Compression fittings

[Matt0029]

Have noticed my success rate with compression fittings fall over the last year or so. Am getting a few that weep. When I back to nut off to have a look the olive isn't over tighthed and I always clean the pipe first. Wondering if anyone else has noticed this whether it's just me or the quality of fittings has decreased. Have recently started using V2 plus on the olive. This seems to give a perfect joint all the time. But obviously adds time in as have to back the nut off after tightening to apply.

 

[Timmy D]

I always use either v2 or 2 wraps of ptfe tape.

To save time, put a smear on the compression fitting where the olive sits. No need to install fitting, then back it off to apply.

 

[Matt0029]

So are you saying a smear nut. Or the fitting where the olive sits?

 

[Timmy D]

So are you saying a smear nut. Or the fitting where the olive sits?

The chamfer/bevel on the fitting. This is where the olive sits/creates the seal. Anywhere else is pointless.

 

[Scott_D]

Paste every time

 

[Matt0029]

Paste every time

Thanks, do you use it every time you do a compression fitting?

 

[steadyon]

1. Forefinger with a little V2 wiped around the sharp edge of the fitting to leave a ring of V2.
2. Little finger with a little V2 wiped around the inside edge of the narrow end of the compression nut to give another small ring.
3. Do up fitting.
4. Wipe fingers.

I know the advice is "new fittings don't need anything" and on the whole I agree. However the economic and reputational cost of having to go back to fix a weep to my mind makes using V2 as a pre-emptive measure a winner. If all fittings were Conex or Pegler it would be a different story.

 

[Timmy D]

Thanks, do you use it every time you do a compression fitting?

90% of the time.

If I’m lazy or don’t have paste to hand and the pipe is brand new, sometimes I go without. And then it bites me in the bum and leaks lol

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Compound the pipe first with the nut and olive on then give the olive a smear then tighten up but it’s down to crap fittings and tube these days you would be surprised how much the tube od varies

 

[Matt0029]

Compound the pipe first with the nut and olive on then give the olive a smear then tighten up but it’s down to crap fittings and tube these days you would be surprised how much the tube od varies

Thanks have definitely noticed having more of a problem with them recently.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Tbh I found i have had to tighten them up more eg 1/2 more

 

[Deleted member 120897]

Had a few leak, even after swapping olives out, even had one carry on after ptfe, was a bad day then, ready to jack the job in (but that’s a different story), so could have been as Shaun says, diameter of tube.

 

[Matt0029]

Had a few leak, even after swapping olives out, even had one carry on after ptfe, was a bad day then, ready to jack the job in (but that’s a different story), so could have been as Shaun says, diameter of tube.

I had that feeling today 😂

 

[WC1]

Dab of V2 on shoulder of olive where it meets the nut. Gets smeared round as you tighten.

 

[SimonG]

Always paste on compression.

 

[Matt0029]

Dab of V2 on shoulder of olive where it meets the nut. Gets smeared round as you tighten.

Do you paste the olive before you tighten on to the pipe? I occasionally PTFE d the olive but was time consuming backing it off after tightening to wrap around. Thanks

 

[king of pipes]

Thanks, do you use it every time you do a compression fitting?

Yep every time , personally only paste the pipe in front of the olive and insert this avoids excess paste entering the pipe causing blockages 🙂

 

[WC1]

Do you paste the olive before you tighten on to the pipe? I occasionally PTFE d the olive but was time consuming backing it off after tightening to wrap around. Thanks

Yes. And if I PTFE then I do it before any tightening. Not sure why you would remove to tape - time consuming as you say and if anything likely to introduce leaks.

 

[Deleted member 120897]

Yes. And if I PTFE then I do it before any tightening. Not sure why you would remove to tape - time consuming as you say and if anything likely to introduce leaks.

I used to do it as an apprentice (How i was shown), to prevent the olive moving up and down.

 

[WC1]

I used to do it as an apprentice (Honeywell i was shown), to prevent the olive moving up and down.

I put on the nut then olive then fitting. And wrap the olive in situ. Once the olive is taped it won't go anywhere.
Out of interest I was looking for pictures of compression joints and tape and found this on diydoctor.com
SMFH!

 

[Ben-gee]

The male/female irons at our local independent now weight not much more than half what they used to, and fitting faces/threads are variable to say the least.

 

[Deleted member 120897]

Bloody auto correct, was supposed to read

I used to do it as an apprentice (How i was shown), to prevent the olive moving up and down.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Bloody auto correct, was supposed to read

It does 😀

 

[Roy_66]

I'm a rank total amateur but use a thin layer of Fernox LSX on the pipe, push on the olive then another thin layer. Also now when I remember a dab of grease on the threads to get a better feel for the tightening of the nut as I've l
poor hand strength. Never had one leak but that's statistics.

Cheers,

Roy

 

[Matt0029]

Thanks my soldering is pretty much 100 percent. I say touching wood 😅. But have started to get hassle with compression fittings will definitely start of the paste routine! Thanks for the advice