Improper installation or damaged during repair?

Improper installation or damaged during repair?

  • Improper installation

    Votes: 1 50.0%
  • Damaged during repair

    Votes: 1 50.0%
  • Normal wear and tear

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    2

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IYG

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Hello all, I would appreciate your opinions on this before I call another plumber for second opinion.
We had a leak at the manifold. We live in Dallas.

We called our home warranty (Old Republic Home Protection) and they dispatched their plumber.
After he cut out the drywall to expose the connector, we saw that the clamp was busted (like the one in the middle of the following picture).
41ZREvd5SGL.jpg


To fix it, he removed the connectors, cut the tube, and added a short length tub (to extend the tube for more clearance). The O-ring/washer was quite beat up so I asked him to change out the new washer. He said it is a special made so he doesn't have a compatible and it should be fine.

He use (blue) teflon tape and pipe dope before put it back on. He hand tighten the connector then used a wrench to tighten it while it was still crooked. His assistance told him that it was crooked so he tried to redo it.

After trying a couple times, they decided to leave it crooked and turned on the water. Of course the water leaked because the connector didn't go all the way down. They removed the connector and I saw that the thread is damaged.

He gave up and took pictures to submit to my home warranty. While taking pictures, he discovered the manifold label said no pipe dope. He said that the builder used pipe dope, which corroded the pipe thread. He reported the damage as due to improper installation to our home warranty. The home warranty in turn rejected our claim due to improper installation. I called the manufacture and learned that the manifold has 10 years warranty. The house was built in 2008 and it has lasted 10 years. Thus the manifold outlasts its useful life.

I have argured with both the plumber and home warranty today without success. The plumber said because pipe dope was used previously so he had to continue to use teflon tape and pipe dope; and the thread was damaged before he tried to put it back on. He argued that if the thread was not damaged then it should have slipped right back on.
I think it could have been cross-threaded because of the even O-Ring or the Teflon tape.
I plan to have another plumber come out for second opinion; however, wonder if second opinion can change anything.
 
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Reach4

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That O-ring is obviously mangled. I don't see where the o-ring should go. Do you know?

The O-ring should be replaced after you find where it goes. I would clean off the compound, put on new o-ring, lube lightly with silicone grease (O-ring and threads), and tighten. I am not a plumber.

It sure looks to me as if a home warranty is not so useful. I had suspected that, but you added a reason.
 

Terry

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I would at least try to thread it on first without the cross threading. No tape and no dope. Wait.............was it a dope that was working on it?
 

IYG

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That O-ring is obviously mangled. I don't see where the o-ring should go. Do you know?

The O-ring should be replaced after you find where it goes. I would clean off the compound, put on new o-ring, lube lightly with silicone grease (O-ring and threads), and tighten. I am not a plumber.

It sure looks to me as if a home warranty is not so useful. I had suspected that, but you added a reason.
The O-ring/washer is under the plug like in the second pic. It is in a bad shape. Almost cut in half.
 
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