Leak in my water tank

[Big_Don_53]

We went out camping for the first time this past weekend and we have a used camper that the seller said he replaced the water pump. Well he did replace it but some of the fittings aren't holding the water back and there is a leak. What he did was place a 90 degree elbow fitting off of the bottom of the water tank and only put a wrap or two of Teflon tape around the fitting going into the plastic tank. Now I'm not a plumber by any since of the word all I know it all goes down hill but the fitting seems loose until it get all the way screwed in and I was wondering if plumbers putty was what should be used instead .. or even more then a wrap or two of Teflon tape.. any help would be great .. Thanks to all who help

Don WC4D

[powderman426]

Pipe threads are tapered, so if its loose, it hasn't been screwed in far enough.

[Grillmeister]

I respectfully disagree, silicone sealer will fix almost anything
:B

[naturist]

No, NOT plumber's putty, pipe dope, they are different things used for different purposes.

And personally, I'd stick to the teflon tape. BTW, there seem to be two thicknesses of teflon tape in use. The thinner stuff does take about 7 laps to do a good job, but the thicker stuff only takes 3, or maybe 4 at most. The trick is always to get it screwed in tightly enough to seal properly.

See, pipe threads are supposed to be screwed in until the threads bind. The male and female threads are at a very slightly different pitch, so that when fully and properly engaged, they bind up on you, thus ensuring metal-to-metal (or nylon-to-nylon, as the case may be) pressure. The sealant is just to fill the gap in the middle to make sure nothing squeaks by.

If the fitting seems loose to you, there is no question that it is. And yes, it could be that it was screwed in too tight, and broke because of it. In which case you'll have to replace pieces, cause no amount of teflon tape or pipe goo or for that matter "silicone caulk" will ever give a broken fitting a good seal.

[Grillmeister]

Apply clear silicone sealant to the male threads, screw in and let dry overnight.

[enblethen]

Does the brass assembly have three or four screws holding it onto the tank?
If yes, you could remove it and repace with a plastic one.
Plumber's putty is not designed for your proposed use. Plumber's pipe dope yes.
You should not have to put more then two or three layers of teflon tape. Something is wrong with the threads or maybe the fitting has a crack in it.

[1492]

Moved from Forum Technical Support

[CloudDriver]

I use plumber's pipe dope (not tape) on the drain plug for our water heater. It's a nylon plug and aluminum tank. Finger tight plus 1/4 turn with a wrench and never had a leak.

[Big_Don_53]

It's not cracked it's just weird that a brass fitting was used to screw into the plastic tank. Or for all I know that's the norm. I was just wondering if plumbers putty would be any better then Teflon in a metal to plastic type connection. The threads just seem kind of loose as I screw it in. So I know there has to be a way the water can come back out being this loose ..

Don

[powderman426]

dbbls wrote:
I have found that it takes about 7 wraps of the tape to make it hold.

And wrap it clockwise looking at the end of the threaded end.

[dbbls]

I have found that it takes about 7 wraps of the tape to make it hold.

[powderman426]

I would stay with the teflon tape. I may be that he was afraid of over tightening. It would probably be best to start out fresh with new tape but that will required you to drain it first.

[Golden_HVAC]

Be VERY careful. If the fitting was overttightened, it might have cracked the threaded portion of the tank, and you have a problem. You might try plumbers teflon type sealant, like used on gas lines and steel pipe fittings before teflon tape came out. But if it is cracked, you probably need to repair the tank.

You might need to call these people.

Tank-Depot.com They can sell you a replacement tank, and probably have a solution that can be use to repair your tank as well.

Good luck,

Fred.