New shower pipe leak

[FooDog]

I had to replace all the fixtures in a tub. The shower pipe connection has a small leak. I used Teflon tape, Teflon tape with wick thread, & Teflon pipe dope. I’ve tightened it as much as I can. In each case, get a trickle of water.
Are the threads of the new shower head pipe possibly the problem?

 

[Geofd]

Pictures would really help

 

[JG plumbing]

Where exactly is this coming from?

 

[FooDog]

It’s leaking where the shower pipe connects to the supply fitting. Leaks around the threads. Drips from the area where you can see the white Teflon thread dope.

 

[JG plumbing]

How old is the shower 90? The portion in the wall?

 

[JG plumbing]

The threads look buried. Makes me think your 90 in the wall had been enlarged. It's possible you have bps threaded pipe also.

 

[JG plumbing]

Bsp I mean

 

[FooDog]

don’t know the age. Probably 40+ yrs.
Well, if that’s the problem, it’ll be peachy. There’s no rear access to it. Since the tub & tile are in good shape, I’m keeping them.
Thanks for the feedback.

 

[SHEPLMBR]

Did you wrap the tef tape in the correct direction?

 

[FooDog]

Clockwise.

 

[Jeff Handy]

Try teflon pipe dope then teflon tape over that.
Three wraps of it, in correct direction, so you are not unwrapping it as it screws in, as SHEPLMBR pointed out.

 

[Jeff Handy]

Clockwise depends on your point of view.

With the threads you are wrapping pointing at your face, then clockwise is correct.

 

[Jeff Handy]

https://arthurharris.com/news/npt-vs-bsp/

 

[FooDog]

Clockwise depends on your point of view.

With the threads you are wrapping pointing at your face, then clockwise is correct.

That is how I viewed it.

 

[FooDog]

Try teflon pipe dope then teflon tape over that.
Three wraps of it, in correct direction, so you are not unwrapping it as it screws in, as SHEPLMBR pointed out.

Thanks. I’ll try that.

 

[Duckbutter]

At a glance, the male thread's buried, makes me think either the female side is split and spreading, or threads are stripped.

If the thread's stripped, use more like 8 teflon wraps, then roll the male thread in your fingers to press the teflon in before threading it into the female.

If that fails. you'll need to replace the drop ear 90, wall open.

 

[FooDog]

At a glance, the male thread's buried, makes me think either the female side is split and spreading, or threads are stripped.

If the thread's stripped, use more like 8 teflon wraps, then roll the male thread in your fingers to press the teflon in before threading it into the female.

If that fails. you'll need to replace the drop ear 90, wall open.

I’ll try it. I’ll try anything, within reason, to avoid the tile replacement, which would probably be the entire tub area since the tile probably can’t be matched.
I've looked inside the female fitting & did not rice any thread damage or cracks. But, it may be difficult to eyeball damage.
thanks for your reply

 

[JG plumbing]

Have you tried a different pipe of the same size?

 

[FooDog]

That’s one of my next steps.

 

[FooDog]

Finally got the shower arm to not leak. Tried a new arm -Glacier Bay, which is HD’s Delta copy. HD didn’t have Delta in the store. It leaked also, at first. After several tries with tape, tape & pipe dope, and seal thread/dope/tape, on last try, I wrapped it 10 times with PTFE (Teflon) thread seal tape. I thoroughly pressed the tape into the threads, using my thumb pressed against the threads & turning the threads in the direction that they screw into the female fitting. So far, no drips with shower head installed. Waiting for caulk around the fitting to cure before I re-check.
Appreciate the the support. I’m enjoying checking the different threads daily.

On another matter, just replaced a rusted kitchen sink faucet for my church. No nuts would turn. Was able to bend the topside escutcheon so that i could cut the Cu lines (1/4” lines?) at the faucet with a chisel. Bottom fittings fell away. My first thought was to go home & get my oscillating cut-off tool to cut everything away underneath. Don’t need to tell the experienced readers that the work space underneath would have been difficult.