help me !!

I bought a bargain fittings weldless valve for my aluminium kettle. Followed the instruction and 2 hours later, I can't get the damn thing properly sealed. There's some water leaking...

I've read many suggestions none of them work so far. I've wrapped 3-4 times the nipple, hand tightened the bulkhead etc. The washer that goes on the inside does not seem flat, that might be the problem. Do you guys have any idea ? I'm brewing tomorrow to make things worse ...

Go to the hardware store and ask for an appropriate sized rubber "o" ring, gasket that is heat tolerant and put one on the inside and outside of the kettle and see if that helps. Hopefully you did not drill too large a hole

put the metal washer on the outside and the gasket on the inside...that's how i did my setup, haven't had a problem yet.

Also, don't over tighten. Make it about hand tight plus a little...if that makes sense.

well my kit is a different that what most guys use. Here's my kit

http://barleyhaven.com/ball-valve-weldless.html


As you can see, there's only 4 pieces : nipple, vavle, o-ring and a coupler. It would not make sense to put the washer on the outside since the o-ring will then seat unvenly on the coupler. I used a 7/8 bit for the hole and I think it's way too big for the nipple. I shouldn't have followed the instruction I'm beyond pissed.

Yes that's probably slightly too large, but I did the same and I made it work. You say you got the parts at bargainfittings.com? Did you follow their instructions? They show a locknut and washer on the inside, and the washer on the outside.

In the linked image they show a washer right before the bulkhead. Put that after the o-ring so that you get even pressure against the o-ring. You can also get some more o-rings and washers (from Bargain Fittings for one) and place a set on the outside too.

Personally I don't bother with kits or bulkheads in kettles. IME, better off with just using a npt to compression fitting to the valve. Makes it easier to install a dip tube that way. Plus its less hardware, steps and places for gunk to hide. Brewers Hardware has a couple of top notch fittings that you install through the kettle wall that makes it far easier. Check them out when you can. IMO/IME far better to spend a few dollars more for quality fittings then to try and go the cheap route.

I followed the instruction that came in the kit. My kit doesn't have a locknut. Only a coupler, washer, oring, nipple and ball valve. The washer is the only thing that presses the o-ring against the kettle wall so I can't place the washer on the outside and the o ring on the inside.

Another thing, the washed is not even flat so when a screw the coupler on the nipple, there's a very tiny gap between the coupler and washer.

The seal that matters is the kettle to o-ring seal. The washer is there to provide a flat surface to squish the o-ring. I had to put on a rubber glove and grip the hell out of the coupler, while using a wrench to tighten the valve on the outside. Sorry if I am restating the obvious but just wanted to make sure you were cranking the hell out of it.

Other options are using an o-ring inside and out as someone else stated, and also bargainfittings.com has a better silicon washer now which is improved over the o-ring which would work better for a hole that was cut too large. I know that doesn't help you brew this weekend though.

If I were you I'd buy a locknut from bargain fittings (here - assuming that ball valve is 1/2" NPT). Then, you'll have the washer on the outside, gasket, locknut and bulkhead on the inside.

is there a need for the bulkhead? I wouldn't bother with it if you aren't using a diptube

You can use this fitting if you're going to use a dip tube, connected directly through the kettle wall into the ball valve.

I use one of these fittings in my current keggle and have one of these standing by for the next one I make. I won't use a standard coupler ever again in my kegs/mash tuns.

BTW, I have noticed (with some fittings) that they leak when you have cold liquid in them. Once it gets closer to boil temperatures, though, the leaks stop. Probably due to the metal expanding and forming a better seal.

Thank you very much guys for all your help ! I just got back from home hardware and bought one more washer. This way, I was able to put the o-ring on the outside and coupler/ss washer on the inside. Hopefully, this will work !

matc said:

well my kit is a different that what most guys use. Here's my kit

http://barleyhaven.com/ball-valve-weldless.html


As you can see, there's only 4 pieces : nipple, vavle, o-ring and a coupler. It would not make sense to put the washer on the outside since the o-ring will then seat unvenly on the coupler. I used a 7/8 bit for the hole and I think it's way too big for the nipple. I shouldn't have followed the instruction I'm beyond pissed.

Click to expand...

Just to clarify, the product you linked to is not our kit and not our instructions that you followed.

If you use the locknut you ordered inside with an o-ring and the shim washer on the outside, you should get a seal on the kettle wall without too much issue.

Set it up like our step by step picture instructions here:
http://www.bargainfittings.com/index.php?route=information/information&information_id=14

I've ended up using JB weld around all my weldless fittings

All right everything's working now ! I was told it was a bargain fittings kit anyway I don't know which company did the intructions but they sucked haha !

The trick was to put the oring on the outside, between a washer and the kettle. I placed the original washer with the coupler on the inside.

Holly crap, $79.99 for that. you should of bought real bargain fitting and you would have gotten full support and the right instructions

rockinmarty said:

Holly crap, $79.99 for that. you should of bought real bargain fitting and you would have gotten full support and the right instructions

Click to expand...

And spent less than half the amount to get it. That setup was no bargain. Did they at least include some lube when they graped you on it?

who sais I paid 80 $ for that ? I paid 40 $ for the kit...kinda pricy but still worth it

Sorry dude it's what I saw on their website

haha that's why then ! yeah 80 $ is way too much for a vavle