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Glad to see you mention the marking of tightened fittings. It was mentioned to me over 50 years ago as a worthwhile habit and I have always done it. I then go around a job afterwards to check for the marks (bright red is my preference). It has only saved me once but it was in the loft of a 3 story house where the consequences of a leak couldn't have been much worse. My preference is to do an initial tighten of the olive with the pipe slightly (~1mm) pulled back from being bottomed in the fitting so that all the tightening force acts on the olive and isn't (after the olive grips the pipe) shared with the pipe pressing onto the shoulder in the fitting. I then open it up to see that the olive is seated happily against the fitting (lots of people don't seem to appreciate that the interface between the olive and the nut isn't sealing anything). I then apply potable jointing compound and firm to final torque and mark it. I also prefer copper olives to brass - usually involved bunging out the olives that come with most fittings.
... or another flaw like my plumber left; unglued PVC fittings on the waste line. It showed up when there was a blockage downstream... great fun cleaning up that one ;-)
Thank You...I am a 66-year-old lifelong general-purpose Repairman (plumbing, Electrician, Electronics, mechanic ect.) and I have always had annoying problems with compression fittings.....I'm probably too close to dying to help me a whole lot now but your tips were great...However, It still looked to me like you were winding your Teflon sealing tape the opposite direction than you would turn your compression nut when tightening (I apologize if I'm wrong...I am a bit dyslexic) I'm a Hillbilly in the southern Coal Fields of West Virginia (Almost Heaven with friendly people and at least 10 military-style guns per household).....Love your accent and your teaching style
Yeah - learned the hard way. But it was a compression fitting that failed with PTFE, that sealed well but was under tightened and popped off. Jointing compound is a bad idea on these because it may seal but might not be tight enough Best test is to tighten loosely, no compound, pressurise the pipe and stop if it starts to leak and just tighten enough to stop it leaking and then a few more flats. You should be able to undo a fitting and the olive should be able to spin but not move up or down, that's how you know it was just tight enough.
In my youth, many years ago, we came back from holiday to find our carpets draped across the bushes in the garden. The neighbours had seen water coming out of the house because of a leak and had gone round to see if anyone had a key that fitted our house. I always close the stop tap when we go away!
make sure the shutoff is newer and functions properly. Hate for you to turn the knob or flip a lever and it starts to leak at the shutoff or elsewhere, right before you're leaving to the airport 😂😂😂
I do plumbing from time to time like most DIY people. These tips really are brilliant. Thank you so much for posting this video. There has been times when I have tried to remove an old olive (unsuccessfully) and now I know there is a tool for the job. Also I am THAT person that thought putting PTFE tape on the thread of a compression joint was a good idea. I now know better. The tip on using jointing compound is very useful too.
Excellent tips. Just installed four compression valves and two leaked because I overtightened. Now a trip to the store for two new valves/olives and a can of joint compound. Much appreciated from 1/3 of the way around the world California! I subscribed.
Well I managed 2 of the mistakes fitting a sink at the weekend. Noticed a drip on the floor today and then saw this video. I'll be taking it apart and refitting at the weekend, cheers for the tips😂
EXCELLENT advice. I am a hydraulic Engineer and I have spent most of my career training fitters how to avoid leaks in high pressure systems. I watched this video to find similarities. Everything you have said is bang on and CORRECT. In respect of under-tightening, we get the nut spun down to the point where it contacts the 'cutting ring' (Our ring cuts into the pipe - slight difference) and we refer to that as the 'fixed point'. That is the point at which all tolerances from threads, tapers diameter differences are allowed for. We then mark the nut and the pipe and turn 1&1/2 turns. That is our industry, yours may differ. We then put a high visibility mark on the pipe and nut. Before start up, all visual checks can be made easily. GREAT VIDEO
Oh this is brilliant, I'm not a plumber but live in a very remote island location, so I have to fix things myself. I just should have watched it this morning before I replaced the hot water cylinder, guess where I wrapped the PTFE tape on all the compression joints as I have done for about 20 yeasr!!! . D'oh!... Thank you so much for this video, As for wedding rings we actually did just that, infact when our plumbing supplier knew what we wanted two olives for, they gave them to us as a wedding present. We only needed them for the actually wedding day! God bless you.
Top tips from Mr pipe man himself! I keep telling the Mrs, it’s essential to have some pipe lubricant next to the bed, for emergency plumbing situations!😎
We saw over-tightening. under-tightening, ways to mark joints not yet tightening but I certainly missed any discussion of how to tell the joint is tightened just right. Is there a type of torque wrench for this?
I have done plumbing for over 30 years and have never used any type of jointing compound on compression joints, guess whet i also have never had to go back to repair a leak either, well apart from the time some one put a nail through the pipe, which apparently i had done two weeks prior to been called out
That doesn't mean that someone hasn't fixed it for you and you never knew that! But I want yo believe you so what are your thricks to avoid getting it undone!
I worked at a plant that had thousands of joints in copper and stainless steel tubing. We never used any tape or joint compound. Never any leaks if done correctly from pressures up to 100 pounds of steam and other chemicals and liquids.
I've never seen a jointing compound used in the real world ... I'll be using it next week! Thank you for the tips, I stayed to the end, olive cutters look great! :)
Me personally I found this video very helpful and useful! Have a project I'm working on right now and was preferring to use the compression fittings so I'm going to take all his tips! Thanks great vid
Thanks for your video! I have just tried to install a new shower, one of the 90’ compression joint would not stay in place and kept popping off! 🤬 Just about to give up and thought I’d check you tube to see if I’m being a 🔔 end. I never used to put the PTFE over the olive, I’ve always assumed it was in-front. Just tried it over the olive and the shower is in and working! Woo-hoo! Saved myself £120+ having a plumber around to install.
Thank you for the video James, even tho i started watching your videos 6 years ago when i started doing my LVL 2 Diploma in Plumbing and heating. I'd advise anyone getting into Plumbing to get Monument olive cutter, it can fit in tight spaces, saves you time and effort.
Good point about low quality olives. Some might not have been annealed and therefor wont compress into the tapers properly. Just get them red hot and drop into cold water - so long as they are copper.
Great tips, I'm not a plumber but i didnt know that there was a special past available now! What I've used to prevent the squeeking when tightening up the compression joints is appyling a very small amount of Vaseline (petroleum jelly) just a smear like you put on your lips around the olive and pipework and also a little on the threads this will make the olive slide and seat very smoothly, you just know that its not going to leak. Also if in future you have to undo it, it would come undone very easily, great for when replacing isolating valves and radiators valves, etc. I understand that vaseline is non toxic But better to use new approved stuff if used for drinking water. I wouldn't use it on these plastic push fit though as it might cause the rubber O-ring to deteriorate quicky.
vaseline degrades mate and is water miscible makeing it not a good choice - Tip from radio engineers working on seas salty outside stuff - Use Copperease on everything and Marmite on everything else. (Both Unobtainium in Thailand sadly)
@@ebaystars copper grease is good for automotive applications as anti seize compound and good at high temperatures. However I think its toxic to micro organisms and harmful to aquatic life.
good point! I will stick to marmite on toast we dont drink tap water in thailand and usually use bottled water everyone here has to have a 2000 litre reserve tank and auto-pump because the idiots cannot supply pressure at night when there is no users as the pipes underground will blow off. It's a nightmare @@mrshoney2624
@@santorini8423 like I said I'm not a plumber I won't toutch anyone else's only mine! I'm an engineer so do understand basics of most things or study it first before doing anything. I can strip down and rebuild a car engine etc, also fully understand how electrical systems work etc.
Make sure pipe fits and correct length, make sure both sides of the olive are on the pipe by giving it a nip and visually checking it. In tight spaces, I have used a fitting away from the joint to give the olive a squeeze so it cannot move. A few wraps of PTFE tape around Olive or potable water sealing paste where applicable and no problem. You are posh poetable water I have always said potable water (Drinking Water). Not to tight not to loose and never ever think your brilliant and do not need to double check everything, it will still get you every now and then. The amount of experts I have met in life at all things who cock up all the time because they know they are perfect and do not need to check! Everyone can get caught every now and then so check check check. I stripped and assembled a hot water tank bottom fitting three times resealing each time and it still leaked to find at two o’clock in the morning a cracked reducer fitting, I had used the old ones! I had purchased new ones but the old fittings were ok (Not). It was a home job as well.
Olive cutter, great idea. Always used the junior hacksaw method at a 45 degree angle to prevent damage. I was always told Conex olives shouldn't need white paste when first assembled. But if they are disassembled I would always use it before PTFE
I wish I saw this video tutorial about 25 years ago when I started making all of these mistakes. Some I learned by trial and error yet it would have been nice to have avoided those errors. Thanks!
I have hardly any copper in my bungalow now everything is now PEX as I renewed radiators and rerouted my pipework in the old kitchen I wanted continuous lengths without any joints in the wall and each supply and return has their own stopcock, same when I ripped out the bath and replaced with a shower. The only copper now is a from the boiler and a bit in the wall that a gas engineer sealed up for me. I have some joints in the garage that are copper onto joint compound PEX bit they have PTFE on the olives. I used to do the thread thing when I first bought my own house back in the 80's but learnt from my mistakes as a DIYer and have fixed loads of bad fittings when I became a self employed handyman many of them in Council housing that so called tradesmen in the local contractors used by the council. Great video
Hi I'm a sparks and if you remember MICC cables which have a similar olive and gland system I had the same thing educating apprentices on not over tightening the olives because if they were over tightened and the cable was moved you lost a good earth as the outer sheath was the earth. Brilliant vid and good tips. I looked for the olive splitter that you sowed and could not fine that particular one. I would like to add that to my plumbing kit. In the past I have used a junior hacksaw very carefully to remove an olive not quite cutting through.
There is another type of olive cutter that looks like a large pair of pliers. One of the 'cutting' jaws of the plier is flat and you insert it inside the pipe. The other 'cutting' jaw is indeed a cutter and cuts the olive. The difference between the 'plier' type and the one shown in the video is that the 'plier' type is operated in line with the pipe instead of at right angles to it.
a plumber showed me jointing compound years back. Always use it now. I tend to do a quick tighten then loosen to spread the compound. Never had a problem
Great video! I had to replace a mains stopcock attached to the blue 25mm mdpe pipe under the kitchen sink. Could not unscrew the nut to remove it. Had to use an angle grinder with a thin cutting disc to very carefully cut through the brass nut and olive underneath. A rotary tool would be safer, I think.
Well I did watch until the end. Well done to you, so practical and funny with it. Great tips, I must purchase an olive splitter /removal tool. Keep the videos coming, always so refreshing and put over simply, sensibly and professionally. Thanks 👍
I recently (a few days ago) found some "older" USA made 1/2" compression fittings and used one for a hose-bib / sillcock installation...no joining compound , no squeaks, no leaks...
Cheers ... Jointing compound.. need to find that. But I always put a wrap or two of PTFE tape on the olive of new fittings, just in case there is a small discontinuity (Roger, Skill Builder tip). Another tip I find useful is clean the pipe before fitting, with fine grit sand paper or one of those cleaner wire brush tools. can make a difference. Lastly another over tightening danger: stress can build up in the nut then one day it might crack and all hell will break loose when least expected, has happened to me.
On all brass compression fittings, i use silicone grease on the threads now. A dab of any oil also works. If you smash the brass or copper flares together properly they will stay smashed. Friction sometimes will not allow the nut to tighten fully. Had 3 copper unions squeaking and small drips. A little lube on threads, didnt have any resistance and no leaks. And no garbage on the threads later
Just found your channel and started watching, you give good advise and are quite entertaining but I was a bit confused at first cos I thought Bradley Walsh had his own plumbing channel.
I have never been able to over tighten a compression fitting, usally because I'm upside-down under a sink and only have a few mm space to get a crappy tap spanner to grip properly.
Soooo, I have dug up this video after watching your video about proper soldering copper fittings. Yeah, yeah, I made a compete balls-up of a replacement 'T' and tap off threaded brass. ( Too bloody hot, and a bit of water in the bottom pipe, aahrg well...).I had to use compression fittings. I am here to just make sure I did the right thing. I did of course.
I am so glad you mentioned at 7:05 about PTF tape round the thread . I come from a family of plumbers and it makes me angry when I see that bodge up under sinks and basins usually fitted by Kitchen fitters (Grrr!) I used to see it a lot when as a sparks I cross bonded pipes.
Excellent video - so glad I watched before attempting to use compression fittings. Quick question - can you still nip up a compression fitting that has jointing compound after it’s been in place for a week, or does the compound go off and crumble if you try this? I thought I’d tightened it enough, but after a few days it started to seep (not condensation). Thanks 👍
If I put compound on a compression it was an instant fail or a rap across the knuckles with a pair of sixes. North Thames Gas apprenticeship. 4 year apprenticeship, 18 years working. How times have changed. Surprised you did not say LS-X, a must on them fooking doughnuts :) Also under tightening is always better than over, as you can always nip it up, over, no chance.
I have to admit, this is the 2nd plumbing video I've watched on how to replace a valve. The original valve was soldered on by a plumber, 30yrs ago. I'm not a plumber! So I went to Homie Depoe, and discussed my options with the genius that helped me find the right size replacement in a compression valve. Why not a sharkbite valve?? I have no idea... But anyways, I didn't know the compression fitting needed jointing compound. And, of course I tightened it thinking the tighter the fitting, the less likely it would leak.... 😮
Great now I have to go back in time 20 years and find the Idjet who didn't put jointing compound on the fitting for the sediment filter in the "new" home we purchased. You need to do a video on time travel! PTFE tape round the olive is my solution for now! Thanks mate!
In all my years of DIY including working along side other trades including plumbers on refurb jobs I have never heard of this. Although I've never had a problem yet, it makes perfect sense and I'm all for good practice. Great video.
Olive tip I was taught by an old school. If the olive is just so put something hard being it and tap firmly the other side and it just slides off. This really works.
Yep I've done that one a few times too! Pop on to Locals this Thursday for the livestream if you get a second: plumberparts.locals.com/support/promo/PLUMB1M or here for the live stream: plumberparts.locals.com/post/4240778/ale-army-raw
I’ve never used sealing compound on olives and I’ve never made a leaky connection. I always clean the pipe before assembling the joint. I have seen some leaking joints that had remnants of ptfe tape when I dismantled them. I think the tape created a weak point and wonder if jointing compound would do the same 🤔
I did that using the fernox jointing gear but i didn't use that much, just on the chamfer and smidge on the olive as i didn't want it in the rad system
Thank you for this - bad habits are passed down the generations, my Dad (not a plumber) taught me (not a plumber) to wrap PTFE tape around the threads on a compression fitting. Your videos are the first time I've seen PTFE tape used on the actual pipe and olive!
Awesome stuff - would have been useful to me a few years back - did a bathroom refit at home - and had to convert a main pipe in the floor with a compression fitting I used a 22mm olive in an old water pile to convert it to 15mm - old 7/8 water It had the smallest leak but take ages to seal it.
Nothing wrong with the direction you put that PTFE tape on, looked correct to me. Just when you said ‘same way you do the nut up’ your fingers were doing an untighten… now go stand in the corner and think about what you’ve done.
Moved into a house and the central heating leaked. Lots of the olives were so lose I could turn them with my fingers. No way to drain the system. I added over 10 drain cocks and shut of valves so I could isolate the system and replaced whole joints or just olives. Great tips about paste and over tightening.
copper is slightly flexible, so it would seal itself on things pushing into it like things seal onto a piece of rubber. I one year ago stepped on a floorboard and it started spraying water - the classic, a nail through the floorboard into a radiator pipe.. And I stepped on the landmine
When I started plumbing in the late 60s I was always told that a compression fitting was used for repairs only and you don't use paste, but times have changed the fittings arn't as good a quality as they used to be, the other thing is you tighten the nut one and a half complete turns to fully secure the olive it takes a lot of strength to do this on larger dia pipes.
GCSE Plumbing would be a brilliant idea - more vocational training for kids is probably the way to go. I used to love helping my dad do plumbing when I was about 13-14. He used to let me braze joints and bend pipes correctly!
I have made thousands of compression fittings in multiple sizes and rarely ever used jointing compounnd because I didn't have any to hand. I had precious few leaks in all of those fittings. I have had to resort to PTFE tape on a limited number of occasions. Good informative video though.
Jointing compound/paste will shrink after a few years, I had 2 joints leak on my central heating after 5 years, unfortunately you just can't tighten them up because the paste goes hard! Better to squirt a drop of WD40 (any thin oil will do) into the joint just before tightening, works a treat.
❤cool advice,ive used furnox joint compound in the past, the o 10:410:49 only trouble is it sets like concrete after a while,making it difficult if you have to remove a fitting. My favorite fitting is a yorkshire or end feed ,love solder
I occasionally use a bit of boss white (like soft putty), or just a light smear of Leakseal (silicone mastic) on the pipe before fitting the olive (in case the pipe is scratched) and a tiny smear on the outside of the olive. And a drop of silicone oil on the threads & chamfer, following previous mechanical experience. If re-using an olive I'll always put a couple of turns of PTFE tape on the olive. No fails here.
As a DIYer I've been doing PTFE tape wrong for 50 years! Mind you I haven't really had much trouble with leaky joints so I must be doing something right.
Does it matter that you wrapped the PTFE anticlockwise on the olive when the nut will be tightened clockwise?. I have always done it the same direction as the nut, even though its on the olive, as I have always then followed it onto the threads too
@@scorpio9578 yea he wraps it's clockwise, but then turns the pipe upside into the fitting which means it goes into the fitting with the PTFE threaded anti-clockwise. Whereas the nut would then drop down and be spun clockwise. I will add that the purpose of my comment was not to try and be clever, but genuinely wanted to know if it matters with it only being the olive, as I have wrapped it the "wrong" way and taken it apart as a result, but if I don't need to then I wouldn't worry for the future
@@StoneMotions WHAT! Are you serious? The thread doesn't change directon does it? Good grief...The only reason we wrap it clockwise is to prevent the nut unwrapping the tape as its screwed on, but most times it stays in place either way. You just get used to wrapping tape the correct way, I wrap the thread and carry on over the olive, just a couple of layers, then pinch up the nut.
@@plumberparts 😂 I was genuinely asking if it matters on the olive, as only the pipe is touching. Not the thread or the nut. @scorpio9578 you're right the thread doesn't change direction. But wrap something round your finger clockwise pointing to the sky, then point it down, you'll see notice that the wrap is now going anti-clockwise. On the video I viewed it as the nut going on clockwise and the PTFE anti-clockwise. If I'm wrong, so be it. But I don't think I am 🤞😂
Very good advice for non plumbers like myself. I usually cut the olive off with a hacksaw blade as you suggest, and carefully. Presumably leaving the previous olive on is not a good idea?
You can remake a joint with the old olive in place, if you cant remove it. Just reassemble the joint after applying jointing compound or PTFE tape to the olive. If you are a regular plumber, then olive removal tools arent too expensive to add to your kit.
Good advice. We've always called an "olive" a ferrule. I had never even considered that a ferrule could be removed. Always had to cut the pipe back. Do you think a Pex-b crimp removal tool would cut a copper ferrule? I'll have to give it a try.
Great tips there! Plumber who did central heating install used no jointing compound, said it wasn’t necessary. Ok, but I specified chrome plated 15mm where visible in the lounge. Again, no jointing compound. Now I know that chrome is harder than brass so it would never bed into the pipe. They said tighten it up firmly and it’ll be ok. That’s what they did, and guess what??? Furry deposits around all the joints! Slow seepage between olive and pipe. I called them back and they said they’d return and fix it. That was two months ago. Still waiting…..
Don’t use chrome if you can avoid it. The olives don’t bite into the chrome and can blow off. You have to sand all the chrome off the part for the olive to avoid this. It’s a pain in the pipe.
I spent most of my career doing stainless tubing. If you need compound or tape you should find another trade. Lubricating the joint allows you to over tighten the joint.
I recently had to use PTFE tape under and over the olive on some compression stop ends and hopefully this will hold up until I get my bathroom replaced and get a pro to get rid of the whole thing.
Olive cutter. Very nice. I'm not a plumber, but have been doing a bit of water work DIY. Definitely had issues removing or not olives. I fancy a cutter, or maybe the hacksaw and screwdriver tip. Thanks good video, I'm going to slap on more jointing compound than I have been after seeing you use it.
You can get olives off using an adjustable spanner which you adjust to the diameter of the pipe. Put the spanner opening onto the pipe behind the olive and then gently tap with a hammer. This drives the olive off the pipe.
I've always used jointing compound but just a thin trace, not like icing on a sponge cake. And put some on the pipe before sliding the olive on because you're then sealing another potential leak point.
Yes but as he says it's that extra bit of safety, the fitting quality aren't as good as they use to be and say it's slightly of or hit or whatever,vthe jointing compound is a good idea
very nice presentation, I'm fan. The tips are also worth watching & it's very well explained You had me with the tft tape. a Mistake that I would have made.
Should you use JetLube V2 when doing compressions onto a JG polybutylene or pex barrier pipe? The info sheet says not to use on ABS or CPVC but doesn’t mention polybutylene or pex…
That olive cutters a nice tool to have. I'm not a plumber by trade (IT tech) but I have done alot of plumbing over the years and never bothered with jointing goop but having seen it I can see why you might want to use it as lube more than anything. Normally if its a stubborn joint thats decided to weep, I've just put half a dozen wraps of PTFE to seal the deal but thats been the exception not the rule.
Never knew this... but as an insurance policy I always smeared some plumber's putty on the copper pipe before sliding the olive onto it, then I would also smear the olive with some more plumber's putty before bringing the nut over it and tightening the nut (holding the other part of the fitting with another spanner) to fully compress the olive and form a strong watertight seal - I've never had a leak ! lol
Only use for plumbing putty is what it is designed for, sticking glass panes into windows. Sealing compound works better, and you can at least undo it later on without needing to cook the putty out.
A couple of things, it shouldn't be needed but i also like to use a bit of compound, especially if the olive's brass, getting the tightening right takes practice, and there are olive pullers available as well as splitters.
I've never used jointing compound or PTFE tape for new compression fittings if also on new pipe. Can't say I've ever had a leak on one. Might be different if it was an existing fitting you were removing and then reusing the same parts maybe?
Another great tip for proper copper olives is to aneal them. That softens them back to when first manufactured as they can age harden. Use your blow torch to heat them up to cherry red and quench them in cold water. This softens them to make them beautifully maleable and become really water tight
Hope YOU enjoyed these tips!
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Thanks.
Glad to see you mention the marking of tightened fittings. It was mentioned to me over 50 years ago as a worthwhile habit and I have always done it. I then go around a job afterwards to check for the marks (bright red is my preference). It has only saved me once but it was in the loft of a 3 story house where the consequences of a leak couldn't have been much worse.
My preference is to do an initial tighten of the olive with the pipe slightly (~1mm) pulled back from being bottomed in the fitting so that all the tightening force acts on the olive and isn't (after the olive grips the pipe) shared with the pipe pressing onto the shoulder in the fitting. I then open it up to see that the olive is seated happily against the fitting (lots of people don't seem to appreciate that the interface between the olive and the nut isn't sealing anything). I then apply potable jointing compound and firm to final torque and mark it.
I also prefer copper olives to brass - usually involved bunging out the olives that come with most fittings.
... or another flaw like my plumber left; unglued PVC fittings on the waste line. It showed up when there was a blockage downstream... great fun cleaning up that one ;-)
Thank You...I am a 66-year-old lifelong general-purpose Repairman (plumbing, Electrician, Electronics, mechanic ect.) and I have always had annoying problems with compression fittings.....I'm probably too close to dying to help me a whole lot now but your tips were great...However, It still looked to me like you were winding your Teflon sealing tape the opposite direction than you would turn your compression nut when tightening (I apologize if I'm wrong...I am a bit dyslexic) I'm a Hillbilly in the southern Coal Fields of West Virginia (Almost Heaven with friendly people and at least 10 military-style guns per household).....Love your accent and your teaching style
Your correct, the Teflon tape should be applied clockwise
Well he did say that in the video and admit he did it wrong!
Amazing! I learned a lot from this video. (Been doing things wrong for over 40 years lol) Thankyou so much for educating an amateur.
Thanks for educating me
I have never used joint compound, with compression fittings.
Thanks again
I never have. And, I never will. Not required.
As a very qualified and experienced plumber, I cannot fault this guy at all - his tips and explanation match my own ! He is excellent !
modest too......
Another tip, turn off your water when you go on holis
Yeah - learned the hard way. But it was a compression fitting that failed with PTFE, that sealed well but was under tightened and popped off.
Jointing compound is a bad idea on these because it may seal but might not be tight enough
Best test is to tighten loosely, no compound, pressurise the pipe and stop if it starts to leak and just tighten enough to stop it leaking and then a few more flats.
You should be able to undo a fitting and the olive should be able to spin but not move up or down, that's how you know it was just tight enough.
I turned the mains off and the stock cock leaked
In my youth, many years ago, we came back from holiday to find our carpets draped across the bushes in the garden. The neighbours had seen water coming out of the house because of a leak and had gone round to see if anyone had a key that fitted our house. I always close the stop tap when we go away!
Cool tip too
make sure the shutoff is newer and functions properly. Hate for you to turn the knob or flip a lever and it starts to leak at the shutoff or elsewhere, right before you're leaving to the airport 😂😂😂
I do plumbing from time to time like most DIY people. These tips really are brilliant. Thank you so much for posting this video.
There has been times when I have tried to remove an old olive (unsuccessfully) and now I know there is a tool for the job. Also I am THAT person that thought putting PTFE tape on the thread of a compression joint was a good idea. I now know better. The tip on using jointing compound is very useful too.
Excellent tips. Just installed four compression valves and two leaked because I overtightened. Now a trip to the store for two new valves/olives and a can of joint compound. Much appreciated from 1/3 of the way around the world California! I subscribed.
Well I managed 2 of the mistakes fitting a sink at the weekend. Noticed a drip on the floor today and then saw this video. I'll be taking it apart and refitting at the weekend, cheers for the tips😂
I had the same experience. UA-cam must be listening to me talk to myself in my head.
EXCELLENT advice. I am a hydraulic Engineer and I have spent most of my career training fitters how to avoid leaks in high pressure systems. I watched this video to find similarities. Everything you have said is bang on and CORRECT. In respect of under-tightening, we get the nut spun down to the point where it contacts the 'cutting ring' (Our ring cuts into the pipe - slight difference) and we refer to that as the 'fixed point'. That is the point at which all tolerances from threads, tapers diameter differences are allowed for. We then mark the nut and the pipe and turn 1&1/2 turns. That is our industry, yours may differ. We then put a high visibility mark on the pipe and nut. Before start up, all visual checks can be made easily. GREAT VIDEO
Cheers! Interesting to hear how you do it in other industries.
Thanks
Oh this is brilliant, I'm not a plumber but live in a very remote island location, so I have to fix things myself. I just should have watched it this morning before I replaced the hot water cylinder, guess where I wrapped the PTFE tape on all the compression joints as I have done for about 20 yeasr!!! . D'oh!... Thank you so much for this video, As for wedding rings we actually did just that, infact when our plumbing supplier knew what we wanted two olives for, they gave them to us as a wedding present. We only needed them for the actually wedding day! God bless you.
Top tips from Mr pipe man himself! I keep telling the Mrs, it’s essential to have some pipe lubricant next to the bed, for emergency plumbing situations!😎
😂
We saw over-tightening. under-tightening, ways to mark joints not yet tightening but I certainly missed any discussion of how to tell the joint is tightened just right. Is there a type of torque wrench for this?
Hi, many thanks for all your advice. We’ve just refurbished our shower and want to say how helpful your plumbing tips are.
Thanks!
I have done plumbing for over 30 years and have never used any type of jointing compound on compression joints, guess whet i also have never had to go back to repair a leak either, well apart from the time some one put a nail through the pipe, which apparently i had done two weeks prior to been called out
Bard agrees with you Paul
That doesn't mean that someone hasn't fixed it for you and you never knew that! But I want yo believe you so what are your thricks to avoid getting it undone!
@@antoniogalluccio4213 Maybe delete your post and try again after checking the spelling
Try to be more humble. And what you said just doesn't make sense. Delete yours instead!
I worked at a plant that had thousands of joints in copper and stainless steel tubing. We never used any tape or joint compound. Never any leaks if done correctly from pressures up to 100 pounds of steam and other chemicals and liquids.
great pro tip from a bloke with a good sense of humor
Many thanks from across the pond--great information, well presented, & humorous to boot!
I'm 62 and a Carpenter this has helped me so much NOW IM GOING TO GET THE OUTSIDE LOO AND KITCHEN SORTED THANKS ❤😂
I've never seen a jointing compound used in the real world ... I'll be using it next week! Thank you for the tips, I stayed to the end, olive cutters look great! :)
Me personally I found this video very helpful and useful! Have a project I'm working on right now and was preferring to use the compression fittings so I'm going to take all his tips! Thanks great vid
Thanks for your video! I have just tried to install a new shower, one of the 90’ compression joint would not stay in place and kept popping off! 🤬 Just about to give up and thought I’d check you tube to see if I’m being a 🔔 end. I never used to put the PTFE over the olive, I’ve always assumed it was in-front. Just tried it over the olive and the shower is in and working! Woo-hoo! Saved myself £120+ having a plumber around to install.
I'm not kidding, sometimes I watch these videos just to cheer myself up : D
Thank you for taking the time and care to make this.
I'm better off for it now and can tidy up my project with confidence now! 😁
Thank you for the video James, even tho i started watching your videos 6 years ago when i started doing my LVL 2 Diploma in Plumbing and heating.
I'd advise anyone getting into Plumbing to get Monument olive cutter, it can fit in tight spaces, saves you time and effort.
Good point about low quality olives. Some might not have been annealed and therefor wont compress into the tapers properly. Just get them red hot and drop into cold water - so long as they are copper.
Great tips, I'm not a plumber but i didnt know that there was a special past available now! What I've used to prevent the squeeking when tightening up the compression joints is appyling a very small amount of Vaseline (petroleum jelly) just a smear like you put on your lips around the olive and pipework and also a little on the threads this will make the olive slide and seat very smoothly, you just know that its not going to leak.
Also if in future you have to undo it, it would come undone very easily, great for when replacing isolating valves and radiators valves, etc.
I understand that vaseline is non toxic
But better to use new approved stuff if used for drinking water.
I wouldn't use it on these plastic push fit though as it might cause the rubber O-ring to deteriorate quicky.
vaseline degrades mate and is water miscible makeing it not a good choice - Tip from radio engineers working on seas salty outside stuff - Use Copperease on everything and Marmite on everything else. (Both Unobtainium in Thailand sadly)
@@ebaystars copper grease is good for automotive applications as anti seize compound and good at high temperatures.
However I think its toxic to micro organisms and harmful to aquatic life.
good point! I will stick to marmite on toast we dont drink tap water in thailand and usually use bottled water everyone here has to have a 2000 litre reserve tank and auto-pump because the idiots cannot supply pressure at night when there is no users as the pipes underground will blow off. It's a nightmare @@mrshoney2624
Vaseline seems to work well
@@santorini8423 like I said I'm not a plumber I won't toutch anyone else's only mine!
I'm an engineer so do understand basics of most things or study it first before doing anything.
I can strip down and rebuild a car engine etc, also fully understand how electrical systems work etc.
Caravan reference. Spot on. Exactly why I watched your video. Pipe leading to toilet is leaking from the top of the compression / isolation valve.
Make sure pipe fits and correct length, make sure both sides of the olive are on the pipe by giving it a nip and visually checking it. In tight spaces, I have used a fitting away from the joint to give the olive a squeeze so it cannot move. A few wraps of PTFE tape around Olive or potable water sealing paste where applicable and no problem. You are posh poetable water I have always said potable water (Drinking Water). Not to tight not to loose and never ever think your brilliant and do not need to double check everything, it will still get you every now and then. The amount of experts I have met in life at all things who cock up all the time because they know they are perfect and do not need to check! Everyone can get caught every now and then so check check check. I stripped and assembled a hot water tank bottom fitting three times resealing each time and it still leaked to find at two o’clock in the morning a cracked reducer fitting, I had used the old ones! I had purchased new ones but the old fittings were ok (Not). It was a home job as well.
Olive cutter, great idea. Always used the junior hacksaw method at a 45 degree angle to prevent damage. I was always told Conex olives shouldn't need white paste when first assembled. But if they are disassembled I would always use it before PTFE
As a total non plumber who likes to try and learn on the easier jobs I find these useful.🎉
I wish I saw this video tutorial about 25 years ago when I started making all of these mistakes. Some I learned by trial and error yet it would have been nice to have avoided those errors. Thanks!
I have hardly any copper in my bungalow now everything is now PEX as I renewed radiators and rerouted my pipework in the old kitchen I wanted continuous lengths without any joints in the wall and each supply and return has their own stopcock, same when I ripped out the bath and replaced with a shower. The only copper now is a from the boiler and a bit in the wall that a gas engineer sealed up for me. I have some joints in the garage that are copper onto joint compound PEX bit they have PTFE on the olives.
I used to do the thread thing when I first bought my own house back in the 80's but learnt from my mistakes as a DIYer and have fixed loads of bad fittings when I became a self employed handyman many of them in Council housing that so called tradesmen in the local contractors used by the council.
Great video
Hi I'm a sparks and if you remember MICC cables which have a similar olive and gland system I had the same thing educating apprentices on not over tightening the olives because if they were over tightened and the cable was moved you lost a good earth as the outer sheath was the earth. Brilliant vid and good tips. I looked for the olive splitter that you sowed and could not fine that particular one. I would like to add that to my plumbing kit. In the past I have used a junior hacksaw very carefully to remove an olive not quite cutting through.
There is another type of olive cutter that looks like a large pair of pliers. One of the 'cutting' jaws of the plier is flat and you insert it inside the pipe. The other 'cutting' jaw is indeed a cutter and cuts the olive. The difference between the 'plier' type and the one shown in the video is that the 'plier' type is operated in line with the pipe instead of at right angles to it.
Great video. Been years since I’ve watched your videos. Only just showing up again for me!
The algorithm strikes! Welcome back 👍
a plumber showed me jointing compound years back. Always use it now. I tend to do a quick tighten then loosen to spread the compound. Never had a problem
Great video!
I had to replace a mains stopcock attached to the blue 25mm mdpe pipe under the kitchen sink. Could not unscrew the nut to remove it. Had to use an angle grinder with a thin cutting disc to very carefully cut through the brass nut and olive underneath. A rotary tool would be safer, I think.
Cordless multi tool with metal cutting blade.
Well I did watch until the end. Well done to you, so practical and funny with it. Great tips, I must purchase an olive splitter /removal tool. Keep the videos coming, always so refreshing and put over simply, sensibly and professionally. Thanks 👍
I recently (a few days ago) found some "older" USA made 1/2" compression fittings and used one for a hose-bib / sillcock installation...no joining compound , no squeaks, no leaks...
Cheers ... Jointing compound.. need to find that. But I always put a wrap or two of PTFE tape on the olive of new fittings, just in case there is a small discontinuity (Roger, Skill Builder tip).
Another tip I find useful is clean the pipe before fitting, with fine grit sand paper or one of those cleaner wire brush tools. can make a difference.
Lastly another over tightening danger: stress can build up in the nut then one day it might crack and all hell will break loose when least expected, has happened to me.
On all brass compression fittings, i use silicone grease on the threads now. A dab of any oil also works. If you smash the brass or copper flares together properly they will stay smashed. Friction sometimes will not allow the nut to tighten fully. Had 3 copper unions squeaking and small drips. A little lube on threads, didnt have any resistance and no leaks. And no garbage on the threads later
Best video on this topic I found. I watched about 10 videos and learned some new things. Thanks!
Just found your channel and started watching, you give good advise and are quite entertaining but I was a bit confused at first cos I thought Bradley Walsh had his own plumbing channel.
I use this method when I had to use the old Ferrule because I could not get it off and it works great.
I have never been able to over tighten a compression fitting, usally because I'm upside-down under a sink and only have a few mm space to get a crappy tap spanner to grip properly.
Soooo, I have dug up this video after watching your video about proper soldering copper fittings. Yeah, yeah, I made a compete balls-up of a replacement 'T' and tap off threaded brass. ( Too bloody hot, and a bit of water in the bottom pipe, aahrg well...).I had to use compression fittings. I am here to just make sure I did the right thing. I did of course.
I am so glad you mentioned at 7:05 about PTF tape round the thread . I come from a family of plumbers and it makes me angry when I see that bodge up under sinks and basins usually fitted by Kitchen fitters (Grrr!) I used to see it a lot when as a sparks I cross bonded pipes.
Excellent video - so glad I watched before attempting to use compression fittings.
Quick question - can you still nip up a compression fitting that has jointing compound after it’s been in place for a week, or does the compound go off and crumble if you try this? I thought I’d tightened it enough, but after a few days it started to seep (not condensation).
Thanks 👍
If I put compound on a compression it was an instant fail or a rap across the knuckles with a pair of sixes. North Thames Gas apprenticeship. 4 year apprenticeship, 18 years working. How times have changed. Surprised you did not say LS-X, a must on them fooking doughnuts :) Also under tightening is always better than over, as you can always nip it up, over, no chance.
I have to admit, this is the 2nd plumbing video I've watched on how to replace a valve. The original valve was soldered on by a plumber, 30yrs ago. I'm not a plumber! So I went to Homie Depoe, and discussed my options with the genius that helped me find the right size replacement in a compression valve. Why not a sharkbite valve?? I have no idea...
But anyways, I didn't know the compression fitting needed jointing compound. And, of course I tightened it thinking the tighter the fitting, the less likely it would leak....
😮
Great now I have to go back in time 20 years and find the Idjet who didn't put jointing compound on the fitting for the sediment filter in the "new" home we purchased. You need to do a video on time travel! PTFE tape round the olive is my solution for now! Thanks mate!
In all my years of DIY including working along side other trades including plumbers on refurb jobs I have never heard of this. Although I've never had a problem yet, it makes perfect sense and I'm all for good practice. Great video.
Olive tip I was taught by an old school.
If the olive is just so put something hard being it and tap firmly the other side and it just slides off.
This really works.
Yep I've done that one a few times too! Pop on to Locals this Thursday for the livestream if you get a second: plumberparts.locals.com/support/promo/PLUMB1M or here for the live stream: plumberparts.locals.com/post/4240778/ale-army-raw
I’ve never used sealing compound on olives and I’ve never made a leaky connection. I always clean the pipe before assembling the joint. I have seen some leaking joints that had remnants of ptfe tape when I dismantled them. I think the tape created a weak point and wonder if jointing compound would do the same 🤔
If you’ve never had a dry joint leak you are either extremely lucky or you haven’t fitted enough compression fittings.
I did that using the fernox jointing gear but i didn't use that much, just on the chamfer and smidge on the olive as i didn't want it in the rad system
Thank you for this - bad habits are passed down the generations, my Dad (not a plumber) taught me (not a plumber) to wrap PTFE tape around the threads on a compression fitting. Your videos are the first time I've seen PTFE tape used on the actual pipe and olive!
Haha! No worries mate.
It does nothing for sealing but does lubricate the threads when you nip them up and also makes them easier to remove in the future.
So my Dad was half right then! 😄@@ThePillenwerfer
Not his fault as PTFE tape is otherwise known as thread tape
Awesome stuff - would have been useful to me a few years back - did a bathroom refit at home - and had to convert a main pipe in the floor with a compression fitting I used a 22mm olive in an old water pile to convert it to 15mm - old 7/8 water It had the smallest leak but take ages to seal it.
you buy the old pipe olive ,good luck trying to fit a 22 mm olive on old pipe :)
Nothing wrong with the direction you put that PTFE tape on, looked correct to me. Just when you said ‘same way you do the nut up’ your fingers were doing an untighten… now go stand in the corner and think about what you’ve done.
BLUB! 😂😂 Thank you sir!
Great tips,and demonstrated in a really good way 👍👍
Olive cutter is a great idea
Keen diyer on tip 1 do you compress [tighten olive ] on pipe 1st before applying sealant
Moved into a house and the central heating leaked. Lots of the olives were so lose I could turn them with my fingers. No way to drain the system. I added over 10 drain cocks and shut of valves so I could isolate the system and replaced whole joints or just olives. Great tips about paste and over tightening.
Using the olive as a cheap engagement ring tip was a good one. Will let you know how I go...
Great video James. By the way, you had in fact wrapped the ptfe around the thread the correct direction, but did it the wrong way around the olive.
Ive found a cut nail lodged in a copper pipe that sealed itself when the guy / girl missed the joist , it had held up for 20 years on gravity hot ! 🎉
copper is slightly flexible, so it would seal itself on things pushing into it like things seal onto a piece of rubber. I one year ago stepped on a floorboard and it started spraying water - the classic, a nail through the floorboard into a radiator pipe.. And I stepped on the landmine
@@dimitar4y this cut nail was like a rusty hair on the inside of the half inch copper , crazy it held
@@inventions47 technically rust can clog small holes and the rusting causes the iron to expand and clog the hole better.
When I started plumbing in the late 60s I was always told that a compression fitting was used for repairs only and you don't use paste, but times have changed the fittings arn't as good a quality as they used to be, the other thing is you tighten the nut one and a half complete turns to fully secure the olive it takes a lot of strength to do this on larger dia pipes.
GCSE Plumbing would be a brilliant idea - more vocational training for kids is probably the way to go. I used to love helping my dad do plumbing when I was about 13-14. He used to let me braze joints and bend pipes correctly!
I have made thousands of compression fittings in multiple sizes and rarely ever used jointing compounnd because I didn't have any to hand.
I had precious few leaks in all of those fittings.
I have had to resort to PTFE tape on a limited number of occasions.
Good informative video though.
Great video! Great personality and funny! Love the story of wedding ring looking like olive.
Jointing compound/paste will shrink after a few years, I had 2 joints leak on my central heating after 5 years, unfortunately you just can't tighten them up because the paste goes hard! Better to squirt a drop of WD40 (any thin oil will do) into the joint just before tightening, works a treat.
❤cool advice,ive used furnox joint compound in the past, the o 10:4 10:49 only trouble is it sets like concrete after a while,making it difficult if you have to remove a fitting.
My favorite fitting is a yorkshire or end feed ,love solder
How long do you have to leave the jointing compound to set before putting water back on ?
I occasionally use a bit of boss white (like soft putty), or just a light smear of Leakseal (silicone mastic) on the pipe before fitting the olive (in case the pipe is scratched) and a tiny smear on the outside of the olive. And a drop of silicone oil on the threads & chamfer, following previous mechanical experience. If re-using an olive I'll always put a couple of turns of PTFE tape on the olive. No fails here.
Good video 🎉mate you shared valuable information experienced explains everything, keep up your sharing mind 🎉
Old schools tip use Hammer on olives by tapping olive while rotating pipe till loose and slides off easy mate
Good tip!
I do ptfe and jointing compound. Maybe a bit OCD but it works!
As a DIYer I've been doing PTFE tape wrong for 50 years! Mind you I haven't really had much trouble with leaky joints so I must be doing something right.
Does it matter that you wrapped the PTFE anticlockwise on the olive when the nut will be tightened clockwise?. I have always done it the same direction as the nut, even though its on the olive, as I have always then followed it onto the threads too
He wrapped it clockwise on my laptop screen....
@@scorpio9578 yea he wraps it's clockwise, but then turns the pipe upside into the fitting which means it goes into the fitting with the PTFE threaded anti-clockwise. Whereas the nut would then drop down and be spun clockwise. I will add that the purpose of my comment was not to try and be clever, but genuinely wanted to know if it matters with it only being the olive, as I have wrapped it the "wrong" way and taken it apart as a result, but if I don't need to then I wouldn't worry for the future
@@StoneMotions WHAT! Are you serious? The thread doesn't change directon does it? Good grief...The only reason we wrap it clockwise is to prevent the nut unwrapping the tape as its screwed on, but most times it stays in place either way. You just get used to wrapping tape the correct way, I wrap the thread and carry on over the olive, just a couple of layers, then pinch up the nut.
Think this is being taken up at PMQ’s today! 😂😂🧨🧨
@@plumberparts 😂 I was genuinely asking if it matters on the olive, as only the pipe is touching. Not the thread or the nut. @scorpio9578 you're right the thread doesn't change direction. But wrap something round your finger clockwise pointing to the sky, then point it down, you'll see notice that the wrap is now going anti-clockwise. On the video I viewed it as the nut going on clockwise and the PTFE anti-clockwise. If I'm wrong, so be it. But I don't think I am 🤞😂
Very good advice for non plumbers like myself.
I usually cut the olive off with a hacksaw blade as you suggest, and carefully.
Presumably leaving the previous olive on is not a good idea?
You can remake a joint with the old olive in place, if you cant remove it. Just reassemble the joint after applying jointing compound or PTFE tape to the olive.
If you are a regular plumber, then olive removal tools arent too expensive to add to your kit.
Good advice. We've always called an "olive" a ferrule. I had never even considered that a ferrule could be removed. Always had to cut the pipe back. Do you think a Pex-b crimp removal tool would cut a copper ferrule? I'll have to give it a try.
Great tips there! Plumber who did central heating install used no jointing compound, said it wasn’t necessary.
Ok, but I specified chrome plated 15mm where visible in the lounge. Again, no jointing compound. Now I know that chrome is harder than brass so it would never bed into the pipe. They said tighten it up firmly and it’ll be ok. That’s what they did, and guess what??? Furry deposits around all the joints! Slow seepage between olive and pipe. I called them back and they said they’d return and fix it. That was two months ago. Still waiting…..
Problem is all fitting manufacturers state not to use third party sealers on their fittings and doing so will void warranties.
Don’t use chrome if you can avoid it. The olives don’t bite into the chrome and can blow off. You have to sand all the chrome off the part for the olive to avoid this. It’s a pain in the pipe.
I have a question if you don’t mind.
How do you fit a 3/8 “ flare into a 3/8 FIP . I would think I would need a 3/8 FIP that has a flare inside of it.
I spent most of my career doing stainless tubing. If you need compound or tape you should find another trade. Lubricating the joint allows you to over tighten the joint.
AS he said....the quality of imported copper - brass fittings are not as good as the older stuff, so tape or jointing compound is advisable.
Brilliant. Excellent presentation. My only question is how tight is tight? In terms of say NM or ft/Ibs (approx) Thanks
Well done! Straight forward and easy to understand.
Embedding languages into a pipe GCSE lecture. I like it. You’d make the OFSTED inspector proud 😉
I recently had to use PTFE tape under and over the olive on some compression stop ends and hopefully this will hold up until I get my bathroom replaced and get a pro to get rid of the whole thing.
Olive cutter. Very nice. I'm not a plumber, but have been doing a bit of water work DIY. Definitely had issues removing or not olives. I fancy a cutter, or maybe the hacksaw and screwdriver tip.
Thanks good video, I'm going to slap on more jointing compound than I have been after seeing you use it.
You can get olives off using an adjustable spanner which you adjust to the diameter of the pipe. Put the spanner opening onto the pipe behind the olive and then gently tap with a hammer. This drives the olive off the pipe.
I've always used jointing compound but just a thin trace, not like icing on a sponge cake. And put some on the pipe before sliding the olive on because you're then sealing another potential leak point.
I've used an olive puller several times and it's always worked really well. However that olive cutter looks even better.
This is golden sir!! Thank you for the information and the laughs, my caravan should be sealed water tight now 😂
I've never had a problem without jointing compound (ok, not never, but always get it to tighten!). Tend to use ptfe on bigger nuts.
Yes but as he says it's that extra bit of safety, the fitting quality aren't as good as they use to be and say it's slightly of or hit or whatever,vthe jointing compound is a good idea
very nice presentation, I'm fan. The tips are also worth watching & it's very well explained You had me with the tft tape. a Mistake that I would have made.
Should you use JetLube V2 when doing compressions onto a JG polybutylene or pex barrier pipe? The info sheet says not to use on ABS or CPVC but doesn’t mention polybutylene or pex…
That olive cutters a nice tool to have.
I'm not a plumber by trade (IT tech) but I have done alot of plumbing over the years and never bothered with jointing goop but having seen it I can see why you might want to use it as lube more than anything.
Normally if its a stubborn joint thats decided to weep, I've just put half a dozen wraps of PTFE to seal the deal but thats been the exception not the rule.
Never knew this... but as an insurance policy I always smeared some plumber's putty on the copper pipe before sliding the olive onto it, then I would also smear the olive with some more plumber's putty before bringing the nut over it and tightening the nut (holding the other part of the fitting with another spanner) to fully compress the olive and form a strong watertight seal - I've never had a leak ! lol
Only use for plumbing putty is what it is designed for, sticking glass panes into windows. Sealing compound works better, and you can at least undo it later on without needing to cook the putty out.
A couple of things, it shouldn't be needed but i also like to use a bit of compound, especially if the olive's brass, getting the tightening right takes practice, and there are olive pullers available as well as splitters.
I've never used jointing compound or PTFE tape for new compression fittings if also on new pipe. Can't say I've ever had a leak on one. Might be different if it was an existing fitting you were removing and then reusing the same parts maybe?
Another great tip for proper copper olives is to aneal them. That softens them back to when first manufactured as they can age harden. Use your blow torch to heat them up to cherry red and quench them in cold water. This softens them to make them beautifully maleable and become really water tight