slow dripping pipe

clockworks_2

i have a slow dripping pipe. its literally one drip every 20 secs.

The bathroom was built 6 years ago. It just happened out of the blue yesterday.

its a copper pipe that goes into a metal connection that has a screw in it to turn the water off that feeds the toilet cistern.

Don't fancy paying someone to fix it if its easy to do.

Is it a simple case of turn the the bolt .or could something worse caused it?

thanks

mogadon

Is it dripping on the side where water goes into the fitting, or on the side that connects to the cistern?

clockworks_2

on the side water goes into the fitting

ormus

first thing to do is to try and nip it up a bit. just a tweak with two spanners should do it.
works most of the time.

mogadon

Then it's probably best to turn the water off at the mains before you try it, just in case you mess it up (e.g. loosen it instead of tightening it). So turn the water off, open the tap downstairs to take the pressure out. Put a towel under the fitting, cos water will still come out of the pipes if you do open it.

Get a pair of grips on the body of the fitting and a wrench on the nut that's dripping. Give the nut 1/4 turn (make sure you have a good hold on the body of the fitting). The nut will screw on clockwise.

If it's a decrotive chrome (silver) fitting, use a bit of cloth to stop the grips and wrench from damaging the silver coating. If it's regular copper, there's no need.

With a bit of luck that will be enough to stop the drip. If not, you might need to replace the fitting. It's not a big job, well within the ability of most DIYers.

clockworks_2

will give it a go tomorrow, wish me luck!

27col

Just nip it up with a couple of spanners as has been suggested. If the valve itself is leaking then you can just replace it. No need to take the olives off, just put the new valve onto the old nuts and olives. Use a bit of Fernox LS-X on the old olives.

clockworks_2

went to a plumbers, was advised to change the washer. Which i did but to no avail. Have tried some fernox and have left it to cure so hopefully tomorrow it should be sorted. If not will change the valve. Its leaking from above. so its the bit connecting to the cistern.

Wookey

Is this a metal nut connecting onto the ballcock spigot which is made of plastic? Could be several things if so, was a jointing compound used or any evidence of one being used....cause of a leak could be a perished plastic thread caused by the jointing compound....jointing compound should not be used on plastic ballcock threads, allways use ptfe. The plastic thread could have a slight crack in it, ballcock will need replaced if so. The tapered end on the ballcock thread may not be sound, again replace the ballcock. Nylon washer inside the metal joint may need replacing, either with similar type or ptfe, to replace with ptfe tear of a strip of tape and roll it so it becomes like a piece of string, simply wrap it round the small upstand located inside the metal nut.

clockworks_2

Wookey wrote: »

Is this a metal nut connecting onto the ballcock spigot which is made of plastic? Could be several things if so, was a jointing compound used or any evidence of one being used....cause of a leak could be a perished plastic thread caused by the jointing compound....jointing compound should not be used on plastic ballcock threads, allways use ptfe. The plastic thread could have a slight crack in it, ballcock will need replaced if so. The tapered end on the ballcock thread may not be sound, again replace the ballcock. Nylon washer inside the metal joint may need replacing, either with similar type or ptfe, to replace with ptfe tear of a strip of tape and roll it so it becomes like a piece of string, simply wrap it round the small upstand located inside the metal nut.

It is a metal nut going into a ballcock spigot made of plastic. It doesn't appear that any jointing compound was used. Whats PTFE?

Will the fernox make it worse? I've replaced the nylon washer but that hasn't sorted it.

If it still leaks tomorrow i will replace the ballcock, Its a roca toliet can i use any ballcock or do i need a specific roca one, Its a free standing ballcock and isnt attached to the cistern besides the screw at the bottom .

Wookey

The fernox wont make it worse in the short term but may cause it to fail in the longer term, ptfe is a tape that is non adhesive ....http://www.screwfix.com/prods/30961/Plumbing/Plumbing-Accessories/PTFE-Tape-Pack-of-10?cm_mmc=GoogleBase-_-Datafeed-_-Plumbing-_-PTFE%20Tape%20Pack%20of%2010 , its only a few pence per roll, remove the ballcock and take it with you if you need to replace it as some WC's cisterns are slightly smaller and tend to have smaller fittings with them. If replacing the washer hasn't helped then i would tend to look elsewhere for the problem, cracked thread won't be apparent but as the metal nut is tightened up it will pull it apart.