Drip Drip Drip.

[Chris P]

So I moved into my new house and my wife's cousin came by yesterday to hook up the dishwasher and fridge (plumber)

The electrical for the dw wasn't hooked up and he got a call for a paying job so he had to run out. When I got home I connected the other end of the line to the breaker. When I went upstairs to check on it, there was a copper line with a crush sleve that was leaking. I tightened it. It kept leaking. It is now just a super small dripping action but I can't seem to get it to stop.

Being a glutton for punishment I decided to hook up the fridge that he hadn't gotten to. I installed a saddle valve and ran the line just fine. On the fridge there was some minor leaking around the crush fitting but I got that under control and it doesnt seem to be a problem anymore. On the other end where there is another crush fitting it is leaking like the dw in that it has a small drip drip drip.

So I can't tighten these damn things anymore and I am not sure what to do. I tightened them slowly and the leaks got slower but just have not stopped completely.

 

[Prashster]

Re: saddle valve: Man, good luck with that thing.

Re: crush fitting. What's that? Same as compression fitting? If gasket's rubber, try a tiny dab of veg oil. If gasket's brass/copper, have you teftaped the threads?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Chris P]

The saddle valve is fine that is not where it is leaking. to me the drips seem to be comming from where the copper line is running into the compression fitting.

 

[Randyj]

Be sure you have the correct kind of ferrule (that little ring thing that goes around the tube and under the "crush" nut). If you have plastic tube it should have a little brass tube insert to keep it from collapsing and the ferrule should be plastic/nylon. If copper then you should have a brass ferrule. I've seen the brass ones used on plastic tubes and work but they usually don't.

 

[Chris P]

It is brass on copper 1/4od pipe. I was thinking about trying to cut the old one off and trying another one as the kit came with several.

How do you cut this tiny pipe? with a pipe cutter?

 

[Terry]

Cut back the pipe with a pipe cutter,
Get a new brass sleeve
Maybe a little oil on the threads,
NO TAPE

 

[Chris P]

How tight should these things be to make a good connection? I read on the internet that they should be only 1/4 - 1/2 turn past hand tight.

 

[Rancher]

Till they stop leaking, with brass on copper tube, you really shouldn't be having a problem, the technology has been used... well almost forever.

Rancher

 

[Markts30]

It's important is to get the pipe into the compression fitting straight...
If the pipe is put into the fitting cocked you will have a hard time getting it to stop leaking...