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Leaking push fit joint

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Vicdiy

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I put a new bath in my daughter's en suite about a month ago and everything was fine until last night. She rang to say water was dripping down the wall in the porch immediately below the en suite. When I installed it the hot supply came up through the floor in 22mm Hepworth plastic pipe, I put a 22 to 15mm Hep2O reducer on this with the correct inserts and all was ok. The drip was coming from where the 22mm pipe went into the 22mm fitting. I took the fitting apart but could not see anything wrong so just cut the pipe slightly shorter( in case there was a nick in the pipe I couldn't see) put a new Hep2O insert in and instead fitted a 22 to 15mm Speedfit reducer. This is the first time I have had a leak from a Pushfit fitting, has anybody any ideas why it should leak particularly after being perfectly OK for a month or so?
I should add that they have had a leaking thermostatic mixer valve on their mains pressure hot water cylinder and the heating engineer has had them turning an isolating valve off when they are not using the hot water as it was leaking quite badly. He is fitting a new valve today. I don't really see why this should have caused the leak to the bath but it seems a bit of a coincidence.
 
Last edited:
Vicdiy said:
I put a new bath in my daughter's en suite about a month ago and everything was fine until last night. She rang to say water was dripping down the wall in the porch immediately below the en suite. When I installed it the hot supply came up through the floor in 22mm Hepworth plastic pipe, I put a 22 to 15mm Hep2O reducer on this with the correct inserts and all was ok. The drip was coming from where the 22mm pipe went into the 22mm fitting. I took the fitting apart but could not see anything wrong so just cut the pipe slightly shorter( in case there was a nick in the pipe I couldn't see) put a new Hep2O insert in and instead fitted a 22 to 15mm Speedfit reducer. This is the first time I have had a leak from a Pushfit fitting, has anybody any ideas why it should leak particularly after being perfectly OK for a month or so?
I should add that they have had a leaking thermostatic mixer valve on their mains pressure hot water cylinder and the heating engineer has had them turning an isolating valve off when they are not using the hot water as it was leaking quite badly. He is fitting a new valve today. I don't really see why this should have caused the leak to the bath but it seems a bit of a coincidence.
Click to expand...
Did you tighten up the fittings on the speed fit fitting?
 
I have had some issues lately with speed fit fittings . Only Monday fitted a 15 mm tee which I bought in a sealed bag.
Fitted it went downstairs turned on main , got upstairs water spraying out if it.
Same again couldn't see anything wrong when I checked it over.

I have come across it on new builds as well with poly plumb . Been on couple years and blam starts leaking for no reason.

Same as everything now build quality of a chocolate fire guard.
 
OP you now say you have put a new hep insert and a speedfit reducer, you have made your situation worse by mixing manufacturers.
The hep fittings/inserts have the "rumble strip" which allows you to feel that the fitting is fully inserted. I suspect you had not fully inserted the fitting the first time, it is actually quite a firm pressure required to do so, a little smear of silicone grease aids insertion and lubricates the o-ring making dismantling easier if needed. I know you'll say you did it properly, but I bet you didn't!
 
As the fitting didn’t come off the pipe, then pressure testing would only have improved the chances of finding if the joint could leak.
I hate plastic push fit but where I have to work with it, or for example - on push fit pump flexi hoses, I use smear of silicone grease.
That first contact with O ring is very likely to damage it.
Copper and soldered joints any day
 
He didn’t say he’d fitted just one it said it came up in plastic pipe so I assumed it was the end of a run. Maybe I’m wrong?!?
 
Ben-gee said:
OP you now say you have put a new hep insert and a speedfit reducer, you have made your situation worse by mixing manufacturers.
The hep fittings/inserts have the "rumble strip" which allows you to feel that the fitting is fully inserted. I suspect you had not fully inserted the fitting the first time, it is actually quite a firm pressure required to do so, a little smear of silicone grease aids insertion and lubricates the o-ring making dismantling easier if needed. I know you'll say you did it properly, but I bet you didn't!
Click to expand...
You guessed right, I did insert it properly and felt the rumble. I believe that provided you put the correct inserts in the pipe for the pipe manufacturer you can then put a different manufacturers fitting on as all the pipes have the same outside diameter. Because the original was a Hepworth pipe I put a Hep2O fitting on but lost confidence when it leaked hence the change to Speedfit which I have always liked and I also like the added security of tightening them after insertion.
 
This is mental!
When you think of it, - after installing just one or two plastic fittings, you then are supposed to pressurise the pipework to a high pressure for a time period.

So much for plastic push fit ‘speed.’

Copper pipe, soldered joints done, water on, quick confirmation no leaks and I am in the van
 
Riley said:
Well I think this is the point you’ve not installed to MIs lots of plastic manufacturers ask that you input an excessive pressure (depending on brand) to ensure that metal grips bite into the pipe
Click to expand...
When I took the joint apart it was fully inserted and I had given it a good tug on assembly so that wasn't the problem. It had not come apart at all but was just leaking.
 
Best said:
This is mental!
When you think of it, - after installing just one or two plastic fittings, you then are supposed to pressurise the pipework to a high pressure for a time period.

So much for plastic push fit ‘speed.’

Copper pipe, soldered joints done, water on, quick confirmation no leaks and I am in the van
Click to expand...
I know where you're coming from but the existing pipe was 22mm plastic so just a few fittings to the flexi from the bath taps.
 

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