Supply line leak

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cschmelz

Supply line leak

Post by cschmelz »

So my VII is great, however it suddenly is leaking from the water input line where it screws onto the unit. I removed the line and checked out the fittings which look fine, but it is still leaking. How tight does that thing need to be? Do I need to use teflon tape? The machine is a month old!!!
Futahaguro
Espresso
Posts: 60
Joined: Thu Apr 14, 2016 8:20 am
Location: Minnesota

Re: Supply line leak

Post by Futahaguro »

Did you get this fixed? If not I would first make sure of exactly where the leak is. I say that because it could leak at the hose connection point or at the fitting of the adapter that fits into the pump inlet. You probably also have some type of adapter that converts the metric fitting at the pump inlet to your input hose, if you are in the US. I'm not a plumber but I have remodeled a lot of my house and have found that if you tighten rubber washer fittings like hoses too much you can actually make them leak because the rubber washer deforms. If it is leaking at the adapter then it probably needs to be snugged up or more PTFE (Teflon) tape is needed. You do not need PTFE tape on washer (compression) fittings.
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MDL
Barista
Posts: 329
Joined: Sat Apr 07, 2007 11:29 am
Location: San Diego

Re: Supply line leak

Post by MDL »

If you bought the machine new 1 month ago I would contact the dealer. Can't offer any comments until you define where it is leaking (as requested by Futahaguro
bluesman

Re: Supply line leak

Post by bluesman »

Futahaguro wrote:I would first make sure of exactly where the leak is.
Absolutely! Sometimes, it's hard to find the source because the water can run far along the tubing. I've always used a piece of dry kleenex to find elusive leaks - dry the entire fitting and tubing, then wrap a piece of fresh tissue around one area at a time & check it every minute or so to see if it gets wet. Wrap the fitting furthest from the water supply first. If there's nothing, start moving the "indicator" back along the line until you find the source of the water.
Futahaguro wrote:If it is leaking at the adapter then it probably needs to be snugged up or more PTFE (Teflon) tape is needed. You do not need PTFE tape on washer (compression) fittings.
Far more things are damaged from overtightening than from undertightening - so be careful not to tighten joints just because you can't find the leak. If you have a braided SS line feeding your machine, be sure you've tightened the fitting with the line in a completely neutral orientation. If it's twisted at all (which is common if you don't hold it firmly when tightening it in place), it will untwist in the direction that loosens the fitting. This is a major drawback of braided SS hose, e.g. it's a common cause of brake failure when an amateur fits SS brake hoses to his car.
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