Page 4 of 5 FirstFirst 12345 LastLast
Results 46 to 60 of 63

Thread: leaking union

  1. #46
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,675
    According to the Google bits and bytes, the average life expectancy is 8-13 years for a two-wire and 10-15 years for a three-wire residential pump. So it's very reasonable to consider replacing it before it, um...insists you replace it on an emergency basis.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  2. #47
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    Modesto, CA, USA
    Posts
    9,876
    When I used my first and only shark bite I marked the pex with a pencil so i knew I had shoved it in far enough. I thought about a sharpie but worried about long term chemical affects on the pex. Probably over thinking it.
    I test fitted and measured some scrap pex to get a good distance
    Bill D

  3. #48
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Highland MI
    Posts
    4,510
    Blog Entries
    11
    If the pump is fixed and the tank is fixed, then a union is often the only way to mate up two pipes as you have no flexibility to move things around to use an insert fitting. So this is a booster pump and not a well pump? If your union is leaking at the mating surface, I would simply try another union.
    Last edited by Ole Anderson; 07-19-2021 at 6:20 AM.
    NOW you tell me...

  4. #49
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Doylestown, PA
    Posts
    7,551
    Quote Originally Posted by Ole Anderson View Post
    If the pump is fixed and the tank is fixed, then a union is often the only way to mate up two pipes as you have no flexibility to move things around to use an insert fitting. So this is a booster pump and not a well pump? If your union is leaking at the mating surface, I would simply try another union.
    That's the way it sounds to me so losing the pump would be inconvenient but not a "no water" condition. If that is not the case then a preventative replacement would be a good idea. If there needs to be a union there, I'd consider a non-steel substitute. I self installed a water boss water softener and used Ace hardware brass unions. No leaks no issues.

  5. #50
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    McKean, PA
    Posts
    15,591
    Blog Entries
    1
    Quote Originally Posted by Peter Kelly View Post
    I'd probably not have the check valve going directly into the end of the of the pump, might be difficult to remove down the line when the pump has to be replaced. How I'd lay this out below.

    If the dark green/blue thing all the way to the right in the photo is the suction opening of the pump you are starving the pump. It is completely improper to reduce the pipe size on the inlet of a pump. You should never use a reducing bushing on the inlet to a pump. That pipe should all be the the same size as the pump inlet. Reducing it down with all those fitting is making your pump work much harder to do its job.
    Lee Schierer
    USNA '71
    Go Navy!

    My advice, comments and suggestions are free, but it costs money to run the site. If you found something of value here please give a little something back by becoming a contributor! Please Contribute

  6. #51
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    Modesto, CA, USA
    Posts
    9,876
    Not that the max pressure on a pump inlet is only 14.7 PSi of vacuum. So reinforced rubber hose is fine.
    Bill D

  7. #52
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    Millstone, NJ
    Posts
    1,590
    Unions can be tricky. BMI with a brass seat will seal up well almost everytime. Copper unions almost never seal and with a galv/ BMI/CI without seat they are about 70/30.

    I use liquid teflon on all non brass seat unions. I have had to open them years later and they clean up easy.

  8. #53
    I think I mentioned that I'm not a plumber. The problem with the union is solved, the problem with the PEX leak is solved. Now I have a leak between the union and the check valve, I've tightened it several times and it still leaking. Should I continue to tighten it or take it apart and start over? BTW, we're leaving for 2 weeks on Thursday, please give me my best option,
    Assumption is the mother of all screw ups
    Anonyms

  9. #54
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    Marina del Rey, Ca
    Posts
    1,934
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Allen View Post
    ...I've tightened it several times and it still leaking. Should I continue to tighten it or take it apart and start over?...
    You should be able to answer this one yourself.
    "Anything seems possible when you don't know what you're doing."

  10. #55
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    Millstone, NJ
    Posts
    1,590
    We will not use sharkbite except for using for temporary caps. They are OK I guess, for home use but there are a couple things you should watch for. Never bury them in the wall, Never reuse them, and make sure the pipe end is square and clean with no burrs. These are things that I have seen that cause disaster.

    My company will use Uponor pex with expansion fittings if we go the Pex route or Solder/propress for copper

    We use Permabond Lh050 for threads. I personally have never had a leak with this product. It is pricey but not having to go back to a job is priceless.
    The best fix for you would to be to run to a plumbing supply house and replace the union with one that has a seat and reinstall Ask them for a thread sealant recommendation(Permabond is cost prohibitive, leaklock /gripp will form a harder seal, Megalock/tu555 will form a moderate seal). I would also get a replacement nipple In case it comes out with the union It will be easier to put a new one in. The nipple between the check and the union im guessing is where your issue is doesnt look to be buried to deeply.At that size pipe it should be in about 1/2"

    Generally speaking the check would be on the discharge side of the pump. I cant tell from this picture thats what we are looking at. If it is on the suction side the pump will have to work to pull open that spring check on top of it working to suck water through a reduced opening.

  11. #56
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Minneapolis, MN
    Posts
    5,426
    Doesn't Propress have the same risk of o-ring failure as a Sharkbite? They both depend on o-rings for the seal. All of the PEX I installed in my house is expansion fittings, but I used Sharkbites to connect to the copper as I can't solder to save my life. I really should replace them with soldered fittings, but I haven't had the desire to spend $300 to have a plumber do the work yet.

  12. #57
    I'm on vacation! On Tuesday I replaced the offending nipple (between the check valve and union), as of yesterday afternoon there was no water in the bowl, will report back in 2 weeks.
    Assumption is the mother of all screw ups
    Anonyms

  13. #58
    Join Date
    Jul 2021
    Location
    Kalamazoo, MI
    Posts
    10
    Why is anyone but a licensed plumber replying with answers to the ops question?? Some of you might want to flood the guys basement based on the answers given. Yikes.

  14. #59
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,675
    Quote Originally Posted by Zach Macklin View Post
    Why is anyone but a licensed plumber replying with answers to the ops question?? Some of you might want to flood the guys basement based on the answers given. Yikes.
    Because this is a community that tries to help others...yes, sometimes suggestions are not the best, but that's also the risk asking any question to anyone, including some pros.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  15. #60
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Becker View Post
    Because this is a community that tries to help others...yes, sometimes suggestions are not the best, but that's also the risk asking any question to anyone, including some pros.
    Yes. Just because you’re a “pro” doesn’t mean you can’t duck and run like the “best” of them.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •