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How to seal this outdoor tap to the pipe?


AlanUK

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Here's a basic plumbing question for you.  I have this outdoor tap, and pipe with a connected fitting.  How do I attach the tap to the fitting without it leaking?  I've tried the rubber washer on the outside of the tap thread, and the fibre washer on the inside, and it still leaks under low pressure.   Should I be using PTFE tape on the thread perhaps, or am I using the wrong kind of washers?

 

Thanks.

Tap and pipe.jpg

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2 minutes ago, joe90 said:

Wot @PeterW said, plus, I like to fit the tap to the pipe before the pipe is fitted, this means the tap can be vertical which is difficult to achieve after the pipe is  fitted .

 

Tend to use compression or push fit elbows on the other end for this very reason..!

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Thank you both. I did wonder about getting it vertical, and was planning on doing what you said Joe. Pete, do compression fittings allow the pipe to be rotated in the fitting after it's connected, or do I still have to get the tap put on first?

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19 minutes ago, AlanUK said:

Thank you both. I did wonder about getting it vertical, and was planning on doing what you said Joe. Pete, do compression fittings allow the pipe to be rotated in the fitting after it's connected, or do I still have to get the tap put on first?

Fit tap to pipe with ptfe tape, insert into hole in wall and fit screws/rawlplugs, cut pipe to length, fit compression or push fit pipe fitting to water pipe indoors ?

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And sleeve pipework through the wall to make it easier to seal and remove in future.

so you could drill a 25mm hole, put a bit of 22 copper pipe in the hole, seal this to the fabric of the building, then pass the 15mm pipework through this, sealing with clear silicone at both ends.

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Just now, TonyT said:

And sleeve pipework through the wall to make it easier to seal and remove in future.

so you could drill a 25mm hole, put a bit of 22 copper pipe in the hole, seal this to the fabric of the building, then pass the 15mm pipework through this, sealing with clear silicone at both ends.

The problem with that is the screws are close to the pipe anyway so if the hole fir the pipe is larger the rawlplugs will break the brick/block away.

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8 minutes ago, joe90 said:

The problem with that is the screws are close to the pipe anyway so if the hole fir the pipe is larger the rawlplugs will break the brick/block away.

Mount it on a larger hardwood offcut. That's what I did at my last place and it looked good

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3 hours ago, AlanUK said:

Thank you both. I did wonder about getting it vertical, and was planning on doing what you said Joe. Pete, do compression fittings allow the pipe to be rotated in the fitting after it's connected, or do I still have to get the tap put on first?

 

No - just tend to tighten it up to nip the olive then back it off so you can rotate the pipes perfectly level. Then screw the backplate on and tighten up the elbow. 

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14 hours ago, willbish said:

Mount it on a larger hardwood offcut. That's what I did at my last place and it looked good

Yes, that's a good idea.  It gives me some freedom if I need to rotate the connection and so put the mounting screws in a different position too.

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14 hours ago, TonyT said:

And sleeve pipework through the wall to make it easier to seal and remove in future.

so you could drill a 25mm hole, put a bit of 22 copper pipe in the hole, seal this to the fabric of the building, then pass the 15mm pipework through this, sealing with clear silicone at both ends.

I don't think I'll be removing it very often - I hope.  I've painted the copper pipe with primer paint to reduce interaction between the copper and the mortar, but otherwise it's in a fairly tight hole.

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1 hour ago, AlanUK said:

I don't think I'll be removing it very often - I hope.  I've painted the copper pipe with primer paint to reduce interaction between the copper and the mortar, but otherwise it's in a fairly tight hole.

 

You'd have been better wrapping in Denso tape than painting it!

 

Drilling the hole at a slight angle helps prevent water ingress.

 

Sleeving properly helps prevent against say gas ingress from the cavity and so on. My old man used to work for British Gas and was always banging on about it.

 

I managed btw to drill the 3 holes in brass back plate without breaking any brickwork out. The holes are nice and in line. 3 small Rawlplugs and stainless screws. 20 odd turns of PTFE tape and wind in until vertical, DO NOT TURN BACK! It gets real tight but it just works.

 

@Nickfromwales know best!

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I've not heard of Denso tape before.  It looks too thick for what I want, but I'll bear it in mind if I have  need again.  Good point about the gas, but in this case it's in a detached garage with no gas going to it, so not an issue.

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45 minutes ago, AlanUK said:

I've not heard of Denso tape before.  It looks too thick for what I want, but I'll bear it in mind if I have  need again.  Good point about the gas, but in this case it's in a detached garage with no gas going to it, so not an issue.

 

Not just piped gas, generalising but methane from say sewers where you have a broken pipe in a wall, radon maybe getting up via the cavity.....can't think of any others but youll get the gist.

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My go to is loctite 55 instead of PTFE tape. Bought a small packet last year and every joint I've made ( around 20 or so ) with it has been leak free first time. Could rarely say that with PTFE, oh and on that note the gas rated PTFE is thicker and better in my opinion.

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5 hours ago, AlanUK said:

I've not heard of Denso tape before.  It looks too thick for what I want, but I'll bear it in mind if I have  need again.  Good point about the gas, but in this case it's in a detached garage with no gas going to it, so not an issue.

Denso tape is evil stuff and should be avoided at all costs!!

 

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Just now, TonyT said:

Denso tape is evil stuff and should be avoided at all costs!!

 

 

? Love it! It'll protect high tensile bolts outside for years. 

 

Mind you'll still be getting it off your hands...

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5 minutes ago, TonyT said:

Exactly. We use it only on earth rod connections to prevent corrosion, I prefer not to get too close when the guys are fitting it

 

Knew a lad once who wrapped his Toyota Hilux suspension in yards of the stuff. Certainly lasted. 

 

I use it on hydraulic fittings outside too. 

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