Leak leak leak.Pushfit leaking and I can barely reach it under my bath...

[poppyseedy]

Good evening and thanks for taking time to read my first post..

So I get a phonecall from my downstairs neighbour today to say there's water coming down her light fitting, and it can only be coming from one place, my flat above, dang!! Rush home from work and eventually find the mains supply (only moved in 18 months ago), turned it off, pulled the bath surround off and yip it's peeing out of this strange looking fitting (yes I am not a plumber)... Phoned a plumber, left a message and I still haven't heard anything back, so I had to do some investigative work myself. It's a push fitting, I have a photo taken but I don't know how to attach it (newbie)?
So, this leak is in the most awkward of places, just no room hardly to get my arm in to it. I eventually managed to get the pushfitting off the copper pipe, but I don't really know what I'm supposed to be looking at, the washer inside looks ok, the copper pipework feels like it's been burred (I read all this in other posts) and I really don't know how I could force it on again as there is just no room to apply pressure, any suggestions? Like what tools could I use for this?
Or is this normal for pushfittings just to start leaking after a few years?

So many questions, so little water :welcome:

Thanks,
poppyseedy

 

[Kyle87]

I really don't mean to sound patronising but it sounds like you are out of your depth here and need a plumber to do this for you.
First of all its not a washer it's an o ring.

It's not normal for any fitting to just start leaking but it does happen. This is most likely down to bad installation. Was the pipe pushed fully into the fitting before you took it apart and was it straight or going into the fitting at an angle

Rather than explain it, it may be quicker to YouTube how to disassemble and reassemble push-fit fittings. You need to find out what brand it is too. Look for markings like JG speedfit

 

[Subby]

Take the fitting to the merchants get a new one and put silicone grease on the pipe and inside the fitting so that it is easier to fit back together. Good luck and when you turn the water back on, turn it on just a touch then run back to the bath to see if it is leaking before you turn the water back on fully.

 

[julesverne]

It has to be sillicone grease to use as a lubricant anything else like vaseline . Will rot the o rings and it it will leak again.

 

[jtsplumbing]

Did you say the end of copper pipe felt rough ? if so it's been cut with a hack saw, & the cut is not square, this can nick the rubber seal, end of pipe needs cutting with a proper pipe cutter, unless you want to spend out on a tool you wont use again try to get a local plumber

 

[poppyseedy]

Thanks very much for your reply. My mistake yes of course it was an o-ring, was a long day.. Anyway, with the help of a few tools from my workplace, I burred/deburred the copper pipe, wiped everything as best I could, cleaned the o-ring the best I could, reattached and hey presto, all seems to be ok, well at least there is no leaks. I did turn off the water at the stopcock before going to bed last night and again what's the chances of this leak returning?

arty:

 

[PlumbBobBob]

possibly be a good idea to put a new pushfit fitting on really, the o-ring may be damaged and could leak again.