How to Stop Leaks In Flexible Supply Lines

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Flexible supply lines are the home plumber's best friend when it comes to places under sinks and behind toilets. Braided flexible lines are finding their way under more sinks today, but some flexible lines consist of copper tubing with a ferrule or metal ring. Fixing leaks in either is easy.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Cloths
Pliers
Bucket
Joint compound
Plastic plumbing tape

Step1

Wrap a cloth around the nut at the end of the pipe to protect the finish. Use a pair of pliers to tighten the nut about one-eighth turn.

Step2

Turn on the faucet or flush the toilet to check for leaks. If tightening the nut doesn't work, go to Step 3.

Step3

Shut off the water supply to the leaky area. Turn on the faucet or flush the toilet to drain water from the supply line. Put a cloth or bucket underneath to catch any additional water.

Step4

Cover the nut with a cloth again. Loosen the nut and remove the braided pipe or copper tubing.

Step5

Coat the threads with joint compound. Alternatively, you can wrap the threads on the braided flexible line or the end of the copper line with plastic plumbing tape.

Step6

Reassemble the line. Protect the nut's finish with a cloth and tighten with pliers.

Step7

Restart the water supply and test for leaks.

Tips & Warnings

If these steps don't work, you may need to replace the flexible supply line or the joint. Use joint compound or plastic tape when reconnecting the line.
Don't tighten the nut too hard in Step 1. You could strip the threads or damage the nut.