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The hot water supply hose under my sink started leaking after I replaced the popup drain on the sink. Apparently I disturbed the hose in some way. It is leaking from just above the nut where it connects to the shutoff valve. I removed it and added new plumbers tape, and after reconnecting it was still weeping after I checked it 10 minutes later (about 1 drop). So I tried tightening it more, and it began leaking faster (again, from above the nut). Do I need to replace the hose itself? I'm thinking the gasket/washer, whatever it is, is just old. I have no idea how old this hose it, at least 10 years.

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Tester101
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Joanna Eppler
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6 Answers6

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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.

Pigrew
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Does flexible = plastic or flexible = braided hose with permanent nut fittings on the ends?

If this is one of those braided type hoses with permanently attached fittings on each end, then they seal with a rubber gasket permanently installed in the nut fitting. The hose itself could be cracked from age or hardened enough that it doesn't engage with the barbs under the swedge collar and can leak there as well.

The hose assembly is cheap, just replace the whole thing.

Flexible plastic is another thing all together. The top has a ball surface that seals when the nut pushes it into the faucet fitting and the lower end has a nut and a compression collar. If the compression collar gets damaged, it can be replaced.

Fiasco Labs
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I had to replace my under sink 4 gallon hot water heater after 18 years (6 year warranty), It feeds the sink and two dishwashers, one on either side of the sink. When I was done the two flexible lines that go to the dishwashers had a small leak. Did not want to replace the lines since they were custom installed through the wall in the back and would have been a real chore to do. I thought of calling a plumber but did not want to spend the money. So I did the repair myself. I got #7 rubber "O" rings from Home Depot. Lathered them with silicone and pressed them into the end that was leaking. #7 "O" rings are a tight fit but that is what you want. Here is the tricky part. When reinstalling the line, you will need to torque the fitting down much tighter than you would normally since you will compressing the "O" ring into the area where the original rubber gasket is. Do not remove the original rubber gasket even though at this point it would not work alone. This solved my problem, saved me $40 in new hoses and untold grief removing the dishwashers and hoses and reinstalling.

Wes Waite
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Over tightening a plumbing fixture can be just as bad as under-tightening, as it can damage the threads and prevent a proper seal.

In your case, you should try to fix this first by reconnecting the pipe with a cleaned fitting:

  1. Remove the hose.
  2. Remove the existing tape completely.
  3. Clean the threads on the hose and the fitting with a wire brush.
  4. Wrap new silicon plumbers tape around the threads TWICE - no more - too much is not a good thing. This tape isn't to create a seal, it's to ease the turning of the nut.
  5. Reconnect until the hose fitting is snug. DO NOT over tighten as this promotes leaking.

If this doesn't work, disconnect the hose and replace with a new wire mesh hose, using the same taping method.

The Evil Greebo
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I prefer to use the braided hoses over PVC (Never had a rupture). Their problem area is usually the connection to the shut off valve. I have had new hoses to leak due to over tightening or use of Teflon tape (unnecessary). The remedy is to replace questionable and old hoses. Next, remove unnecessary tape. Then, hand tighten with approximately 1/4 turn (or only enough to stop any leaking).

James
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the last few hoses using 3/8 compression nut (w/ embedded o-ring as seal ) I had to mess with used o-ring Veri-near measured at 1/2" OD x 3/8" ID , square cross section, of various THICKNESS from 1/8" & up.

The nuts having been zealously tightened, so the orings fairly chewed up ( ok; flipping the chewed oring over to use the fresh face on the seal was a possibility too, for you True Scotsmen )

Replacing the connector hose isn't always an answer (for instance , faucets with permanent hoses crimped at the valve side) and the IMHO the oring is all thats often needed.

The orange box store was little help, so I Aced it to look through the various buna orings. Didn't find that 1/2x3/8 ring in round or square section, but my local had OD in 12mm (too small) 14 (kind of big) and deeper in back 13mm (goldilock size!) in various cross sections from 1.5~3mm.

The 13 OD fits best in the gland nut, but they lacked 3mm Xsection in that OD. I just ordered some 13mm OD x 3mm section silicone rings for about a nickel per , in a mere 3 weeks, off ebay. Ready next time !

Thats when I realized I also had a large pack of orings, (available for power washer hose gasket replacements) which had the 13mm x3mm in a lovely soft soylent green.

connections not leaking yet.

Reading back over the years , I'd say tape is more miss than hit, the threads on these compression connections are NOT pipe, (not tapered), not designed for a interference fit, so the tape probably isn't very reliable.

The straight thread also means the oring THICKNESS is not as critical, as long as there is some crush on the ring. Check the fitting faces for nicks, too

Digging the old oring out may cost you a jewlers screwdriver if you reef too hard on it but it isn't bonded, so it will come out

Monk E Wrench
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