Best way to fix leaking fitting in black poly pipe ???

[Jack-of-All-Trades]

I have 3/4 poly pipe coming from my well.
Artisian well needed more pressure, particularly during summer droughts.
Bought a jet pump and tried installing.
The pipe comes up vertically from the ground so I need a 3/4 90 degree angled fitting to line intake up with the pump.
Had to use brass fitting because it was very difficult to heat the pipe enough to get the fitting in with cold water running out of the pipe.
Got it in... seems a bit crooked, but it was such a pain I was happy it was in at all, also doe not appear to be leaking.... but the other end ( approximately 3 inch piece of poly pipe connecting to a full port ball valve) is leaking at the 90 degree brass fitting. Torqued it down as much as i could but it won't stop leaking.

Anyone have any creative ideas that have worked for you in the past for fixing a leaking fitting in black poly pipe?

 

[Reach4]

Consider posting a photo that includes the leak and the 3 inch piece of 3/4 polyethylene pipe.

What fitting attaches the polyethylene pipe to the valve?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Jack-of-All-Trades]

Two pics: one with valve open , one with valve closed

 

[Helper Dave]

Is that a barbed brass 90, and valve? If not, it's gonna leak. And get that good off there. Goop doesn't fix leaks.

 

[Reach4]

You are saying that the leak is at the valve barb. That is some significant pressure from underground, it would seem.

That white goop hides what is going on. I see 3 worm-gear clamps. Two clamps near the hose end side by side, with the worm gears on opposite sides of the pipe can help. I think you must have distorted your 4 inch piece of pipe too much. I wonder if another worm gear clamp on the valve side would help force that hose onto the barb.

Did the barb come on the valve? Got a part number?

 

[Bannerman]

I suspect those are not barbed fittings as I anticipate the pipe length between the elbow and the valve would be longer if barb fittings are installed.

 

[Jack-of-All-Trades]

Yes, it is a 90 degree double barbed brass fitting, I have the poly pipe nearly as short as I can get. The barbed fittings nearly , but don't, touch each other, because, if I go back much further I will have a more expensive and laborious job because I'll have to redo most of the plumbing under the house.

The goop was just stupid wishful thinking, obviously its not going to make its way into a pipe with water shooting out. Should have known at the time but when you are frustrated and getting desperate don't always think straight.

I tried twice, ( obviously new pipe each time) each time the connection at the shutoff is good the angled end always leaks. The fitting is difficult to get on the shutoff. but slides fairly easily onto the fitting no heating required.

Anyone ever try heat shrink wrap type electrical wire insulation used to waterproof wire connections? Maybe if I could find something simular which could fit over the area?
Balloon or tight rubber sleeve over the barb?

I'll have to try turning one of the worm gear clamps around, certainly can't hurt to try.

 

[Reach4]

I'll have to try turning one of the worm gear clamps around, certainly can't hurt to try.

Tighten clamps to 5 ft-lb. That is a lot for a screwdriver or a nutdriver, and not much for a socket wrench rachet.

Can you tell if the water comes out of the end of the pipe, or through a hole that is not on the end?

 

[Chucky_ott]

Probably too late since it might be difficult to remove that brass 90, but I would have put the shutoff on the vertical pipe, before any other fittings. That way, you only have to deal with one joint and you can then shutoff the valve to do the rest of the work.

You then use a new 90, with NPT threads.

 

[Jack-of-All-Trades]

The pie only raise 4 inches out of the ground. Placing the shut off valve on it would raise the height of the pipe( even with cutting the pipe a bit shorter) at least another 3-4 inches. Pump and everything else would have to be raised to accommodate extra height.Top side I have only 1-2inches of room left to work with.

Did try reversing a fitting, and checked foot pounds of both fittings. They are torqued over 20 lbs. ( 20 lbs is the lowest my torque wrench will go )
No noticeable change - still dripping at apparently same rate.

Would a large quantity of tape thread maybe even with pvc glue added be of any help?
Anyone ever try heat shrink wrap type electrical wire insulation used to waterproof wire connections? Maybe if I could find something similar which could fit over the area?
Balloon or tight rubber sleeve over the barb?
None sound like a good answers, but I am frustrated, and don't want to leave any leak, however small.

I am sure others have had similar problems , and someone must have figured out a workable solution.

I highly appreciate everyone's attempt to assist with this! A big thank you to current contributors as well as future ones!

 

[Reach4]

I suspect you have split your pipe.

I am not a pro. What I would consider is to cut that pipe away from the elbow and valve, taking care to not damage the fittings. Make a new ~4 inch piece of pipe of the same length as the leaky pipe. Free up the valve.

Attach the new pipe on the valve at leisure. Clean off that elbow. Open the valve. Put the free end of the pipe into boiling water. Maybe stretch it at the tip a bit. An Aquapex pex expansion tool might work if you had access. Maybe you could make or find a suitably sized cone to stretch the end a bit. Maybe stretching not needed. Lubricating the barb on the elbow with liquid dish soap may or may not help.

Anyway, quickly force the boiling hot free end of the pipe onto the elbow before it can cool. Keep the valve open so no pressure fights you. Apply the clamps. Close the valve. Do the rest at leisure.

20 ft-lb could possibly damage the clamps. The spec is 60 inch-lb which is 5 ft-lb.

 

[Jack-of-All-Trades]

When you said you think it may be split... I recalled that I was being lazy and used a PEX pipe cutter to cut the pipe. In the past when trying to use the same cutter on thin walled PVC the PVC shattered.

So this time I did it properly using old style pipe cutter. At first I thought it was still leaking , but once I tightened down the clamp everything worked beautifully!

Old pipe did look like it may in deed have had hairline split, only noticeable because I was searching for it. Must have been the same on the first attempt.

Guess there's something to be said for using the proper tools for the job.

Thank you everyone for your assistance!