English version, seems very odd indeed that your
having to consider soldering them!..

I played the part of 'plumber's mate' for a friend who was installing
water pipes etc in his house in France and yes, the fittings (and I'm
guessing, the alloys and composition of the metals and the solders and
the fluxes) are very different. We eventually succeeded through a
mixture of compression and soldered joints and while I'm sure that
French plumbers all have their little knacks for making a quick, easy
and successful job of it, the English knacks we imported pas réussi à
couper la moutarde.

Nick

Another thing I've found here in France is the water pressure seems a
hell of a lot higher than back in the UK; so is very unforgiving of
anything less than rock solid joints. I wonder what the respective
nominal values are for the water pressure in France and England?

Funnily enough we had no problem with our house in Brittany. I used
capillary fittings almost everywhere and the few compression fittings
(robinet, etc.) were fine, as were the couple of pushfits in an
inaccessible spot. Maybe things have changed over the years though, as
this was 20 years ago.

You're right about the water pressure. Our house is pretty near the top
of a hill and yet the water pressure is so high that we drilled a 3mm
hole through a 5 centime piece and trapped it between the shower hose
and the valve, so as to act as a restrictor - it was still like a power
shower! Before we put the restrictor in, anyone taking a shower would
come out bright red due to the force of the water hitting them!

SteveW

On Wed, 03 Aug 2011 22:22:05 +0100, dennis@home wrote:

Its just thinner, they water it down more than we do.

*like*

;-)



--
John Stumbles

Procrastinate now!

On Wed, 03 Aug 2011 21:57:25 +0000, Nick Leverton wrote:

Sounds like they water it down less than us !

Back in the days of the 1976 drought, IIRC, Private Eye ran a spoof small
add for "Instant Water - one packet makes up to 10 gallons"

--
John Stumbles

I used to be forgetful but now I ... um ....

Another thing I've found here in France is the water pressure seems a
hell of a lot higher than back in the UK; so is very unforgiving of
anything less than rock solid joints. I wonder what the respective
nominal values are for the water pressure in France and England?

I *think* when we stayed in a gite where the owner was rebuilding
another property on the plot he said the supply had to be regulated
down to 3 bar by a "detendeur". But then again, given my schoolboy
Frence hadn't been used much in the previous 40 years, he may have been
telling where to get a decent drink.
--
Robin
PM may be sent to rbw0{at}hotmail{dot}com