Outside tap - angle/water-tightness

jamocameron · 1 Jun 2015

Hello all,

I'm having trouble replacing an outside tap. I'm fitting the new tap to an old female threaded wall fitting but, when I screw the tap in to full tightness, it points way off the vertical.

I've used fibre washers to space the tap away from the fitting a little so, at full tightness, it sits vertically. I put some LS-X on the female thread first.

I'm worried this isn't going to hold for long and, when pulling on an attached hose, the tap is also likely to get moved anti-clockwise and lose tightness.

I don't want to mess with the existing female wall fitting as the supply pipe is cemented into place close to the wall.

Any other ideas how I can get this tap screwed in so it's firm, water-tight and still sits in the correct vertical position please?

Thanks.

longdogs · 1 Jun 2015

Use ptfe tape. You might have to have a couple of goes to get it right. I normally use about 10 wraps of tape. It doesn't have to be mega tight. Just enough to stop leaks.

Madrab · 1 Jun 2015

Yeah, as squeaky says.

A lot of DIY'ers seem to think that an outside tap should be as tight as possible and as far into the fitting as possible, it really only needs to be tight enough to stop it leaking. Once it's that tight it shouldn't come free, if it does give it another revolution.

Jackrae · 1 Jun 2015

ATMOS PASTE, available from the likes of Homebase is a white epoxy material specifically designed for use in water systems. Smear on male and female threads and screw valve until it is vertical (though in your case not fully tight). Leave paste to set and you will end up with a watertight valve that will not unscrew.

Note that some of the reviews on the Homebase site are very negative. However I've used it on numerous occasions with excellent results so can only assume the reviewers were incapable of using it correctly

sooey · 1 Jun 2015

Is that stuff WRAS approved?

mephisto · 1 Jun 2015

Loctite 55.

muggles · 1 Jun 2015

Jackrae said:
ATMOS PASTE, available from the likes of Homebase is a white epoxy material specifically designed for use in water systems. Smear on male and female threads and screw valve until it is vertical (though in your case not fully tight). Leave paste to set and you will end up with a watertight valve that will not unscrew.

Note that some of the reviews on the Homebase site are very negative. However I've used it on numerous occasions with excellent results so can only assume the reviewers were incapable of using it correctly

IF you've been using it on any pipes connected to the mains then you've also been using it incorrectly - it is not WRAS approved for use on mains water supplies and should therefore only be used on tank-fed systems

Nige F · 2 Jun 2015

Hemp + Boss white . Not approved now but there are literally millions of connections still in use in the UK using it. The Pollution Police are unlikely to catch you

. And as an outside tap should have a double check valve what are the chances of the water that touches the dreaded compound from being drawn back into the potable mains

muggles · 2 Jun 2015

A lot of what we do is designed to reduce already minimal risks, but just because "it's been like that for years" doesn't mean the practise should continue now that the rules have changed. Maybe you'd like to install some lead pipe as well!?

Jackrae · 2 Jun 2015

But surely some of what is "approved" cannot be fit for human consumption - such as the flux that's used to solder fittings - which inevitably ends up inside the pipes, and isn't always flushed out - and even if flushed it's usually cold water that's used which doesn't flush all the residue

Not that I'm suggesting one shouldn't ignore WRAS recommendations and approvals - it's just that there is a degree of bias involved when it comes to "inconvenient" materials

Christian and Beccy · 2 Jun 2015

I had this once, I made the mistake of cramming the tap to get that last fraction of a turn and all seemed OK.

Until 5am the next morning, we were awoken to a noise outside. I looked out of the window and my garden was literally like a paddy field with water gushing out like a fire hydrant. The tap had obviously been weakened and eventually blew off.

It's a 90-year-old Bungalow with the tap connected before the house, so no stop-cock except the supply main and there was I trying to water-tight the connection with odds and ends of connectors before I went to work to enable the Wife to have some water during the day.

St0rmer66 · 2 Jun 2015

Christian and Beccy said:
I had this once, I made the mistake of cramming the tap to get that last fraction of a turn and all seemed OK.

Until 5am the next morning, we were awoken to a noise outside. I looked out of the window and my garden was literally like a paddy field with water gushing out like a fire hydrant. The tap had obviously been weakened and eventually blew off.

It's a 90-year-old Bungalow with the tap connected before the house, so no stop-cock except the supply main and there was I trying to water-tight the connection with odds and ends of connectors before I went to work to enable the Wife to have some water during the day.

All outside taps should have an isolation valve INSIDE the property. Would have saved you a lot of hassle there

.

Christian and Beccy · 2 Jun 2015

St0rmer66 said:
Christian and Beccy said:

I had this once, I made the mistake of cramming the tap to get that last fraction of a turn and all seemed OK.

Until 5am the next morning, we were awoken to a noise outside. I looked out of the window and my garden was literally like a paddy field with water gushing out like a fire hydrant. The tap had obviously been weakened and eventually blew off.

It's a 90-year-old Bungalow with the tap connected before the house, so no stop-cock except the supply main and there was I trying to water-tight the connection with odds and ends of connectors before I went to work to enable the Wife to have some water during the day.

Click to expand...

All outside taps should have an isolation valve INSIDE the property. Would have saved you a lot of hassle there .

I totally agree, I guess these rules didn't apply so much in the early 1900's when my place was built.

Nige F · 2 Jun 2015

muggles said:
A lot of what we do is designed to reduce already minimal risks, but just because "it's been like that for years" doesn't mean the practise should continue now that the rules have changed. Maybe you'd like to install some lead pipe as well!?

I'll bring my real asbestos mat then

AL66 · 2 Jun 2015

http://t.co/lALYCxUP23

plus he'll show you how to get the ptfe rolled on properly!

Only thing I'd do that he doesn't is screw the tap in without the ptfe first and count how many turns until it bottoms out, turn it back to upright and remember how many turns to make once the tape is on.

You might need to experiment with how much tape to put on, you want a fair amount of resistance once it's fully screwed in but (as already mentioned) not so much you risk splitting the female thread.

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Outside tap - angle/water-tightness

longdogs

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