Leaking propress fitting

[0461395]

Hey Everyone- I hope this hasn’t already been discussed. The other day I was the bug in the bug and the windshield game. I used a three-quarter Viega pro press ball valve as the main shut off on the water service coming into a residential home. The Street side was fine. Then, as I’ve been doing for the last 30 years, I gave the valve a quick open and close to confirm water and water pressure coming in from the street. I finished the pipe work. That’s when the problem started. On the house side of the main shut off I had a leak. I tried, pressing it a few more times different ways. It’s slow down, but still dripped. What I found out was that when I cracked the valve open to purge out any dirt and let the water flow I BLEW the O-ring OUT of the pro press fitting!
After I replace the valve and cut it open, I confirmEd my suspicion. It sucked to waste a couple of hours so I’m happy to share this with you guys as I’ve been helped so many times by other plumbers experience. Thank you all so much. Hope this helps.

 

[JohnCT]

Are you sure the O-Ring was in the fitting before pressing? If it was, it would have blown onto the pipe it seems. I can see the O ring leaking but I can't imagine any pressure that would blow it physically out of the fitting.


John

 

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[0461395]

Are you sure the O-Ring was in the fitting before pressing? If it was, it would have blown onto the pipe it seems. I can see the O ring leaking but I can't imagine any pressure that would blow it physically out of the fitting.


John

Thanks for response John. Good question. I left a couple of details out to keep my original post short, but this should shed a little more light on it.
The way that I discovered the problem was after I replaced the valve for the second time and I cracked the valve open and closed, the same way I did with the first one, and saw my O ring on the floor 5 ‘ away!!! I couldn’t believe it.
The exact same thing happened twice and to confirm it. I cut p the original valve open and there was no O-ring in there. Although I didn’t check upon original installation, it came in a sealed bag from supply house. I’m sure it was in there.

 

[JohnCT]

Thanks for response John. Good question. I left a couple of details out to keep my original post short, but this should shed a little more light on it.
The way that I discovered the problem was after I replaced the valve for the second time and I cracked the valve open and closed, the same way I did with the first one, and saw my O ring on the floor 5 ‘ away!!! I couldn’t believe it.
The exact same thing happened twice and to confirm it. I cut p the original valve open and there was no O-ring in there. Although I didn’t check upon original installation, it came in a sealed bag from supply house. I’m sure it was in there.

If the O-ring you found on the floor was not split and otherwise intact, it would have to have fallen out of the fitting before you installed it otherwise it would stayed on the pipe. But even so, I can't see any way that O-ring could have been blown out of that fitting even with 1000lbs and squeezed through the tiny area between the pipe and the crimped end of the fitting.

My best guess is that the O-ring wasn't seated properly in the fitting and just dropped out unnoticed before the installation.

John

 

[Sylvan]

Is your copper M tubing??

 

[Breplum]

Captured in the press fitting recess, an o-ring from any major mfr will not be able to "escape" as described by o.p., no matter the copper tube type.
Smooth and beveled insert end, of course matter to prevent damage to the o-ring.

 

[0461395]

The house side of the valve was not pressed on the L copper when I cracked it open. So the o ring blew out. Other than the groove that the o ring sits in, there was nothing holding it in place. Yes L copper.

 

[John Gayewski]

I've had this happen. When he inserted the valve the o ring dislodged. I've had this happen quite a few times actually. Manufacturing isn't a perfect process and sometimes the o rings pop out. Some manufacturers have two sets of o rings one near the end of the cup and one deeper toward the end of the pipe.

I've actually had this happen and the fitting didn't leak at all. I've also seen a pro press fitting leak and when we dissected it to see what happened we actually couldn't find anything wrong. It was fully inserted and the o rings were perfectly intact with the press gun indicating it was fully pressed.

 

[0461395]

Thanks John, ya great to share all this stuff here. Save time and money.

 

[Breplum]

Viega guarantees all of their fittings. I had our Viega rep take a bad valve and it was sent in, cut open and o-ring was missing.