Which stop valve do I use?

[rpaquet]

Great! This is a very responsive forum. The picture I attempted to refer was with the 1/2" male copper adapter on the end of copper pipe. I just took a picture of my valve. Can someone help me post it?

 

[Redwood]

Click on post reply then click on the paperclip next to the smiley faces to attach the photo.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[rpaquet]

This is a shot from the bottom of my shower valve. The water can be seen on the wood.

 

[Redwood]

Oh I thought you were saying that you used the braided stainless there.

I would get a repair coupling (coupling without a stop) cut the pipe, undo the leaking connection, wrap it with teflon tape, then apply teflon paste over the tape, tighten it back up and sweat the repair coupling.

The belt and suspenders appproach keeps me from going back and redoing things.

 

[rpaquet]

Oh I thought you were saying that you used the braided stainless there.

I would get a repair coupling (coupling without a stop) cut the pipe, undo the leaking connection, wrap it with teflon tape, then apply teflon paste over the tape, tighten it back up and sweat the repair coupling.

The belt and suspenders appproach keeps me from going back and redoing things.

I lead you to the wrong post. There was an earlier post that I attempted to indicate.

Would it make sense to get the tape out of there and just use the paste? This is just my curiosity going wild since I am a newbie plumber. But I have no problem following smart direction.

 

[Jadnashua]

The tapered pipe fittings we use here have what is called an interference fit. The threads will leak once you have a good mechanical connection - you need something to fill in between the threads so it can't leak around them. Pipe dope flows, and if you apply it properly should work fine. Teflon tape makes it easier to thread things together to make the mechanical connection, but if not applied properly (not enough wraps, or not the proper direction), it won't fill in enough to block the flow past the threads. So either one by itself should work. Some people use both...one helps back up the other.

The quality of threads on the fitting can affect how easily it can be sealed...many of today's fittings have really lousy threads - torn up, made by a dull cutter, and may not be to spec, so sealing is harder.

 

[rpaquet]

The tapered pipe fittings we use here have what is called an interference fit. The threads will leak once you have a good mechanical connection - you need something to fill in between the threads so it can't leak around them. Pipe dope flows, and if you apply it properly should work fine. Teflon tape makes it easier to thread things together to make the mechanical connection, but if not applied properly (not enough wraps, or not the proper direction), it won't fill in enough to block the flow past the threads. So either one by itself should work. Some people use both...one helps back up the other.

The quality of threads on the fitting can affect how easily it can be sealed...many of today's fittings have really lousy threads - torn up, made by a dull cutter, and may not be to spec, so sealing is harder.

My copper fitting supplier (Home Depot) just informed me to at least use paste in addition to tape. Their parts are coming from China some with an inadvertent small spine or grove running across the threads.

So, what is the proper way to apply tape?

 

[Redwood]

Wrap it around the fitting in a direction that will not try to undo as you thread it in...
Cover the threads with a couple of wraps of teflon tape then put teflon paste over it.

 

[rpaquet]

Just as I prepared to tear my project apart in order to apply teflon paste to the connectors, I noticed the leak has almost stopped. I had left the entire water system in the shower under pressure with a drip pan catching water.

I am going to leave it under pressure for awhile longer and see what happens.