Ruined Stainless Pipe Threads

Hey HBTers
So, I finally got the brew rig built. I attach my hose to my water inlet on the stand (which is the inlet of a whole house filter) and it leaks! Of course, the first possible place the stand could leak, does. Although, I found a few more in the water batch! The whole house filter has a stainless 3/4" female thread for the inlet (filter assembly Whirlpool WHKF-DWH) and I used a 3/4" male to 1/2" male NPT adapter on it. I'm pretty sure I cranked that thing so hard when I was installing the adapter that I maybe ruined the threads. At this point, I can't crank the adapter any tighter and when I try to loosen it to take it out, I can turn it MAYBE a 1/2 turn and then it becomes impossible to loosen anymore. Therefore, it is immovable tightening and loosening. Which lends me to believe that the threads are toast. I used teflon tape on the thread as well. Does anyone have any ideas on how to throw something on the connection point from the adapter to inlet of the filter? Would epoxy work and hold under the water pressure? It's either something like that, or I have to buy a new adapter and filter assembly, which is $40 I don't want to spend. Any help would be great, thanks

Andrew

Sounds like the threads siezed up. On fittings like this you should use teflon paste instead of tape.

Idon't know if epoxy would work or not. I guess it depends on your water pressure. It's worth a try.

Silver solder maybe?

Yeah, soldering would hopefully do it. Maybe I'll try that route or the epoxy. The only problem is that the female fitting on the water filter is a stainless sleeve in a plastic housing. Wouldn't want to melt the plastic. Any way to free up the threads?

I built my stand and learned a lot about stainless threads. I had no luck with paste and tape on a few fittings. I finally broke down and bought the sealant made by Loctite. I forget the number on it, like 567. Made for stainless to stainless conections, anything threaded that is stainless. It has lubricant in it that was like majic when putting the same fittings together. When I finally got them apart, the threads had broken off the nipple and lodged in the coupler threads. I had to take a screw driver to remove the threads. I will never put stainless to stainless fittings together again w/o the Loctite. Redid my build with it and lost all the real small leaks I had. You may find that when you get it apart the attatching fitting may be the only thing to replace, I hope.

Yeah, that's the thing. I don't even know if I can get it apart. I literally had my whole weight into it and it wouldn't budge. I will probably try epoxying around the connection if I can't get it apart.

Dog House Brew said:

I built my stand and learned a lot about stainless threads. I had no luck with paste and tape on a few fittings. I finally broke down and bought the sealant made by Loctite. I forget the number on it, like 567....

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Guessing this is what you're referring to: Loctite 567

Does that stuff harden once you apply it? Still waffling on what to do. I might try epoxying since I can't even get the fittings apart. Any recommendations on epoxy that is watertight and can with stand hose/high pressure?

The loctite 567 is great before you put the fittings together, now that the threads have galled you need plan "B". Try using some WD40 on the threads and carefully rotate fitting both ways while trying to get the oil into the threads. After the oil is in the threads you can sometimes get the fittings out, then clean up the threads with a tap, and clean the residual oil with soap and water.