How to fix a leaking end on the plastic water line

[lw8000]

Hello all. A (hopefully simple) question regarding the half inch plastic water lines. We have a very tiny leak at the connection behind our toilet
(OEM). I'm pretty sure it is the flanged end of the plastic line that comes out of the wall just behind the toilet. The flange is badly gouged from
somebody overtightening from the PO I believe. I've tried adding a washer and other things, but cannot seem to get it to stop.

I see that they make a compression fitting that looks like it will work with the gray plastic line, but before I cut off the old flanged end I wanted
to verify that I'm doing the right thing. The fitting like these looks like it will take the raw gray tubing.

https://keithspecialty.com/k/qest-compression-x-compression-couplings.htm

https://www.ebay.com/itm/402500817980?hash=item5db6eb143c:g:4zMAAOSw~sZfjJ2v

Just wanted to make sure, am I correct in assuming that if I cut off the factory flanged end that I can use a compression fitting like above to
re-connect it?

Thank you!!

Chris
--
Chris S. -
77 Kingsley, 3.70 FD, mostly OEM -
S.E. Michigan

 

[powwerjon]

Chris,
The polybutylene gray piping that was used in most of the GMC finished coaches was fairly good material 44+ years old and is becoming very brittle. I know that you do not want to hear what you need to do. It should be replaced with PEX tubing. We have a Park Model home in tucson and it too was finished with polybutylene tubing and fittings and a number of near by homes had failure of the tubing and flooding. We come to have it changed to PEX before it was an issue. Our Stretch is all PEX tubing and most of the gray piping was replaced with PEX in our 77. Some coach have copper tubing and fittings installed in them and they were mostly thrones that were finished by coachmen and others. I have seen copper tubing in our coaches that have burst because of improper draining for winter. The PEX will not burst when frozen if some water is still left in the lines.

J.R. Wright
GMC Great Laker MHC
GMCGL Tech Editor
GMC Eastern States Charter Member
GMCMI
78 GMC Buskirk 29.5’ Stretch
75 GMC Avion (Under Reconstruction)
Michigan

>
> Hello all. A (hopefully simple) question regarding the half inch plastic water lines. We have a very tiny leak at the connection behind our toilet
> (OEM). I'm pretty sure it is the flanged end of the plastic line that comes out of the wall just behind the toilet. The flange is badly gouged from
> somebody overtightening from the PO I believe. I've tried adding a washer and other things, but cannot seem to get it to stop.
>
> I see that they make a compression fitting that looks like it will work with the gray plastic line, but before I cut off the old flanged end I wanted
> to verify that I'm doing the right thing. The fitting like these looks like it will take the raw gray tubing.
>
> https://keithspecialty.com/k/qest-compression-x-compression-couplings.htm
>
> https://www.ebay.com/itm/402500817980?hash=item5db6eb143c:g:4zMAAOSw~sZfjJ2v
>
> Just wanted to make sure, am I correct in assuming that if I cut off the factory flanged end that I can use a compression fitting like above to
> re-connect it?
>
> Thank you!!
>
> Chris
> --
> Chris S. -
> 77 Kingsley, 3.70 FD, mostly OEM -
> S.E. Michigan
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:

 

[Richard RV]

Chris,

Sharkbite makes fittings that are simply pressed on to a clean, square pipe/tube end. An O-ring does the sealing. They're removable, fast and allow
transitions from pretty much any copper or plastic pipe, including PVC, PEX and polybutylene.

The billion dollar polybutylene class action lawsuit set back plastic water distribution plumbing in the USA about 15 or 20 years. That's why it took
so long for people to trust PEX, which has been used in Europe for decades. Now no one uses anything else. Some background from an article at the
time:
https://www.jlconline.com/business/legal/q-a-polybutylene-piping-time-bomb_o

The Sharkbite will allow you to fix it now and reuse the fitting if and when you decide to changeover to PEX.

Richard
--
'77 Birchaven TZE...777;
'76 Palm Beach with 18,477 verified miles;
‘76 Edgemonte

 

[lw8000]

Thank you all. Good to know. Yes, I agree the original water lines are getting brittle, however we just don't have the resources to take on such a
project to replace with Pex, at least not at the moment. It's good to know the Shark bite fittings will also do the trick. Thank you all for the
replies, we sincerely appreciate the help as always!
Chris
--
Chris S. -
77 Kingsley, 3.70 FD, mostly OEM -
S.E. Michigan