I feel embaressed about asking.... but....

I need to provide a 15mm x 1/2" BSP fitting to allow a new shower to
connect.

Fine - got the fitting - no issues.

However, teh shower fitting is a 90' elbow, and needs to be screwed in
and once in and tight it needs to be vertical.

The other end of the 15mm x 1/2" BSP fitting is compression fitting to
15mm pipe which will be hidden behind (new) wall.

Now - the stupid question time....

When fitting together, obviously using PTFE tape around the thread,
does the 90' shower elbow need to be screwed in until *TIGHT* - or can
it be screwed in as far as possible whilst retaiing the upright final
position.

(e.g. do I need to work out which orientation to connect to the
compression 15mm pipe before I fit? Or - does the PTFE and the join
make it watertight?

Also - the answer should answer the next question as to if a washer is
needed - but guess if it needs to be *TIGHT* then yes; and *tight as
poss whilst keeping orientation you want* is no.

Cheers!

It was somewhere outside Barstow when wrote:

I need to provide a 15mm x 1/2" BSP fitting to allow a new shower to
connect.

I'm assuming this is the same as the Triton I did a couple of weeks
back.

When fitting together, obviously using PTFE tape around the thread,

No need for PTFE tape. The threads on a compression fiting aren't
there to make a seal.

does the 90' shower elbow need to be screwed in until *TIGHT* - or can
it be screwed in as far as possible whilst retaiing the upright final
position.

If I understand this right, you need to keep it definitely vertical.
Grip the body of the fitting with Stillsons, then tighten the nut on
the pipe-side up until it is a tight seal, holding the body vertical
at all times.

Then place the shower on the wall and push the plastic spigot of the
shower into the fitting (with nuts and olive). You need a few inches
of unsupported pipe, so as to allow enough flex. If you do something
impractical to get it all together and rigid without this, you'll
never be able to work on the shower in the future.

Then tighten up the shower-side nut. Hold the fitting with Stillsons
again, and do not allow it to twist. That plastic spigot fitting is
very expensive to replace!

On 18 Mar 2005 05:38:51 -0800, wrote:


I feel embaressed about asking.... but....

I need to provide a 15mm x 1/2" BSP fitting to allow a new shower to
connect.

Fine - got the fitting - no issues.

However, teh shower fitting is a 90' elbow, and needs to be screwed in
and once in and tight it needs to be vertical.

The other end of the 15mm x 1/2" BSP fitting is compression fitting to
15mm pipe which will be hidden behind (new) wall.

Now - the stupid question time....

When fitting together, obviously using PTFE tape around the thread,
does the 90' shower elbow need to be screwed in until *TIGHT* - or can
it be screwed in as far as possible whilst retaiing the upright final
position.

(e.g. do I need to work out which orientation to connect to the
compression 15mm pipe before I fit? Or - does the PTFE and the join
make it watertight?

Also - the answer should answer the next question as to if a washer is
needed - but guess if it needs to be *TIGHT* then yes; and *tight as
poss whilst keeping orientation you want* is no.


Hi,

For sealing the threaded part of the fitting I'd use a sealer like
'Fernox LS-X', putting a reasonable amount on the male thread. This is
so any excess is left on the outside of the fitting when it's done up.

A little sealant on the female thread should be OK, but not so much
there is any excess inside the fitting. If it's a straight fitting it
may be possible to see through and check its OK.

Then before the sealer sets do up the compression fitting, and get the
orientation of the shower as you want it. The threaded part doesn't
have to be tight to seal, but there needs to be some other physical
means of support to stop the fitting twisting as the sealer remains
soft when set.

Try and get some copper olives for the compression fitting instead of
brass olives, as copper is softer and there is a better chance of seal
with a brass-copper-copper combination than brass-brass-copper.

Also don't push the pipe all the way into the fitting but back it off
1/16", so that when the fitting is done up the pipe won't 'bottom out'
inside the fitting as it's done up.

You might like to try a dry run with a short stub of copper pipe on
the compression fitting, this will let you see inside the pipe to tell
how much tightening is needed before the olive deforms the pipe.
Ideally the fitting should be done up until the point that this just
starts to happen. Don't reuse the olive though.

The sealant is supposed to take 1 or 2 hrs to set but I'd leave it
overnight if possible to set, it won't hold pressure straight away
(how do I know? =) )

If the compression fittings leak when the water is turned on they can
be done up one flat (1/6th) at a time. If they keep leaking regardless
I'd redo the compression fitting using some LS-X on that around the
olive and threads, this shouldn't be necessary though.

I'm no plumber, but have had good success doing the above in
installing a bar mixer type shower. If anything is unclear or there's
anything else I can help with, please post.

cheers,
Pete.

"Andy Dingley" wrote in message
...
It was somewhere outside Barstow when wrote:

I need to provide a 15mm x 1/2" BSP fitting to allow a new shower to
connect.

I'm assuming this is the same as the Triton I did a couple of weeks
back.


SNIP

If I understand this right, you need to keep it definitely vertical.
Grip the body of the fitting with Stillsons, then tighten the nut on
the pipe-side up until it is a tight seal, holding the body vertical
at all times.

Bear in mind that Stilsons are designed to "bite" into the metal you are
trying to hold. A nice chromed finish with deep bite marks from Stilson jaws
is unlikely to cut much mustard with SWMBO.


Then place the shower on the wall and push the plastic spigot of the
shower into the fitting (with nuts and olive). You need a few inches
of unsupported pipe, so as to allow enough flex. If you do something
impractical to get it all together and rigid without this, you'll
never be able to work on the shower in the future.

Then tighten up the shower-side nut. Hold the fitting with Stillsons
again, and do not allow it to twist. That plastic spigot fitting is
very expensive to replace!


Plastic is even less resistant to damage than Chromed Brass :-(

It was somewhere outside Barstow when "John"
wrote:

Bear in mind that Stilsons are designed to "bite" into the metal you are
trying to hold. A nice chromed finish with deep bite marks from Stilson jaws
is unlikely to cut much mustard with SWMBO.

You don't need a chromed finish, nor are Stillson bitemarks a problem.
The elbow joint is hidden inside the plastic case of the shower unit.

For a Triton the final entry is from the bottom, but you can run a
pipe in from above, below or either side. The bed (top only) and the
final compression joint get hidden,

"Andy Dingley" wrote in message
...
It was somewhere outside Barstow when "John"
wrote:

Bear in mind that Stilsons are designed to "bite" into the metal you are
trying to hold. A nice chromed finish with deep bite marks from Stilson
jaws
is unlikely to cut much mustard with SWMBO.

You don't need a chromed finish, nor are Stillson bitemarks a problem.
The elbow joint is hidden inside the plastic case of the shower unit.

For a Triton the final entry is from the bottom, but you can run a
pipe in from above, below or either side. The bed (top only) and the
final compression joint get hidden,

As I recall none of your points in this post were made clear to the OP.
aqlso remember the answers are read by many more people than the OP, some of
whom have been known to take "advice" as gospel.
I've come across far too many fittings and finishes butchered by stilsons to
simply assume everything in the garden is rosy. Don't get my message wrong -
Stilsons are excellent tools when used for their intended purpose which is
to grip and turn steel pipe. Decor finishes and "nuts" should be treated
with respect and more appropriate tools such as correctly fitting
spanners/adjustables or grips with protected jaws.

On Tue, 22 Mar 2005 08:59:21 +0000 (UTC), "John"
wrote:

I've come across far too many fittings and finishes butchered by stilsons to
simply assume everything in the garden is rosy. Don't get my message wrong -
Stilsons are excellent tools when used for their intended purpose which is
to grip and turn steel pipe. Decor finishes and "nuts" should be treated
with respect and more appropriate tools such as correctly fitting
spanners/adjustables or grips with protected jaws.


Good, point, wrapping PVC tape round chromed nuts and using a flat
faced adjustable spanner is a good way to go.

Even wrapping the whole fitting in duct tape before installation be
worthwhile as a light knock with a wrench could put a scratch in it.

cheers,
Pete.