Compression Fitting?

[Gmarr]

I just had this fitting come loose and empty my water tank into the bilge! Two little silicone like "washers" were in it, but look mcGyvered...

Should I just replace the entire fitting? Going around to West Marine, Ace and Home Sepot they are looking at the silicone things and scratching their heads.

Many thanks for your ideas

 

[DavidM]

Plastic ferrules are de rigeur for plastic tubing.

David

 

[Lou_tribal]

Looks like you have PEX or PVC pipe and your faulty fitting is a tee.
Go to your home depot and ask for this

3523B Quick-Connect Union Tees - Polysulfone, Union Tees, Quick-Connect Solutions - Watts

or similar (many brand, in plastic or brass) in the correct size for your tubing and replace your fitting. It will cost you less than 10$ and will fix your issue.

 

[Gmarr]

Awesome, thanks. The maker of the piping looks to be Qest

 

[rwidman]

Since the "entire fitting" is probably under $5, I suggest replacing it.

 

[FF]

Learn to flair copper tubing and buy a coil and real fittings.

You will never go back to plastic.

 

[rwidman]

Learn to flair copper tubing and buy a coil and real fittings.

You will never go back to plastic.

For most of us it makes sense to go with what is already installed in our boats unless it's a real problem.

I wouldn't suggest repairing a failed PEX fitting by adapting it to copper.

PEX, when properly installed would seem to be the best water tubing for a boat. It will not corrode and it will withstand a light freeze, something copper will not do. It's also easy to fish through confined spaces. It has an excellent track record in residential use and in boats.

 

[sdowney717]

Copper is also good for keeping the water clean of fungus, bacterial growth.
I am happy to have it and it is almost trouble free. A few times I had to fix freeze damage.
It is also from 1970. I recently was rearranging the fridge wood area. Hot and cold line runs by the batteries, and had some copper corrosion scale. So I scrubbed them clean to copper again. Then I coated a thin coating of PL Premium polyurethane construction adhesive, which is waterproof, and acid resistant, so should make them durable for another 45 years..

All my copper uses compression ferrules and screws together..

 

[rwidman]

And I had copper water pipes in my previous house and had to fix a couple dozen pinholes during the twenty something years I lived there. Copper was the best there was at one point. That's no longer the case.


I wouldn't rip them out if they weren't causing a problem but I certainly wouldn't do a new install with copper.

 

[FoxtrotCharlie]

Pex, pex, pex - with crimp fittings!! Sorry old friend copper.