broken water supply to washer - I stripped the threads! Brand new!

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Sincraft

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I'm such an idiot. I had a new washer and dryer shipped to me, but the delivery guys tracked a TON of mud onto my carpet going downstairs. Instead of letting them hook it up, I was pissed and threw them out. When I say a ton I mean, it took me 3 hours to clean the carpets and I still have a shade discoloration darker than it was originally...

well fast forward after dinner I go to hook all this up. I'm so used to using tef tape that I put it on the back of my washer, screwed down the hose connector feeds , pushed everything back to position, turned the water on and water went EVERYWHERE. I really wasnt paying attention because I was still pissed at this point as my feet were a bit damn from walking on the still damp carpet from the morons that delivered these things.

so...I unscrewed the hose, tried a new hose - same result. :(

I looked, and realized that the threads were crossed and mashed on my brand new washer! These connectors are plastic and cheap as shit.

sigh, so what now? Do I call them and make up some stupid story about how it doesnt work to get another one delivered or,

Do I dive in and try to figure out a way to retrofit the current fittings into a better solution like BRASS. However, likely all the plumbing internal is plastic so, the best I could do is replace it with another plastic. Surely someone will see the butcher job of a repair if I ever need repair.


I tried one last time, against what I know is right, and I really tightened it down to allow the washer to seat at the end of the pipe in hopes that this would stop the leaking.

Well it appears, for now, that this did. I noticed some very light water which may be condensation or, a very very very slow leak. I believe it's left over spray in the general area that was on my hands and then I touched the connector.

Anyway, what are the chances that it will leak if it doesnt leak now?

I'm not a plumber so , I have no idea if there is some adage like "if it doesnt leak now, it most likely wont leak later, except if it's plastic because plastic is for toys..not plumbing"

Thanks guys.
 

Big2bird

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If memory serves me right, the hoses screw directly on the back of the solenoid valves. I would buy a new set, replace them, and call it education. It will only leak when your not home. Murphy's law.
 

Sincraft

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I think the connectors are all part of the entire unit. :( Brand new LG front load washer. Rated very high with great reviews online, except very CHEAP plastic inlet valves with no meat to them. At least my last ones were some sort of fiberous nylon vs this cheap plastic.

Worse, its the cold water side. It looks like there are 3 selenoids or maybe 4 if I am looking at this right, connected to this one water inlet to allow different areas for water to spray throughout the tub vs just dumping water into a tub like on top loaders. Of course, the part ...aftermarket...is like $50.

yea Im not an electrician although I play one at home. I had to swap the positions of the washer/dryer so there is a 220 outlet there for the dryer RIGHT behind where the hose connections are. YIKES. 4 wire, grounded well but the people that lived in my house before me added the finished basement and put all the canned lights and bar lights on one 15 amp breaker. I also had some lights flickering when I would walk through the hall. I found out they used push type connectors but never screwed them down, thinking all you had to do is push them in and push the unit back into the box to ensure they wouldnt fall out. Probably wont but...yea, so who knows if that 220 is done correct or grounded well enough. Probably grounded on the gas pipe. 8(
 

Big2bird

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I am an electrician. LOL. Identify the breaker for the old dryer receptacle. Turn it off. Remove it and cap the wires with wire nuts. Install a blank plate, and call it good. It it's a metal box, leave the ground wire attached. If you/somebody else ever needs it, it's still there.
As for the lights, one circuit may very well be sufficient for them, depending on how many we are talking about. Flickering can be either a loose hot, or a loose nuetral wire. The push type connectors are wagos, and usually work fine, once again depending on how many fixtures(total wattage) we are talking about here.
 
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Sincraft

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nice! Well, I have many canned lights, bar lights and hall lights for a total of 2100 watts of peak power. Strange though, when the breaker trips , it is when all the lights are on...and there is something running with a heating element or a fan or anything else drawing a lot of power from the wall plugs. Here is the kicker. ALL of the wall plugs are on 3 other circuits. Is it possible they did a white return into a ceiling box and due to a faulty breaker this is causing the trip? Like I said, I'm not an electrician. I can match Tab A with slot A, run a spur for a fan/light off the very end of a circuit, and 'eventually' figure out what goes to what breaker...

I would also think that being at the limit for one circuit would put a strain on the breaker, even though all lights on at the same time is rare. I know when I had xmas lights outside, and it would get wet, it would trip the gfci. Now that I have split the lights up to limit them to about 1000 watts per circuit, I havent had any issues. It also helps that I have two dedicate 20 amp breakers for my outside lights, of which I still only get to about 1400 on those as the power boxes are only rated to 1650, so ...trying to stay within the 80% rule there.
 
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Jimbo

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Stripped threads will never seal well. Bite the bullet. An excellent website www.appliancejunk.com is great help to DIY. They can show you a parts breakdown and part numbers. Appliance parts cost what they cost. You can save a few bucks here or there, but often pay up for shipping.
 

Big2bird

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nice! Well, I have many canned lights, bar lights and hall lights for a total of 2100 watts of peak power. Strange though, when the breaker trips , it is when all the lights are on...and there is something running with a heating element or a fan or anything else drawing a lot of power from the wall plugs. Here is the kicker. ALL of the wall plugs are on 3 other circuits. Is it possible they did a white return into a ceiling box and due to a faulty breaker this is causing the trip? Like I said, I'm not an electrician. I can match Tab A with slot A, run a spur for a fan/light off the very end of a circuit, and 'eventually' figure out what goes to what breaker...

I would also think that being at the limit for one circuit would put a strain on the breaker, even though all lights on at the same time is rare. I know when I had xmas lights outside, and it would get wet, it would trip the gfci. Now that I have split the lights up to limit them to about 1000 watts per circuit, I havent had any issues. It also helps that I have two dedicate 20 amp breakers for my outside lights, of which I still only get to about 1400 on those as the power boxes are only rated to 1650, so ...trying to stay within the 80% rule there.

15 ampsx120volts=1800 wattsx80%=1440 watts. Your light circuit is overloaded. It should be 2 circuits. Split it in half, or retrofit with LED trim for about $50@. My whole house uses 160 watts when all lights are on. 8 watts @.:)
Lights should never be on a 20 amp circuit.
 

hj

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One bad thing about a plastic thread is that it cross threads easily, especially if you are screwing a metal connector onto it. One good thing about them is that you can usually "uncross" them by alining the two pieces proper and getting them started straight. If they are not leaking, (and if there is water you can be sure it is NOT condensation), then they should not leak in the future. If those outlets had "clamp" type connections, the wires would NEVER have stayed in place while they were pushing them into the box unless the screw were tightened. And by now the wires would have been burnt off because of the bad connection arcing if they could have done it. "Stab" connections use a "barb" to grab the wire and the screws have nothing to do with keeping the wires tight.
 
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Terry

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Anytime you have a "hose" connection, you don't need Teflon Tape. The seal is made with the rubber washer. All the tape does is fill the threads and make it harder to thread the connection down tight to the rubber washer.

Like Jimbo mentioned, the hose fittings can be replaced if they are that bad. If you have a new washer, you should also install new hoses. Most insurance claims for water damage in a home are because of burst washer hoses.
 

Sincraft

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Anytime you have a "hose" connection, you don't need Teflon Tape. The seal is made with the rubber washer. All the tape does is fill the threads and make it harder to thread the connection down tight to the rubber washer.

Like Jimbo mentioned, the hose fittings can be replaced if they are that bad. If you have a new washer, you should also install new hoses. Most insurance claims for water damage in a home are because of burst washer hoses.

Thanks Terry, I've learned alot from your forums. These are by far the most popular Plumbing forums on the internet. That's a pretty amazing thing to boast! I would recommend you start generating some ad revenue bucks! :)

That said, many people on here have been great over the past few years for me. I appreciate all the help and knowledge.

I gotta say, I'm disappointed that we have gone down in gal/flush toilets once again since I replaced all my toilets in my townhouse with cadet 3's, comfort heights. The best toilet imo out there at the time. Alas, they changed again. I have another house and want to replace with comfort heights again, not sure if the cadet 3 still rules.

Anyway, back to the washer issue. The hot started leaking last night. Not for long but drip drip drip long enough for about half a gal to be on the carpet area. Sucked it up, retightened down the hot and it seems ok. I'm supposed to get a new unit as it faulted several times already through its cycle so, this should be a non issue. HHGreg destroyed my carpet deliverying the items, so I have to wait for them to get back to me on that and the washer. 20 calls later and I still am nowhere. They jerked us around with a floor model fridge too. Supposed to be new, wasn't . Told them no, I want new and picked something else. 2nd one, delivered floor model, and again a 3rd one! 2 weeks later and by then we moved in, I finally accepted the fridge. You would think I would have learned. Anyway, just a little horror story to leave people with.
 
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