So yesterday we discovered a leak under the sink, it was coming from the supply line into the valve, (suppose the seal broke after several years of use, there was no instigating incident to cause this), well we have tried 2 new hoses, and a new valve and we are getting the same leak! We cannot get the seal to work properly, we've tried tape, no good, it is coming right at the joint where the flex house meets the hardware as well as just around the nut. Anyone have any ideas or tricks they may help us figure this out???
Leaking Supply Hose
hose
Related Solutions
In this case, a gasket in the hose is likely degraded. Replace the entire hose with a new one. For this particular fitting, PTFE (plumbing) tape should not be used, and perhaps could be causing the leaking if it is preventing the hose from seating properly.
It's possible to get the hose screwed on by hand tightly enough that it won't leak if your grip is strong enough; I think the strength required is within the normal range for an adult (mine is relatively strong though, so your mileage may vary). But before you get a wrench, there's a couple of things you should check:
- make sure the threads on the faucet and on the hose are clean; if they've been disconnected over the winter, they could have picked up some dirt or grit which is preventing you from getting a good seal.
- the hose is supposed to have a rubber washer to make the seal against the end of the faucet. If it's missing, perished, or not seated correctly, then you won't get a good seal. You can get packs of washers (more than you'll ever use, probably) cheaply at the big box stores.
Once you've got those taken care of, try it with the hose screwed on hand-tight. If you're still getting leaks, you can try using a wrench, but remember that tightening is good, over-tightening is bad because you start to deform the rubber washer, which reduces its effectiveness. Get the hose hand-tight, then use the wrench to go another quarter-turn or so. If it's still leaking, it may be time to get a new hose.
Best Answer
It looks like someone used a straight 5/8 compression x 3/8 compression stop valve as an in-line valve. This picture shows what that valve looked like new:
Your valve has the wrong threads for that flex line (larger end). For a quick fix, you could use a 1/2" MIP x 3/8 compression adapter:
If you must have a valve there, you could use a small ball valve and a couple adapters to make the same connection. Be aware that you may have damaged the threads on the flex line due to cross-threading it. If it was me, I would use a single long flex line, rather than connecting two.