Leaking towel radiator

[mleggatt]

Hi,

I bought a Kudox towel radiator from B&Q along with taps to replacing another that had gone rusty. I fitted it as per the instructions but found it initially leaked from one tap and now the other is leaking very slightly.

I wiped round the taps with a rag and can see that it is leaking from the joint between the tap and the radiator. I wrapped the thread in white PTFE tape (in the opposite direction to the thread) before tightening it with a 15mm hex radiator key to what I thought was fairly tight. I didn't want to overdo it as there was quite a lot of leverage on the hex key I used and didn't want to stretch the threads.

Did I not put enough PTFE tape on the joint?
Did I not do it up tight enough?

Is there another way of sealing this joint, I did hear this can be done with a paste?

Any hints would be appreciated.

Thanks
Martin

 

[TicklyT]

IME the tapered threads on rad. valve tails need at least twice as much more PTFE tape than you would expect.

I usually wrap so much around the threads that the fitting will only just start in the hole. Sometimes that takes 20 turns or more. Then wind the tail in with the key/spanner.

PTFE has self-lubricating properties, so you shouldn't need too much torque to wind it in. The threads usually tear through a few of the layers as you tighten the tail, but the remaining wraps compress down into the roots of the thread to form the seal.

 

[Armo74]

You need to wrap the PTFE tape around the tail clockwise the same way that it is to be screwed into the rad, otherwise it just unwraps itself.

 

[mleggatt]

Hi,

Thanks guys, seems like I didn't put anywhere near enough tape on and did it the wrong way round.

Apart from using putty to seal the joint I couldn't of got it more wrong

Thanks again, round 2 with the rad at the weekend.

Martin

 

[swbjackson]

IME the tapered threads on rad. valve tails need at least twice as much more PTFE tape than you would expect.

I usually wrap so much around the threads that the fitting will only just start in the hole. Sometimes that takes 20 turns or more. Then wind the tail in with the key/spanner.

PTFE has self-lubricating properties, so you shouldn't need too much torque to wind it in. The threads usually tear through a few of the layers as you tighten the tail, but the remaining wraps compress down into the roots of the thread to form the seal.

I use 7 wraps round a thread and never have any problem. Using so many wraps can lead to the tape being pushed off the thread. Most of the time I use loctite 55 now, 6 turns and Bobs your uncle.

 

[mleggatt]

Thanks to everyone for their advice. I removed the tap from the towel radiator and noticed it had hardly any PTFE tape left on the threads. I used the loctite 55 tape to seal it.

It's like dental floss crossed with PTFE tape but slightly gummy and I wound it round the threads til it was level with outer part of thread. It was a little more difficult to screw the tap into the radiator but it has now sealed and isn't leaking.

I think if you know what your doing PTFE would be o.k and cheaper but I wanted to make sure it sealed this time and it looks like it worked.

Thanks again
Martin