Plumbing – Leaking saddle valve

leakplumbingplumbing-fixturesaddle-valvewater

There is a joint of some sort leaking in one of our cold water lines running above the drop ceiling in the basement. Does anyone know what this joint is called, or why it might be leaking? It's leaking from the opening (looks like you could attach a narrow water line to it), and tightening the nut below it didn't seem to help (though I didn't tighten too much for fear of damaging it).

Update: it looks like it's a saddle valve, though the handle is missing. Not sure what to make of that.

leaking joint

Best Answer

Turn the water off, and remove it. Those things are rubbish, and always leak eventually.

If you need a valve there, cut out the damaged section of pipe, and install a proper tee and valve. If you don't need it, cut out the damaged section of pipe and install a coupling.

If you're not an expert solderer, They make push-fit fittings (SharkBite® is the well known brand) that are easy to work with. These fittings are more expensive than typical fittings, but ease of use and not having to buy soldering supplies might make them comparable.