Tiny leaking crimp joint at toilet stop

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Etbrown4

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In a 10 yr old house, we find a tiny leak at the crimp joint, joining a toilet stop to PEX or polyethylene pipe.

It's a really small leak, like one drip every half hour. So just as soon not replace the stop if there is a viable option.

Have very limited experience with crimping PEX.

Can you re-crimp a PEX pipe to tighten the crimp ring?

Any chance of a hose clamp helping as a supplement? Not sure how far the barbs protrude. We notice that the crimp ring is about 1/8" away from the valve stop body.

I've read a post in another forum which said that some plumbers might apply 2 crimp rings , routinely. Is there room?
 
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hj

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You CANNOT "add" a crimp ring once the joint is made, so two rings are not an option to you. The "barb" seldom protrudes far enough for a second crimp or hose clamp to work. If the crimp was made properly, recrimping would have no effect on it.
 

Smooky

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Here is a helpful youtube link


You can rent PEX tools at some hardware stores or other rental shops.
 
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hj

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Recrimping would only work if the original one was not made properly. But, that would mean the tool was not calibrated properly and therefore some, many, or most of the other joints are also defective.
 

Etbrown4

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The video was helpful.

This stop has been leak free for 10 years, and only when the stop was rotated gently about 5 degrees, did the slight drip begin.

I've read posts in several other forums where plumbers have reported occasional success with recrimping the same ring.

Logic suggests that either A) the ring was not tight enough to start with, or B) perhaps loosened ever so slightly over time, or C) the plastic pipe has expanded or contracted ever so slightly.

Since rings are made by different companies, and the same is true of the pipe, there can always be some variability in materials, and performance, it would seem.
 

ShockHazard

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It can't hurt to try, but as hj mentioned, if one crimp is bad expect more.
If you have the slack, just cut it out and re apply.
If you know of a place that rents hand tools (Home Depot?) you may be able to rent a crimp tool.
 
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