Now i AM worried!!!!

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mopower440
Posts: 112
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2011 8:59 pm

My next door neighbor who also owns a double wide stopped over tonight and told me that a few weeks ago, she came home to her home FLOODED! It ruined every bit of the flooring. She said the the leak was from the plastic screw on fitting that screws the water pipe to the toilet. Said part of it was still screwed to the toilet and part of it still on the pipe, like it just broke apart. I also have what seems to be the same plastic fittings she is describing and that worries the crap out of me! I have pex pipe but do have the plastic screw on fittings that go to the sinks, toilets, and the washing machine faucets! Here is a pic of mine and it sounds like what she described and im scared as i DONT need this happening!
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HouseMedic
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This does happen all the time, even in full houses. These nuts are used on most toilets. the problems are that after year go by the plastic gets hard and cracks especially if you have high water pressure. Also sometimes when someone changes a toilet they tighten the nut too much and it will crack just enough to break at a later time. These nuts are made to only be hand tightened. If you want to be safe you can put a shut off below the toilet on the pipe and then get yourself a new toilet connector with either metal ends or you can even get a connection hose that has a little auto valve in it that senses when the water flows too quick (like if the pipe breaks) and it will shut so the water does not come out. They don't cost very much. Less then $10.

Ron
mopower440
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Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2011 8:59 pm

well, it already has cut off valves on that pipe so I can turn it off but as far as replacing that cheap plastic screw fitting, I don't really know how because it is crimped on the pex pipe and I don't have the pex crimping tool and wouldn't trust myself with one if I did..What about those shark bite fittings?
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Greg
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mopower440 wrote:well, it already has cut off valves on that pipe so I can turn it off but as far as replacing that cheap plastic screw fitting, I don't really know how because it is crimped on the pex pipe and I don't have the pex crimping tool and wouldn't trust myself with one if I did..What about those shark bite fittings?
I don't trust the push lock type fittings. If you can use a pair of pliers, you can use a crimper.

Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
mopower440
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I have a plumber friend i may hire to change everyone of them on all the toilets and sink faucets, BUT, do they make metal ones that wont ever break i can use in place of the plastic ones?
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Greg
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The actual insert that goes into the tube is brass, but I don't think I have ever seen the nut that connects to the bottom of the toilet fill valve in anything but plastic.

Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
mopower440
Posts: 112
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2011 8:59 pm

Greg wrote:The actual insert that goes into the tube is brass, but I don't think I have ever seen the nut that connects to the bottom of the toilet fill valve in anything but plastic.

Greg
Really? Dang it! I was really wanting to get something better so I could feel better about this. I do not want my home flooded. I have similar connections on all the sink faucets and wasing machine..
Norm Frechette
Posts: 193
Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2011 7:34 am
Location: Norwich, CT

Image

i replaced the pipe on one toilet with the pipe shown above

as you can see the end that screws in to the toilet is plastic

i needed to replace the fill valve with one like this so i just did the hose too

Image

what does the floor end look like? can you post a photo?
Last edited by Norm Frechette on Sat May 28, 2016 7:58 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Greg
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I' m not saying they don't make them, I just don't recall seeing any. You may try an old style hardware store (if you can still find one), they may have used them before plastic became popular. There may be a way to use copper tube from the fill valve and get to PEX from copper tubing.
But I think Norm found the answer.

Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
mopower440
Posts: 112
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2011 8:59 pm

Image
HouseMedic
Posts: 342
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Most of the nuts are plastic now because the threaded parts on the fill valves are plastic. It's not that good to go from plastic to metal but like I said, did your neighbor have work done on the toilet lately? Most of the time when these break it is because someone tightened the nut to tight and they start to crack without knowing it.

Ron
Norm Frechette
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Location: Norwich, CT

if it were me, i would have your plumber cut off the corroded valve and replace it with a new one that has a threaded end to accept the braided hose i show below

toilet valve

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braided hose (use appropriate length for your situation)

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if you have multiple bathrooms, fix them all at one time and be done with it

valve and hose will run about $12
mopower440
Posts: 112
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2011 8:59 pm

Norm Frechette wrote:if it were me, i would have your plumber cut off the corroded valve and replace it with a new one that has a threaded end to accept the braided hose i show below

toilet valve

Image

braided hose (use appropriate length for your situation)

Image

if you have multiple bathrooms, fix them all at one time and be done with it

valve and hose will run about $12
But what is the point in having him replace it with the braided line since the braided line also has a plastic nut...? Is the braided line better than the PEX that currently connects to the toilet? The neighbor actually had the braided line and the plastic nut is what gave out..
Norm Frechette
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Location: Norwich, CT

sorry to have made the suggestion without knowing all of the ACTUAL facts that you never mentioned

hopefully your plumber will come up with a solution to the non existent problem you currently think you have

if it aint broke...dont fix it
mopower440
Posts: 112
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2011 8:59 pm

Damn dude, didn't mean to piss you off for asking a question...Thought that's what this forum was about. My mistake..
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