Brass fittings on chrome pipe

[electronicsuk]

I recently had an issue with a brass compression elbow leaking water on a joint between two pieces of 15mm pipework, one plain copper and the other chrome plated.

All the pipework and fittings were brand new and properly tightened. The exposed parts of the run were in chrome with other chrome plated compression fittings along the way, while the plain copper and brass fitting was hidden away from view. The plated fittings did not leak at all.

I have now replaced the leaking elbow with a chrome plated part, but I am curious at to why the brass fitting chose to leak. Is it generally considered a bad idea to mix brass fittings with chrome pipe? I ask because I have a number of other pipe runs that have yet to be filled and these have similar chrome-brass-copper joints, and now I'm worried that as soon as I pressurise the pipework that these joints will suffer the same fate.

Am I being paranoid, or should I consider changing anything in contact with chrome plated pipework to a chrome fitting?

 

[Paul Barker]

You are right to be obsessive but you are being obsessive in the wrong way.

You should channel your paranoia into energy with some abrasive into wearing out the chrome on the pipe where the olive sits.

 

[gremlin16]

Use a copper olive on chrome pipe, its softer and grips firmer than a brass one.

 

[DCPlumbing]

What do you mean " properly tightened"? Do you mean like, Properly tightened as in finger tight then a quater turn with a spanner? or, Proper tightened with a large adjustable and scaffold bar for leverage?

I have been fitting some chrome towel rads on a development, Up to now i've done about 20 or so. Plastic speedfit is used for the carcass and chrome pipes are used to connect to the rads, A brass compression fitting connects the chrome to the plastic.

Just the other day whilst pressure testing i found a leak on one of these connections which required a little extra nip with the spanner to fix it, Nothing wrong with the fitting and (IMO) nothing wrong with how it was installed, It just happens.

Unfortunately nothing is 100% guaranteed but it's not worth worrying about. carry on with your pipe runs and as long as you test all your fittings before hiding / concealing them you should be ok.

 

[electronicsuk]

What do you mean " properly tightened"? Do you mean like, Properly tightened as in finger tight then a quater turn with a spanner? or, Proper tightened with a large adjustable and scaffold bar for leverage?

First the former, then the latter when I noticed the damn thing was leaking

I have been fitting some chrome towel rads on a development, Up to now i've done about 20 or so. Plastic speedfit is used for the carcass and chrome pipes are used to connect to the rads, A brass compression fitting connects the chrome to the plastic.

That's good to hear. The other pipe runs I was referring to are the same, plastic barrier pipe into a brass compression elbow and then to chrome. I think, if not just to satisfy my own curiosity, I'll get a few bits of scrap chrome pipe and some brass elbows, cap the whole lot off at one end and pressure test it to 5 bar. If none of the joints leak then my mind will be at ease.