[randy in central missouri]

i am putting in a second bathroom and using cpvc. i am trying to get it all hooked up. the cpvc works well except where u hook it to the brass fixture. i used a cpvc fitting that goes from brassthreads to the pvc. i used teflon tape, it leaked. twice. i used plumbers goop and it leaked. i finally found a fitting that kind of looks like a hose end and cpvc together. but i stll have to hook it to the brass and thats the problem. where ever i hook to this fixture, it leaks. i am going crazy. help

randy

 

[moopups]

Inspect the threads on the brass, there is a posability that there is thread damage which may be cutting into the cpvc fitting as you screw it together. A tiny file will smooth the ding if there is one and the threads are outside (male) ones. If such is the case with inside threads then you need to replace the brass fitting or run a pipe thread tap into it. If you need to run in a tap get a 'bottoming' style tap, the older guy at the hardware will know what you are saying, the young ones won't.

 

[bare]

I've had lots of folks accuse me of overkill, except plumbers, who understand.

I use teflon tape and then spread teflon paste over the tape. I NEVER have leaks.

 

[Case]

Plumbing fittings and sizes can be very confusing, especially when mixing plastic and metal pipe, but always remember this:

The threads and sizes of PVC fittings are exactly the same as iron (or galvanized) pipe fittings.

The threads and sizes of CPVC fittings are exactly the same as copper pipe and brass fittings.

Those fittings are made to mate with each other and you shouldn't have to be using any weird Rube Goldberg gadgets to make the connections.

When screwing a plastic fitting to either a brass or iron fitting it's VERY easy to cross-thread it, so you have to pay extra attention when starting the thread not to do that.

If you cross-thread a fitting it won't matter what you put on it, it will leak.

If you don't tighten a fitting enough, it will leak. They need to be a lot tighter than you might think.

You've either cross-threaded the fitting or you simply didn't tighten it enough.

Take it apart and start over.

Threads on the plastic fitting may now be damaged, so you may have to replace it.

And when properly threaded and tightened using teflon tape there's absolutely no reason to gunk it up with anything else.

 

[Cabin Fever]

Your problem may be caused by attemping to attach a pipe fitting to a fixture designed to accept a compression fitting.