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How to Stop Plumbing Leaks in Sydney
It’s possible to have leak-proof drain parts, sinks, faucets, and valves. It’s advisable to prevent plumbing leaks in your Sydney apartment before they happen. Read on through this article to learn some tips put together by our urgent plumber for making the joints of your plumbing leak proof.
Tools and Materials Required
- Wrench set
- Pliers (slip joint type)
- Adjustable wrench
- Teflon tape (plumber’s tape)
- Joint compound for pipes
- Flexible water supply tubes
Here are the steps to follow:
Step 1: Wrapping the threaded joints
Take the Teflon tape and wrap the threaded pipe joints. Wrap it in a clockwise direction.
Step 2: Applying the joint compound
Take the joint compound and smear some little amount on the tape you just wrapped.
Step 3: Tightening the connection
Use a pipe wrench to tighten the joint. The tape and joint compound will create a tight and leak-proof joint.
Why should you use joint compound and plumber’s tape?
Plumbing connections that depend on threaded fittings and pipes are highly prone to water leakage when not properly sealed. Professional plumbers use plumbers tape and joint compound on each joint for enhanced sealing.
You should start with wrapping the pipe’s male threads using plumber’s tape in a clockwise direction. Three layers of the tape should be enough. Some loose fittings may require 4 to 5 wraps. Once you complete wrapping, stretch the tape and tear it.
Next, apply a small amount of joint compound on the tape. In case you’re dealing with a plastic pipe, use Teflon joint compound for compatibility. Then start fitting the pipe or fitting in place.
First, tighten it with your hands. Then tighten the connection further with a pipe wrench. Wipe off any excess joint compound after tightening the pipe.
Step 4: Lubricating compression joints
Use the joint compound to lubricate the brass ring and ferrule.
Step 5: Insert the ferrule into the pipe joint
Next, insert the ferrule you just lubricated with joint compound into the pipe joint. The joint compound will assist in sealing the ferrule tightly into the joint.
Step 6: Tightening the fitting
Now tighten the fitting. The joint compound will allow for enhanced sealing. Most shutoff valves come with compression joints.
These joints usually have a ferrule (plastic) or brass ring. The rings get compressed inside a recess as you tighten everything in place, thereby creating a tight seal to avoid leakage.
Lubricating the ferrule and pipe using a joint compound will assist the ferrule in sliding into the pipe. It will create a tight seal with less pressure. The joint compound also assists the supply tube or pipe to fit straight into a fitting.
Any misalignment can lead to water leakage. In case the plumbing fitting leaks upon turning on its water supply, tighten the nut further up to a quarter turn to stop the leakage.
Step 7: Aligning slip joints
Joints along waste lines require precise alignment to get a tight connection. A joint compound assists in lubricating and sealing the connections along waste lines.
Step 8: Assembling and aligning
Tighten all joints by hand. Then align the pipes and lock them in position using the slip joint type pliers.
The joints on trap assemblies made of chrome usually depend on rubber washers to create a seal. Such sealing is prone to leakage. Thus, in case you’re working with a chrome based trap, then invest in new nuts and washers.
However, washers may stick onto a pipe and this makes them distort or twist while pushing them tight using a nut. You can avoid all this by lubricating the slip joint and drain tubing with some joint compound. Doing so will create a tighter and leak-proof seal.
You should insert the nut and turn it by hand until it engages with the threads correctly. Also, hand-tighten the joints first. Next, adjust all the trap components until they’re properly aligned and slightly pitched for drainage.
Misaligned joints may leak even if you’ve installed new washers. Once you’ve aligned everything, tighten each nut up to a half turn with pliers.
Basically, trap components made of plastic use plastic washers to create a seal. Ensure the flat surface lies against the slip nut whereas the tapered surface faces the fitting for a perfect fit.
Things to Keep in Mind
Avoid using chrome or copper supply tubes. Such tubes are challenging to work with unless you’re highly skilled in working with them. Instead, use flexible tubes. Flexible, braided supply tubes are almost leak proof. They don’t demand any cutting or measuring. Also, flexible tubes use rubber based gaskets for sealing plumbing connections. Rubber gaskets need to be hand-tightened first and then tightened further up to a half turn using a wrench for a tight seal.
Skinny chrome or copper supply lines used in connecting toilets and faucets are usually challenging to bend, cut, and align. When replacing your toilet or faucet, also replace the old chrome or copper tubes with flexible, braided tubes.
Flexible tubes come with rubber gaskets that don’t demand a lot of pressure to create a tight seal. You can get them in any length. Their flexibility allows them to fit just any configuration. You’ll only get challenged to get a connector that will match the connector nuts on either side. Preferably carry the nuts and old tubing with you when shopping for a replacement tube to get a fitting supply tube.
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