Water leak from under tank on toilet

I'd have said , give it another smidgen.

 

It's important to use the correct sequence; first a 16th turn. Followed by a tweak. Finish off with a smidgen.

And if you haven't sheared the thread by then, you'll be fine...

 

May also be a case of over tightening nut and putting a kink in the pipe

Try undoing, remove all ptfe tape and the wrap the olive in new tape, plenty plenty, nice and tight, around 12 wraps

Or remove current olive without damaging pipe, inspect pipe for any damage, fit with new olive and tighten

If pipe damaged then replace and use new olive

Of course, hopefully all you need is a tweak and a smidgen

Good luck

 

IF the tissue is getting wet and IF none of the joints are leaking, then it can only be condensation.

However, I suspect it's still leaking...

Because, we just haven't a scooby on here chust how tight you are making these joints. They need quite a firm squeeze, y'know.

If you really believe you've tightened them enough and don't want to go any further, then the only solution is to turn off your water and undo all these nuts again...

Examine all the olives as mentioned above in an earlier post, remove all the PTFE tape, check the pipes haven't been over-tightened (which I doubt), and then give it all a goodly smear of this: http://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-pipe-jointing-compound-400g-white/72963#

If the olives are loose enough (which I doubt) then slip them over, smear this stuff on the pipe, and return. Then another goodly smear over the whole olive. Also a smear on the fitting's threads - it'll make tightening much easier.

It doesn't really matter how much you use - but don't get any inside the copper pipe...

 

Looking at your pic, that tissue is on the very bottom - so it could be the bottom joint that's leaking. In theory you didn't open that joint 'cos there was no need? But, fair chance it was 'disturbed'...

If it is the bottom joint, then turning off that isolator won;t help - you need to turn off the mains water and open a cold tap to release pressure. Then check for leaks...

I guess that shut-off screw could also be leaking, but hopefully you can check for this by wiping only that bit with a tissue.

Basically -use yer common sense, man...

 

If you over-tighten a fitting, the olive will be crushed into the copper pipe and the pipe itself will now have a shrunken ridge around it where the olive was. By this stage, the nut you've been tightening will have bottomed-out on the fitting with no threads remaining for further tightening - have you really gorn that far? I doubt it.

Solution if you have? I guess you'd need to cut off that old squished olive (without scratching the copper pipe surface...) and fit a new one. Do they make 'oversized olives? I dunno. But a new olive along with jointing paste and a gentle hand should sort it.

Condensation? In this mild weather? Not unless your bathroom is full of damp air from lots of showers. BUT, that bottom pipe would not be the only bit that's damp - that whole fitting will be if it's cond.

First, to check the cause. Shut off your cold main stopcock. Open ANY cold tap for a few seconds to release the pressure. Wrap fresh tissue around that fitting...

Does it get damp now? Nope? Cool.

Turn the mains back on. Does it now get damp? Yep? Darn - it's weeping.

Now fully shut off that isolator on the fitting and flush the loo - it shouldn't refill. Wrap more tissue. Does it still get damp?

Yes - it's your bottom fitting. Nope - it's one of the other connections above. (Or the screw...)

 

Assuming you ain't yanking my chain...

How long will it take to test if it's still leaking after turning off the stopcock? How the hell do I know...

But, it'll be chust as long as it takes to wet yourself with the stopcock on. Ie - if a fresh bit of tissue gets damp in twenty seconds, then that's how long - in theory - it'll take to test if it's condensation with the 'cock offski.

Which way to tighten yer nuts? Lawd - I'm gonna let you work that one out... If ye cannae work out which way clockwise is when looking from a different angle, then lord help us.

Will you have slackened a joint under the floor? Let's hope not... But akshully unlikely as they will almost certainly be soldered joints. If you've accidentally slackened one of them, then you are a big strong bloke and I'd better start treating you with some respec'.

Don't worry. Just - for heaven's sakes - work out which nut is weeping ('cos I sure as hell am...).

Then hold the darned valve's body dead firm in some clamps and tighten that nut a smidgen the correct gawd-damned way...

 

Have you stopped yer weeping yet?

 

Phew and well done .

To tighten an isolating valve, you hold the valve body steady and tighten the nut - you don;t hold the pipe; the pipe can look after itself.

But you MUST hold the isolator body and stop it rotating.

I know it's an awkward shape, but it does have the raised bit around the screw, so that can be used to stop it turning. Ie: you place an adjustable spanner, mole grips, pipe wrench or whatever along the narrowest sides of the valve, and clamp tight. If the fitting tries to turn, it'll only do so as far as that raised edge touches a 'flat' on your spanner.

Then a nicely-fitting adjustable spanner on the nut.

If you are going to be doing a few fittings, get a pot of Fernox jointing compound (or similar) and add a smear of that on yer olive - and also on the threads of the fitting. This really helps to make tightening a smooth process - it'll act as a lubricant as well as helping to prevent leaks.


Oh, and wrap a bit of cloth or card or summat around the valve body if you don't want to scratch it.

 

Ooooookkkaaaaaayyyy (splashes water on face...)

This is my last attempt...

See your isolating valve? Y'know - the chrome thingy with the shut-off screw in the side? Yeah? Good.

Ok, if you have that screw facing you, then the sides of that fitting are the 'narrowest' parts. If you get an adjustable spanner and close it down on these 2 sides, then you can stop that valve body from turning.

If the body tries to turn, it'll only do so as far as the raised bit around the screw - that raised bit will stop it turning any more.

That clear?

So, you HOLD the valve body steady with one spanner, and then you tighten each nut on the pipe one at a time.

DON'T hold the actual PIPE. DON'T allow the PIPE to turn. DON'T allow the valve BODY to turn. ONLY turn the NUTS at each end.

I know it's carp - these valve bodies should really have more defined 'flats' on their sides to take a spanner properly.

As it happens, it's quite easy to keep the valve body still. And it is important that you DO keep it still - do not allow the actual valve body to turn when you're tightening yer nuts.

Please tell me that you understood. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze...

 

Phew - I can remove that bullet from my gun and tear up the note I left behind the mantle clock...