The tale of two nipples...

Ok. Now, get your head out of gutter.

Two valves (the same model).
Two brass nipples (the same model).

Both turned the same number of times... both connecting the same fitting, etc.

The only variable is the pipe thread sealant (teflon paste). (I may have put too little(?) or too much(?) on one or the other)

One leaks, from both ends of nipple. One doesn't leak at all.

Should I be concerened about the non-leaker leaking down the road?

Thanks for the help,

Pete

I wouldn't be.

Thanks for the mind-ease Cass.

Question. Is it one of those "things" where if it doesn't leak when tested it isn't going to leak?

Also, what would be the likely reason for one and not the other?

Thanks again,

Pete

Practice, practice, practice, you will get it........

plumber1 said:

Practice, practice, practice, you will get it........

Click to expand...

Does that mean it might still leak later? Was the amount of sealant to blame perhaps?

I hate threaded fittings. I avoid them wherever possible, and when it's not avoidable I use Teflon tape and the nastiest blue pipe dope I've ever seen. Even then, with some of the cheap foreign fittings out there, they leak. I think the nasty dope actually stops small leaks as it oozes into the gap.

No, it means the more times you put together threaded fittings, the better you will get................

I just did a service call in the past month where the idiot who put in a PRV-nipple-double check valve put his wrench on the threads of the nipple.

The pressure was set really low in the home, 32 and I bumped it up to 60.

Well, sure enough that nipple that had been gripped by the wrench had flattened the threads and of course, started leaking.

I even tried tightening down a little farther and no stopped leak.

We took the old nipple out and noticed the flattened threads, that had to be the source of the leak. New one buried to the threads and no hint of a leak. Used tape plus dope.

For some reason I didn't charge him for the call even though I didn't touch that pipe or situation. I figured it was my notion to increase the pressure and therefore the leak became of the higher pressure. He wanted to pay but I declined. Just seemed the right thing to do since it was 30 minutes and 2 miles from the shop.

You guys are making me want to re-do the other one, you know that!

?

Next door, and 30 seconds still gets charged the same amount as a full hour anywhere else.

hj said:

Next door, and 30 seconds still gets charged the same amount as a full hour anywhere else.

Click to expand...

Normally, yes, I follow that sentiment most times. This situation though is one that I know very well that this couple will be a call feeder to me throughout this new neighborhood I am working in and I'm sure to make it up through that motive.


They've already spun one call my way already for my "donation" of time.

I'm with hj on the billing issue.

I have found that very few people talk to their neighbors any more so the referral thing doesn't work like it used to and when you give free work it becomes kind of expected and the free work info gets passed on with the other info also.

If I had all the customers that people told me i would get by them passing on the word I would have to have 15 trucks to keep up with the work.

RUGGED, If it works for you more power to ya.

I'm constantly turning work away, had 3 voicemails (service calls) on my phone when I got back into the truck and just collected $700 on the call right down the street.

And I was getting off work @ 2pm that day because I was worn out from working all day yesterday.

I absolutely love referrals over yellow page calls. They don't quibble over price and they feel they have a bit of insurance going into the transaction.

And I certainly don't take advantage of that either, especially for what I did above.

Hey, I did help my customer at the grocery store (old lady) with my nieces and nephew. We loaded groceries in the back of the car. Should I put that on my bill next time I do work for her? OR just chaulk it up to good intentions?


I'm working up in Cincinnati today. Too far for a drain cleaning call but this guy is a repeat customer from 2 years ago, put a water heater in for him. Has another heater to install and has a clogged 2" stack backing up into the downstairs kitchen sink and it is leaking all through the wall.

I feel my wallet getting thicker as I type these words.....