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This plastic hexagon piece keeps coming loose and causing water to flow down the pipe under the sink. (lemmy.world)
submitted 9 months ago by to c/plumbing@lemmy.world
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It's happened twice now. I figure I maybe didn't tighten it enough last time so I went a bit harder this time. Any idea if something else might be wrong? My complete amateur theory is that the hard water buildup is making everything stiff down there, so that rotating the faucet also rotates this piece.

Thanks for your help!

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[–] 11 points 9 months ago (6 children)

If you went harder, you may have over tightened it. You may need to replace the nut.

Hard water buildup shouldn't cause issues.

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  • [–] [S] 2 points 9 months ago (5 children)

    Darn, thanks for the info... huge noob here. To clarify, after it leaked the first time, I was careful not to go too tight for that reason, but it still leaked again after that so I only did it harder just now.

    I suppose there could have been a crack in it already. More importantly, is this something an amateur could investigate and fix? 😆 Thank you!!

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  • [–] 8 points 9 months ago (4 children)

    It's plastic on plastic. Despite being PVC, it has a limit. Next time, a bit of nylon tape or pipe sealing tape would be the right move.

    Good luck.

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  • [–] [S] 3 points 9 months ago (3 children)

    Gotcha! Sorry, just to be sure, you mean tape on the thread of that hexagon piece to give some space between the plastic pieces?

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  • [–] 2 points 9 months ago (1 child)

    Yes. Nylon tape on the threads of the cap. The "hexagon piece" is a plug and the hex is just there to give you something to tighten it with. Sometimes you see them with a recessed hex instead of an exposed one. Same function. The tape creates a seal the same way a gasket does.

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    • [–] 7 points 9 months ago (3 children)

    Thread tape and a prayer is the temp fix, but this is also just an example of decline in manufacturing quality. That piece would've been brass 20 years ago and lasted 100. Dumpsters outside remodels are an exclusive source for high-quality fixtures at this point x(

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  • [–] [S] 2 points 9 months ago (2 children)

    Ah yeah, not surprising sadly. So you'd also agree this piece is likely cracked and needs replacing? Can I just buy a brass one now? Annnd is it an easy enough fix for a complete amateur? Thanks!

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