Washing machine Y splitter leaking

[northernerchris]

I've got 1 hot and 1 cold inlet available and the washing machine needs 1 of each however I've recently bought a dishwasher and need to plumb it into the same cold water supply.

I thought this was a simple task of using one of them plastic y-splitters as I've read many reviews on people using them and saying how good they are.

So I got one from screfix and fitted it as tight as I could with just my hands and straight away it leaked from behind the nut so I used some pliers to tighten it a tiny bit, this seemed to stop the leak so I tried the dishwasher however once it started to draw the water out the water started spraying out. So I tightened it more and more with the pliers and it still wouldn't stop. Eventually I tightened it that much the plastic end broke off.

I tried thinking of other ways to do this and ended up getting another splitter and connecting it to the back of the dishwasher as tight as I could with hands and then a tiny bit more with pliers. So from the cold water outlet under the sink it goes into one side of the splitter attached to the dishwasher and then the other side of the splitter goes off to the washing machine - daisy chained together!

The problem is the splitter is still leaking, its much better, not spraying water out but its still dripping quite a lot. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I'm doing wrong here? Should I just try tightening it a bit more with pliers? I know washing machine hoses should be hand tightened as over tightening makes them leak but I am very tempted to just to tighten it another few mm, would you advise this or is there a better option?

Many thanks for any advice,
Chris

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

These do seem to leak.... Be better (if you feel capable) to fit another W/M valve, 'T' version may be easiest, and put each appliance on it own tap. Tightening the 'Y' could possibly strip the threads or break it completely....

 

[Diyisfun]

You probably did it up too tight, & crushed the washer or stripped the thread.
Just do it firm, with your fingers, then if need be another 1/4 turn with pipe wrench

 

[northernerchris]

Certainly don't think I've stripped the threads as I haven't tightened it that much with the pliers, maybe 1/8th of a turn or so.

 

[Biguns]

I assume that you did fit a rubber washer between it and the pipe adaptor

 

[stardanny]

Best to fit another washing machine valve, like a in-line valve.

"Y" fitting will give trouble.

Dan.

 

[northernerchris]

Yes it came with one of them rubber washers in but obviously fairly useless!

I'm thinking of coming off the single cold water tap with one of these:

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/77154/Plumbing/Flexible-Hoses/Flexible-Tap-Connector-15mm-x-x-300mm

then using some copper pipe connect to one of these:

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/76344...-809T-Washing-Machine-Valve-Tee-15mm-x-15mm-x

and some more copper pipe to connect to a final tap:

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/51231...m-x-Washing-Machine-Valve-without-Check-Valve

I know this probably sounds like a bit of a bodge and proper way would be to replace to current single tap with the tee piece and then have this go to the final tap however I've never done any plumbing and the way I'm suggesting seems like the easiest for a total novice!

Question is does this sound like it will work and solve my problem giving me 2 taps and no leaks?

Thanks for any advice.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Might be easier to do your original suggestion, (turn off water first!), remove existing tap. Fit one end of your new Tee valve to existing end of pipe, where you have removed the current valve. (Can use existing nut and washer.) You will have to do a couple of compression joints using the flexi, either way it cant be avoided. Spot of jointing compound (Water Hawk) on the olives before tightening wont hurt. (Trick is not to over tighten them else you will crush the pipe under the olive and it will leak.....)

Short piece of copper (15mm) into the other end of the new T. Attach existing valve (using nut and olive removed from end of new T where you attached it to the end of the supply pipe) to the end of the new piece of pipe. Make sure the pipe is adequately supported though, extra weight of new valve and additional hose could cause it to sag.