slight leak

[jerseybob]

DIYer here. Last week I did some plumbing work.
I connected pvc to copper using threaded fittings. I used teflon tape (3-4 wraps) on the threads. Tightened it done fairly tight and when I turned on the water there is a slight drip. There is no way I can tighten the fitting anymore without cutting the pvc and putting in a coupling after tightening.
Not something I really want to do as the pipe is against the concrete block in the basement and there isn't much room to work in.
Is there any other way to fix this drip?

Thanks

 

[Rancher]

You didn't say if the copper was Male/Female, but this may help out someone who is going to do this in the future.

I am not a plumber!

However whenever I put in a hose bib (faucet), like out in the garden I use on the underground pipe, a female PVC slip to thread coupling, and a hose clamp on the outside, with of course teflon tape. The metal male pipe, galvanized is a short 18'" piece to an el, and then up using a 3-4' piece of galvanized, I then concrete in the below ground galvanized with the pvc exposed. I put an el on the top of that up pipe and a straight hose bib male screwed into that. For freeze protection you can slip 2" PVC with an el at the top over the galvanized (3/4") and then foam it with great stuff. That provides freeze protection down to the single digits around here. Paint the PVC...

Rancher

 

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[Verdeboy]

Leak

I feel for you. With those plastic fittings, you don't want to overtighten or they'll split, and if you don't tighten them enough, they leak.

Pasco makes a product you can use. Wal-Mart carries a similar product in their plumbing section.

 

[Jadnashua]

course, the right thing to do is take it out and replace. SOmething that might make things easier for you is a Sharkbite fitting. Especially the slip coupling. Be careful if you use the slip coupling, as you can only put the cpvc into one side, the normal Sharkbite fittings can take any type of pipe on either end, but the slip fitting can only maintain a seal with copper on the slip end. My local HD just started to carry them. But, no gluing, no soldering, and it should slip right in. The slip coupling gives you up to 2" of length slop, and makes a good transition between materials. The only thing to worry about is getting a clean cut with no burrs before you slide the fitting on. It comes with the tool to remove it or adjust the placement, too, which you might want to keep since most of the other fittings do not include that bit.

 

[Gary Swart]

You don't need anymore rain on your parade, but PVC is not supposed to be used indoors. You said the connection is in the basement which indicates that.