Dornbracht Wall Faucet

[tom_sprecher]

I have installed a Dornbracht MEM wall faucet and can not keep the thing from leaking at the spout to rough connection. They used straight threads with out any o-ring or seal and the service tech suggested "wrapping it good with teflon tape". Any other suggestions?

Thanks,

Tom

[geniescience]

Let us know what Dornbracht said when you called their technical support people. They have expensive product so they better give good service.

Are you saying above that, without dope or tape or a washer at the end, you screwed straight brass threads and ?

[tom_sprecher]

The spout to rough threads are straight cut vs. NPT, so there is no sealing action going on there. Being an engineer and concerned that there was no o-ring or seal used as is typical design when using straight cut threads, I called Dornbacht customer service. The tech said to "wrap it real good with teflon tape" and that should work. It did not after two attempts, hence the post asking for advice.

[hj]

That would be a "dumb" idea if the threads are straight cut and there is no "O" ring seal. The straight threads are so the spout will screw on as far as necessary to meet the wall, but I do not think I have ever seen one that did not also have an "O" ring to make the actual seal. Do you have a model number so we can read the actual instructions for it?

[johnfrwhipple]

There is nothing wrong with your Dorn Bracht fixture. The problem is in your North American Rough in.

We installed these same fixtures this past summer and had no issues what so ever. Dorn Bracht makes an European to North American adapter that all the finer retail stores stock and sell with these fixtures. The problem with order online or from smaller shops is that they don't stock this part.

I have 6 here in North Vancouver that I carry now to fix this exact problem.

If you bought your fixture from a retail store you should have no problem getting this part. If you did not you might get the run around.

The fitting get installed and then is cut in place. You can remove it to cut but will need a large metric Allen Key to re install...

I'll dig out a part for you. I might even have the UPC code here...



This is a 1/2" adapter nipple and I believe you can also get them in 3/4"

This piece here is for the fixtures like the water fall. I would think that you will need an adapter like this to switch from the wall fixture to your plumbing lines. We re did a failing install in False Creek and needed 9 of these adapters to get the shower ( 2 supplies and 2 outputs), Bath tub (2 supplies, 1 outputs), Rain Head and Hand held working right. After we repaired the failing work we pressure tested these fittings up to 200 PSI - Good to go!...

Good Luck.

Dornbracht Americas Inc.
1700 Executive Drive South
Suite 600
Duluth, GA 30096
Phone: +1 (800) 774-1181(770)564-3599
Fax: +1 (800) 899-8527
E-Mail: mail@dornbracht.com
www.dornbracht.com

We had great service from the folks at Dornbracht - here is the North America service number...

[hj]

He said it was the SPOUT thread, and those are usually 3/8" pipe, assuming he means it is a wall mount lavatory faucet.

[tom_sprecher]

The fixture is 36.812.780.00. The rough is 35.806.970.90. The rough to plumbing lines are 1/2" NPT so I did not need an adapter. The instructions I got with the fixture has a diagram only showing the spount being screwed into the rough without any tape or o-ring or silcone being used. Even if I tried to use and o-ring, there is no flange that an o-ring could seal against on the spout. The rough has a nice machined surface where the internal threads start that could be used with an o-ring if the spout had something similar. I don't see how an adapter would change how to seal straight threads w/o the use of some type of flange, but maybe it can.

We bought the fixtures from Renaissance Tile & Bath in Atlanta. I will call Dornbracht in Duluth on Monday to see what they say. The last time I did that the response was "wrap it real good with teflon tape and screw it in."

[johnfrwhipple]

The fixture is 36.812.780.00. The rough is 35.806.970.90





These are your pieces?

[johnfrwhipple]

Call a different Dornbracht shop. Send them my picture of the adapter.

I still think you need this piece installed. The adapter gets taped and tightened up to the rough in.

The adapter gets cut to the finsihed wall after drywall, stone or tile.

The spout filler gets taped and threaded onto the adapter and your good to go...

I pay about $22.00 a piece for these fittings here in Vancouver. I would be shocked if you have North American Pipe Thread on a German Fixture.

I hope you find a good solution. I have seen plumbers (hacks) use pipe dope, teflon tape like crazy and still these things leak.

We have done two showers now with a total of 14 fixtures. Not one leaks...

The fixture is 36.812.780.00. The rough is 35.806.970.90. The rough to plumbing lines are 1/2" NPT so I did not need an adapter. The instructions I got with the fixture has a diagram only showing the spount being screwed into the rough without any tape or o-ring or silcone being used. Even if I tried to use and o-ring, there is no flange that an o-ring could seal against on the spout. The rough has a nice machined surface where the internal threads start that could be used with an o-ring if the spout had something similar. I don't see how an adapter would change how to seal straight threads w/o the use of some type of flange, but maybe it can.

We bought the fixtures from Renaissance Tile & Bath in Atlanta. I will call Dornbracht in Duluth on Monday to see what they say. The last time I did that the response was "wrap it real good with teflon tape and screw it in."

JW

[johnfrwhipple]

Here is an instruction sheet from Dornbracht. (01 03 30 970 00/04.2004)

This adapter nipple goes from 1/2 - 14 NPT to G 1/2

No Pipe Dope.

I have more pictures located here.

To remove these adapter you need Metric Allen Keys.

I left my metric set at the shop and made a metric version out of a nail set. Here is a video of some "Job Site" tool building....

[tom_sprecher]

John, you're a good man. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your input. The extension would allow more threads to engage and give the teflon tape a better chance of sealing against the straight cut spout threads. Maybe even use some silicone, epoxy or solder the extension on. I'll call Dornbracht tomorrow and see what they say.

[johnfrwhipple]

No Silicone.

No Epoxy

No Solder

Your fittings will work with just teflon tape and a hand pressure/ wrenched on. These fixtures are precise, flawless and engineered to perfection.

SO GERMAN.

There is a huge learning curve to these high end fixtures and you can not expect a counter sales person to understand all the bits and pieces needed when ordering or calling in for advice. My plumber is a master and still on a regular basis me and him struggle to figure out these tricky installs. We had the luck of working with a German Professor on our last project and he spoke directly with the German Head Office and aided us a ton in our game plan.

That said our Professor did not want a "Pressure Test" and felt it was not needed. We said "No Way" and we where glad because even with all our care one fitting needed another 1/4 turn to seal it up tight.

I hope this fixes things for you. Let me know if you need help ordering these parts.

JW

John, you're a good man. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your input. The extension would allow more threads to engage and give the teflon tape a better chance of sealing against the straight cut spout threads. Maybe even use some silicone, epoxy or solder the extension on. I'll call Dornbracht tomorrow and see what they say.

[dlarrivee]

John Whipple, I think it's guys like you we have to blame for such high WCB costs.

That grinder has no guard, AND you're holding the work in one hand and grinding with the other... Do you not own a vice? Is common sense, not common anymore?

[johnfrwhipple]

Grinders come with guards?

Sorry for the video. The guard gets in the way most days. WCB costs are way high because people fall off roofs and ladders. WCB costs are high because of men getting chipped up in chippers and crushed by trees.

If you review your WCB notes for the past seven years you will find no reference to Grinder accidents to my knowledge. I take safety very seriously and I have never hurt myself with this tool.

I have a bench vice in the shop and another in my van. That day I had my F150.

I bet if you visited 100 jobs sites around town or asked 100 tile setters you would be hard pressed to find five with a guard...

JW

John Whipple, I think it's guys like you we have to blame for such high WCB costs.

That grinder has no guard, AND you're holding the work in one hand and grinding with the other... Do you not own a vice? Is common sense, not common anymore?

[johnfrwhipple]

I'm working on a great project in Vancouver that features a side outlet linear drain and a Dornbracht shower package. These Dornbracht fixtures are my favourite to work with as I love the design of the housing and protective rough in covers.

These protective rough in covers are design to stay in place until after all the tile work and grouting is done. They then get cut flush with the wall and hooked up. Make sure your plumber has a metric socket set with the long adapters to remove all the pieces. Metric Allen keys are also needed.

I have been studying up on European codes and have found that steam showers overseas strive for a much better Perm rating than us here in North America. Here in North America we only require a perm rating of 1.0 in Europe the goal is less than 0.15. A big difference.

Kerdi Dornbracht Flashing

These Dornbracht fixtures come with a little Kerdi flashing that is cut to the exact size of the rough in. The problem with this is in Europe they use Kerdi DS (a thicker Kerdi) for steamers and wet rooms. I can not order Kerdi DS here in Vancouver but we can order Noble Seal TS which even out preforms Kerdi and Kerdi DS.

I will use these Kerdi flashings as a template and cut a new one out of Noble Seal TS.





JW