Minor plumbing question

[Spinney]

Water on floor under months-old washing machine. On investigation, the joint between the small stop-tap on the house water pipe and the end of the washing machine hose was dripping. Tightening up the bit on the end of the hose appears to have fixed it (fingers crossed!).

BUT can these things work loose by themselves? OH swears the end is in the same position as when he first fastened it on a few months ago (it has two lugs, so you can see how far you have turned it), and he did it up tight then. Yesterday he did it up tighter by hand - so it seemed to have got easier to turn as well as springing a leak.

Any ideas?

 

[TVC]

Unfasten it, wipe the threads clean along with the seal faces, bang on some ptfe tape (B&Q -80p) and do it up. Job's a good un. You should'nt need the ptfe tape if there is a rubber seal face inside the washing machine hose, but it can't harm.

 

[Globalti]

Maybe the rubber washer inside the connector has flattened or perished. Is it cold or hot fill?

 

[Spinney]

Maybe the rubber washer inside the connector has flattened or perished. Is it cold or hot fill?

Cold fill, connector brand new with the washing machine a few months ago. If it leaks again I'll have a go with the ptfe tape.

I was really querying why it had started to leak after a couple of months, when it was done up tightly to start with. It may just have to remain a mystery!

 

[TVC]

Possibly because it is a plastic fitting and they can relax once put under tension from new, I've had it happen to me with a new u-bend kit under the kitchen sink.

 

[swee'pea99]

When you take it off there should be a rubber washer. Surprisingly often, there isn't. If there isn't, get one. For extra insurance, wipe it round with silicone grease before you refit. (A must for every toolkit - like ptfe tape, mentioned above. Ptfe tape being for making good seals when there are threads involved (nuts on threaded pipes, eg), silicone grease mainly for things like this - washers and the like.

 

[stephec]

I once overtightened one of these and cut a nice clean slice right through the rubber washer.

 

[david1701]

wrap it in duck tape, no worries

 

[Bromptonaut]

All the above particulalry checking the sealing washer is preent and healthy. Ours has been prone to drip very occasionally - a bit of towel wrapped round the joint acts as a wick and keeps the moisture off the flooring.