How To Stop Brass Fittings From Leaking?

Leaking pipes and brass fittings in your plumbing system can lead to unwanted water leaks and high water bills. Nobody wants to have a flood in their own house, which can cause a lot of damage. Therefore, it’s important to fix this issue as soon as you notice it. As you already know, brass valves consist of compression fittings that are placed on the plumbing lines. These brass fittings can weaken over time, and leaks can occur, which is not unusual. In this article, we will talk about how you can prevent this. So, let’s start!

How To Stop Brass Fittings From Leaking? To stop brass fittings from leaking, just wrap the Teflon tape around the male pipe, around 4 to 5 times over. The next step is to use a pipe joint compound to the fittings to stop a leak. Make sure to tighten the compression nut in the place where the water leaks. That will stop leaking.

Stopping brass fittings from water leaks is not a complex task and can be done by just using a simple tape. However, this must be done carefully so you seal the leak properly. In the next sections of this article, we’ll explain this even better. So be sure to read the next chapter.

Related article: How To Protect PEX Pipe From UV Light? (Explained)

How To Fix Leaking From Brass Fittings?

Over time, brass fittings can loosen and begin to leak water. That’s nothing unusual. Now that we have that figured out, we’ll explain how you can stop brass fittings from leaking.

The first step is to look for the compression nut that is used to keep the seal placed on the fitting. If that seal is not strongly tightened, potential leaks can occur. Find where the compression nut is located and tighten it. To do this properly, be sure to follow these steps:

• Step 1: The first thing that you must do is to turn off the water in your home. After that is done, be sure to drain all the water that is placed inside the pipes by opening the faucets.
• Step 2: Take a bucket and place it just below the brass fitting to ensure that the water that gets in the pipes drains into it. The next step is to disassemble the brass fitting.
• Step 3: Use adjustable pliers and make sure to grip the valve body. Grab another piler and use it to open (scroll) the compression nut. While doing this, be careful not to damage the pipes.
• Step 4: Now, you must release the old ferrule that is placed on the copper tubing. Gently rotate the ferrule to lose it. You want to break the bond by rotating the ferrule on both sides. Once you’re done, the nut will still be on the tubing.
• Step 5: Find some cloth and wipe the ends of copper tubing with it. Make sure that dust is removed from the pipe.
• Step 6: Use a new ferrule and place it on the tubing. On each side of the tubing pipe and the ferrule, apply the pipe joint compound. It will be much easier for the ferrule to fit on the tubing.
• Step 7: Now, use the new copper tube and push it deep into the valve body. After you’re done, screw the compression nut on the valve body. Tightening is done the same way as you lost it in the previous step by using adjustable pliers.
• Step 8: After that is done, turn the water back on and check the joints to see if there are any leaks. If there are some leaks, it means that the copper pipe is damaged. You’ll need to turn off the water and make sure to disassemble it again. We recommend using a pipe cutter and cutting the pipe by a few inches so that you remove the part that is damaged.

Note! When tightening the compression nut, ensure not to use too much force. By over-tightening, you can cause leaks in compression fittings.

Prevent Brass Fitting Leaks By Using Teflon Tape

For those who have leaking problems with their brass fittings and don’t have compression fitting for your connection, then the next best thing is to use the Teflon tape. This tape is also known as a plumber’s tape. Its role is important because it enables connections to be properly sealed.

In most cases, leaking problems that you have with these brass fittings occur because this method of sealant was never used. If you want to properly add a Teflon tape, follow these steps:

• Step 1: The first step is to disassemble the fittings. Use the Teflon tape and wrap it across the male pipe.
• Step 2: Teflon tape must be wrapped about 3-5 times around the pipe. Make sure that everything fits perfectly.
• Step 3: After you’re done, press the tape and place it inside the threads. Make sure that you release all air bubbles.
• Step 4: The tape must be stretched. After you’re done, tear it and finish the wrap.
• Step 5: Lastly, place everything back so that everything fits perfectly.

Prevent Brass Fitting Leaks By Using Pipe Joint Compound

Another method that you can use to prevent brass fittings from leaks is to use a pipe joint compound. There are two ways how you can do this. The first is to add the joint compound alone, and the second method is to use a Teflon tape and then put the joint compound over it. Here are the steps that this can be done:

• Step 1: First, separate the threaded fittings and make sure to place them together. Make sure to clean old sealant from the threads by using a cloth.
• Step 2: Now apply some pipe joint compound on the male fitting thread. After you’re done, screw the fittings and simply twist them tightly so they can’t move.
• Step 3: If you notice that there is some excess joint compound around, just use a cloth and wipe it off.
• Step 4: Wait a few minutes so that the compound can dry. Then run the water and check if there are any leaks.

Note! By adding a pipe joint compound, you can stop leaks very easily out of the brass fittings.

If you want to learn more about plumbing, be sure to read How To Increase Water Pressure Without A Pump?

FAQ: People Also Ask

Can you over-tighten brass fittings?

Yes, brass fittings can be over-tightened, leading to stripping the threads. If you over-tighten brass fittings, it can cause the crushing of tubing, which in the end restricts flow, while in some cases, it can crash the tubing.

What do plumbers use to seal joints?

Plumbers usually use pipe joint compounds to seal joints. This is the type of sealant that is used when it comes to threaded pipes in order to create a seal. This sealant consists of substances such as kaolin clay, rosin, vegetables, and ethanol, and it can serve as a lubricant and a sealant for joints.

Final Thoughts

Leakage problems are nothing new; they happen when the material wears out after a while. Leaks caused by brass fittings can be stopped easily, but you must know what to do. In this article, we’ll explain what you can do in a few ways, where the best one is by using a Teflon tape or a pipe joint compound. Therefore, as soon as you notice a leaking problem, act immediately to prevent an even bigger problem. I hope this article has helped you.