leaking threaded connections

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E

erock14

0
May 23, 2010
99
union beach n.j.
i have a hayward ec75a d.e. filter and all three threaded connections leak.
first i used teflon tape and they leaked.
then i used pipe sealant rector # 5 and still leaks
my next move is applying both together. any thoughts or ideas? are my threads worn out or somthing is that possible?
 
My filter's directions said "caution tighten fittings only 1 1/2 turns past hand tight".
This is somewhat vague as you may be only gripping a 2" fitting end or a hand full of pipe. If only gripping the fitting you don't have much torque, and it will probably not thread far enough, (only about 1/2 the threads in). I did that and they leaked. I then used both teflon tape and paste and it still dripped. Had to tighten one more full turn.
Mfgr warranty disclaimer I'm sure..

Best of luck,
John
 
my next move is applying both together.
Click to expand...
Waste of time and energy. Correctly applied, pvc pipe dope (ask anyone in the plumbing department at HD/Lowe's) will seal a threaded connection, especially if it's over an inch in diameter. My experience is the smaller ones do well with teflon but either is okay....just not both.

It's possible that the threads are damaged but not very likely on three joints. I would reclean the threads and start over with a thin layer of sealant on both the female and male thread and secure the connection just a little more than hand-tight. What size are these connections? 1.5"?
 
As a plumber for 26 yrs we never used #5 on pvc, it seems to soften material. T+2 or T-100 virgin has shreaded teflon in the dope to fill in thread's. Thin coat on thread's followed by a once wrap of tape then another thin coat of dope and yes 1 1/2 past hand tight. Too tight and she'll leak or crack. Should tighten with strap wrench vs channels or pipe wrench due to egging of nipple.
 
wow ive forgotten about this thread, but thanks everybody, wimpy i went w/ your advice and put a thin coat and a wrap of tape and another thin coat and she is finally water tight, allthough i used "oatey great white" and you were also right about the rector #5, that stuff softened my filter houseing so much, it cracked it and broke. it is not recommended for abs plastic. great white is, lesson learned but thus is life. thanks again everyone!
 

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wimpy said:
As a plumber for 26 yrs we never used #5 on pvc, it seems to soften material. T+2 or T-100 virgin has shreaded teflon in the dope to fill in thread's. Thin coat on thread's followed by a once wrap of tape then another thin coat of dope and yes 1 1/2 past hand tight. Too tight and she'll leak or crack. Should tighten with strap wrench vs channels or pipe wrench due to egging of nipple.
Click to expand...

My way of plumbing which hasnt leaked yet for 15 years is to lightly sand the areas to be connected by glue use primer than glue one both pieces so every area has primer and glue. Hold the two pipes together for two minutes tight. Dont try to glue everything at once. Take your time, one area at a time. Dont torque newly glued areas dont twist either. Let dry for a couple of hours (this is my cure time probably too long but it has worked 100%). When using threaded pipes I wrap 4 times (with standard teflon tape) around less for me leaked. I get my supplies from either home depot or lowes. I dont use any kind of external glue because it will not hold on high pressure pipes.
 
I'm having the same problem right now. I have used just pipe dope with no luck and tried just 3 layers of teflon tape with no luck. Next I will try a thin layer of pipe dope followed by teflon (1 layer) and finish with some pipe dope and tighten with a strap wrench 1 1/2 past hand snug. Hope this works b/c I'm tired of re doing this piping.
 
Bama Rambler said:
Silicone caulking. Allow it to cure before applying water.
Click to expand...
excuse me for jumping in on this discussion- I have a similar problem. I also have the drain plug from the filter leaking. I added liquid Teflon Tape to the threads and screwed the pipes on. They still leaked. I used the silicone caulk. I didn't give it time to cure so I'll check those connections later today. However, I also applied both to the drain plug. I wasn't able to apply it to a dry surface because even though I plugged up the pool and drained the hoses, the filter was leaking through. I replaced the drain plug once already and it just seemed like sand had somehow gotten between the plug and wall I'm assuming because nothing was damaged. I had both of them as tight as possible and they seemed to be fine for about 2 days before the new drain plug started leaking.
I'd love some ideas. It would be wonderful to actually get into and relax in my pool.
 
It would be best to disconnect the filter from the pool and pump and drain it and dump all the sand out of it on a tarp so you can reuse it. Then let the filter dry out and clean the drain fitting and drain port well and then put it all back together. That would create your best chance of it sealing.
 
Thank you. I've done that once and replaced the drain plug when we did it. We will do it again if we must, but each time it is sealed and not leaking and then days later it is leaking. It starts as a slow drip. I made the mistake of trying to tighten it to stop the slow drip. The whole plug turns, and I feel the grit/sand and so nothing is tightened or loosened but then it starts running, rather than a slow drip.
So, we can do this, but what can we do so that we aren't doing this weekly or more frequently?
 
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