[prairiewind]

I installed a new faucet in the bathroom, as the old one had a leak, seemed it might have cracked inside somehow, as it wasn't cartridges or o-ring or anything.


Anyway, I noticed one of the braided flex hoses was leaking a bit, so I thought I would change both of those while I was at it.


So, I have PEX coming into a shutoff, both of which were not leaking in any way while I had everything off, then the 12" braided steel flex hose going to the faucet.


Everything is re-installed, but for some reason the cold water flex hose, but not the hot, keeps leaking around the nuts. I definitely hand tightened them, and then did another quarter turn, and it leaked at both ends, maybe 5 or 6 drops worth that I could wick off with a tissue when I ran the water for 3 or 4 minutes. So, I tightened both ends a bit more, and a bit more, experimenting if there was still a bit of water. I don't want to tighten them any more, as I'm worried they are already over-tight, but I can't see how to make them stop leaking. Right now there is not a lot of water. A little gathers around the nut, and it only makes a little water spot on a tissue, but still, I would think these should be water tight, should they not?


I can't see how to prevent this. Not sure that putting a new shut off, and trying my luck with a different brand hose would work. Shouldn't be an issue with the faucet as it is new, so that connection is new faucet to new hose, and should be clean. Do I have to over tighten these?

 

[Yodaman]

If you can not stop the leak by tightening any more, than replace the hose.
More than once I have run across bad hoses that were new. Especially if they were from a big box store.

 

[prairiewind]

Is there a risk that it gets tight enough to wreck the rubber washer before it gets tight enough to stop any seeping of water?


Can it damage the shutoff or the faucet if I tighten more (within reason, I'm not standing on the wrench to torque it or anything)?


Is it anything to do with cold water causing metal to contract?


I did rule out condensation. I will try another hose, at 6 bucks they are not expensive.


This just stresses me out, as it is fairly easy for a DIY, but water, electricity and gas still freak me out.

 

[rooster4321]

Inspect the connection that the hose goes to that male thread may have a chip or Nick that the rubber washer can't seat on properly

Sent from my KYOCERA-E6560 using Tapatalk

 

[prairiewind]

Inspect the connection that the hose goes to that male thread may have a chip or Nick that the rubber washer can't seat on properly

Sent from my KYOCERA-E6560 using Tapatalk

I will check that. It was leaking a bit at both ends, at the 1/2" and 3/8" connections, and just on the cold, which I found strange. I was very diligent about not over-tightening, and the hot side went perfectly. The cold side is now tighter than the hot side.



I can change out the shutoff if needed, but don't want to have to get another faucet. The shutoff change will involve shortening the Pex supply line, or running a new one from the main supply. I might have to switch to a 20" braided hose if the Pex supply gets shorter.


I assume any seepage is not normal. However, I never exactly meticulously tissue checked all my water connections, so wasn't sure if a slight amount of leakage was within the realm of normal. It doesn't drip off or anything. Water is still bad when it is not inside the pipe, though.

 

[chandler48]

Is the faucet connection plastic? It could contain a crack and is leaking. Is it leaking from the 3/8" fitting at the stop valve, or at the 1/2" sink faucet connector?

 

[huesmann]

Could just be a bad crimp on the hose. Replace.

 

[prairiewind]

I got another new hose. It is fine, no leaks at all after 5 minutes of the water running. So, either bad hose, or the first one didn't seat properly, as there was a bit of calcification on the threads I was putting it on. I wire brushed before putting the new one on. Anyway, good to go.


Thank you very much for all the input. I was kind of stressed because a small leak was not something I could tolerate, of course.

 

[prairiewind]

Is the faucet connection plastic? It could contain a crack and is leaking. Is it leaking from the 3/8" fitting at the stop valve, or at the 1/2" sink faucet connector?

It seemed to be both ends, a couple of drops over a few minutes. The faucet was new. The connections were metal. If it had a problem, I would have taken it back.

 

[ktownskier]

Take the defective hose back. Water needs to stay in the pipe until you decide to let it out.

Drips are not allowed. They don't make panty liners for pipe/ hose connections.

 

[surferdude2]

Sounds like you were tightening against cruddy threads and not enough pressure was getting through to the washers. The first hose was probably ok.

SD2

 

[prairiewind]

Sounds like you were tightening against cruddy threads and not enough pressure was getting through to the washers. The first hose was probably ok.

SD2

I'm settling on the small amount of crud more and more. I had initially cleaned the connections with a towel, but not a wire brush. It did throw me off, though, that it was only the cold side, and it was the 3/8" end and the 1/2" end of the cold hose.


I did observe on my second visit that the hoses out of the box at the Home Depot seemed to have differences in regards to how much give they have if you were to pull the threaded nut away from the rest of the assembly. As long as mine doesn't leak now, though, I'm not going to think about that too much. They only had one brand. To be honest, $5.68 does not give me a lot of confidence in something that important.