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Old 06-05-2018, 08:52 PM   #1
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Name: Jenny
Trailer: 2010 Scamp 16 with front bath
Tennessee
Posts: 46
How do I fix this connector?

I believe it is a 'swivel' connector; I'm sorry, I don't know the exact terms for the pieces, which is why I'm having a hard time Googling how to fix the connector.

A little history: I replaced my water pump and everything worked great, except that I could feel the vibration of the pump through the faucet handles. The pressurized side of the pump was connected to a very short piece of hard plastic tube and Shurflo recommends using 'soft' tubes to reduce vibration. So, I purchased the appropriate Shurflo pump silencing kit.

Connecting the silencing hose from the low-pressure side (water tank) to the pump went fine. Then, when I connected the hose (using the adaptor) to the high-pressure line, the 'swivel' connector broke off of the 90 degree elbow connector of the hard pressure, Scamp line.

I've attached three photos: the "broken swivel connector" shows the piece that came off of the elbow joint. The "swivel connector broke from" photo shows where the broken piece came from. "What it needs to connect to" shows the connection to the water pump silencing kit hose.

I have tried to reconnect the swivel connector to the 90 degree elbow joint with varying amounts of success, but always with a slow leak. I would rather not cut into the 'Pex' (hard plastic) pipe. Is there some type of locking adapter I can put on the end of the elbow joint, and then connect another swivel connector to it?

Thanks!
Jenny
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broken swivel connector.jpg   swivel connector broke from.jpg  

what it needs to connect to.jpg  
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Old 06-05-2018, 09:47 PM   #2
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Is it leaking from the threads? If so it needs a thread sealer such as teflon tape. If it is from the nipple that you push into the hose I would think you need a hose clamp on it.
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Old 06-05-2018, 10:41 PM   #3
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That quick disconnect fitting is broken from over tightening it. Those don't seal at the threads, so you don't need teflon tape. They seal with a washer inside the hand nut in your hand.

Best thing is replace the 90 degree quick disconect by cutting the PEX. Second would be to clamp a hose over the 90 degree fitting and go to a new straight quick disconnect.

Go to Lowes and get a PEX cutter, some pinch rings and the tool for them, and a new quick disconnect or equivalent. Or find some hose and clamps for a less than perfect fix.

PEX is very easy to work with and you should probably be prepared to do other connections too.
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Old 06-05-2018, 10:45 PM   #4
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If my assumptions in the attached photo are correct...

If my assumptions in the attached photo are correct, what I would do is clean and dry everything very well, and remove the nipple from what it is connected to now, then I would epoxy (I like JB Weld) the nut back on to the elbow and screw the nipple into it at the same time so it all gets epoxied together. Let it dry overnight., Then attach the other nut on to the nipple.

If you get this right it should last as long as your trailer.

Please make sure you understand exactly how I am suggesting this be done. If you don't, and get it wrong, you will have to cut the elbow from the pipe it's attached to and attach a new elbow, probably by buying pex tools.

Harold
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Old 06-06-2018, 02:53 AM   #5
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After 40 yrs. of plumbing I find now with a lot of the parts being made of plastic the biggest error is overtightening and cracking a part. Always us judgment in tightening. You can always tighten again after water is on if leaking but a cracked fitting from over tight is junk.
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Old 06-06-2018, 05:22 AM   #6
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Name: Jenny
Trailer: 2010 Scamp 16 with front bath
Tennessee
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Doctor Harold View Post
If my assumptions in the attached photo are correct, what I would do is clean and dry everything very well, and remove the nipple from what it is connected to now, then I would epoxy (I like JB Weld) the nut back on to the elbow and screw the nipple into it at the same time so it all gets epoxied together. Let it dry overnight., Then attach the other nut on to the nipple.

If you get this right it should last as long as your trailer.

Please make sure you understand exactly how I am suggesting this be done. If you don't, and get it wrong, you will have to cut the elbow from the pipe it's attached to and attach a new elbow, probably by buying pex tools.

Harold
Harold, that is exactly right. But I don't know how to remove the 90 degree elbow from the plastic pipe. It fits very snug and I was afraid to try to force the elbow out. Are you saying I can pull it out and push it back in when done and it will still be watertight?

Thanks!
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Old 06-06-2018, 05:28 AM   #7
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Trailer: 2010 Scamp 16 with front bath
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Originally Posted by Raspy View Post
That quick disconnect fitting is broken from over tightening it. Those don't seal at the threads, so you don't need teflon tape. They seal with a washer inside the hand nut in your hand.

Best thing is replace the 90 degree quick disconect by cutting the PEX. Second would be to clamp a hose over the 90 degree fitting and go to a new straight quick disconnect.

Go to Lowes and get a PEX cutter, some pinch rings and the tool for them, and a new quick disconnect or equivalent. Or find some hose and clamps for a less than perfect fix.

PEX is very easy to work with and you should probably be prepared to do other connections too.
For me, cutting the PEX is a last resort. The pipe that the elbow connects to is only about 3 or 4 inches long. There is very little room for error.

I was hoping for a solution that was between a full replacement and a hose/clamp solution.
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Old 06-06-2018, 05:43 AM   #8
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Trailer: 2015 Scamp (16 Std Layout 4) with '15 Toyota Sienna LE Tug
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Originally Posted by ScamperGirl View Post
Harold, that is exactly right. But I don't know how to remove the 90 degree elbow from the plastic pipe. It fits very snug and I was afraid to try to force the elbow out. Are you saying I can pull it out and push it back in when done and it will still be watertight?

Thanks!
That 90 degree elbow is connected to the PEX plastic pipe with a Uponor ProPEX expansion ring (the whitish ring around the pipe). You will never be able to pull it apart (nor should you try). In theory you can carefully cut the ring off and use the $500 expansion tool to put a new one on, but that is not very practical. See THIS:
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ing-79032.html

Cutting the PEX and using a standard copper crimp ring is the way I did a repair and mod to my city water inlet. In that mod I did away with the similar screw on adapter that was at the city water outlet but that might not be what to do at the pump and tank side.

There is lots of info online about how to use PEX with crimp rings (and the crimp tool which is commonly available for purchase, renting or borrowing along with the Go/NOGo gauge to check the connection). Or with Pinch rings as mentioned, which often can be used easier in tight spaces.

I can't tell from your photos what approach I might take in this case. I'm not surprised if there is not enough pipe to cut off the fixture. You might even have to add a length of PEX. A PIA for sure. With Uponor ProPEX there is supposed to be at least 2 inches between fittings if I recall right.. its in the specs if you want to look it up. Scamp violated that rule in my trailer but its been OK. I would guess with copper crimp rings the distance between fittings is less critical since the pipe is not expanded as part of the installation.

Of course taking the trailer to a plumber is an option also. But I was not able to find a plumber local to me that could work on Uponor ProPEX, which is why I used crimping like I had done for some house repairs in my past. Pinch rings is another option for making PEX connections. A plumber would also have those options if he did not use the Uponor system.
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Old 06-06-2018, 06:03 AM   #9
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If you do decide to cut the PEX, which I recommend, don't be intimidated by it. And you can cut it way back at a place that is more convenient to re-connect to, then add a new piece to get back to where you want to be. You may not need a 90 degree fitting either if you re-configure that piece.

Copper crimp rings or stainless pinch rings are very good and much more practical than the Uponor setup already there. The pinch ring tool (Lowes) is also able to get into tight places and the rings can be removed easily if needed.

Instead of that quick disconnect-nipple-quick disconnect setup in place now, you might be able to simplify it and get a male fiitting for the PEX that will screw directly into the other quick disconnect.

Once you have the tool and some PEX and rings, you are all set for any later fixes too. It's a good thing to know how to do
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Old 06-06-2018, 09:26 AM   #10
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Thanks everyone for the input - lots of ideas presented here. I've been digesting the responses and have another question. Couldn't I use a stainless steel clamp (as opposed to a copper crimp - just personal preference from the brief amount of research I've done so far) to attach a new piece of Pex directly to the nipple (elbow connector) that the swivel came off of? That way, I wouldn't have to cut the existing Pex and could then clamp a male connector on the other end of the new piece of Pex to connect directly to the silencing hose.

I'd have to buy the clamps and the tool but I wouldn't have the worry of cutting an already small piece of pipe. Thoughts?
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Old 06-06-2018, 09:49 AM   #11
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Originally Posted by ScamperGirl View Post
Thanks everyone for the input - lots of ideas presented here. I've been digesting the responses and have another question. Couldn't I use a stainless steel clamp (as opposed to a copper crimp - just personal preference from the brief amount of research I've done so far) to attach a new piece of Pex directly to the nipple (elbow connector) that the swivel came off of? T..
I'm not sure what you are suggesting but perhaps I tried to do something similar as a stop gap measure when I had a leak from the drain valve 500 miles from home. Using a SS hose clamp did not stop a leak even with lower pressure. Crimp rings are supposed to be used on "virgin" cleanly cut pipe so YMMV.

What might work, and I emphasize the word might, is to very very carefully cut off the white ring, remove it, heat the pipe with a heat gun and wiggle the fitting out. Understand that the pipe (and the ring) were expanded to get the fitting inside the pipe. The pipe then returns to its original shape and size making it water tight. So it will not be easy if it is possible at all. If you could get the ring off but not the fitting, then you could cut the pipe at the very edge of the fitting giving you perhaps enough length of pipe to work with. But if you cut the pipe even a little along its length while cutting off the ring, its almost a sure bet it will leak.

But this way you would have the original length of pipe to work with (or close to it) and could put a regular (non-ProPEX) fitting in with a copper crimp or cinch ring.

It might work.. but it should be tested thoroughly and watched for failure.
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Old 06-06-2018, 09:55 AM   #12
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Hi ScamperGirl,

No, I'm saying leave the pex connection alone and epoxy the nut and nipple in place so the pex connection is not disturbed.

Does that make more sense?

Harold
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Old 06-06-2018, 10:01 AM   #13
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Stainless band clamps don't work well with PEX because they don't have a smooth and round interior surface, and because they cannot apply enough force. PEX is very hard and doesn't squeeze down like soft rubber hose. The crimp rings are round with a smooth interior. The tool forces them down to a smaller size. The pinch rings are almost the same design, but the tool grabs the ring at a small bump and pinches it smaller. Same effect. Smaller ID with a lot of force. When "crimped" their ID is reduced such that they press very hard and evenly around the perimeter of the PEX. This forms the pipe evenly around ridges on the fitting to make a seal. The best fittings are brass, but some manufacturers use the plastic ones.

If you cut the existing PEX and extend it with a new piece, you'll have an interior coupling with the ridges on both ends and two crimp rings.

Also, PEX is designed to bend, so you don't need a 90 degree fitting everytime you go around a corner. A smooth bend is bettter as long as you don't kink it. 1/2"OD PEX will bend down to about a 6" return bend and 5/8" PEX will bend to about a 9" return bend (U shape) without kinking.

Remember too that PEX is Polyethylene and is not gluable. Don't even bother trying. The fittings are acetal, PVC and possibly nylon, and might be gluable, but that is certainly not a good way to fix what is broken in your case. If it did work, it would be temporary at best. But sometimes that's all we need to get it working for a while. I just fixed my ceramic faucet valve insert with a disk of electrical tape to get us home.

In a pinch, you can slip vinyl braided hose over PEX and clamp it with a stainless band clamp, but that is strictly temporary.
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Old 06-06-2018, 10:49 AM   #14
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Name: Jenny
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So, I wasn't very clear. What I am thinking to do is connect a piece of PEX to the elbow nipple using a stainless steel clamp specifically designed for PEX, not the usual metal clamp that y ou see on braided hoses. Here is a capture of a screenshot of what I am talking about.

I realize I'll still have an elbow connector, which is not necessarily, but I won't risk cutting into the existing short pipe.

Does this help?
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Old 06-06-2018, 10:51 AM   #15
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Hi ScamperGirl,

No, I'm saying leave the pex connection alone and epoxy the nut and nipple in place so the pex connection is not disturbed.

Does that make more sense?

Harold
Yes, that makes more sense and was my first thought when the part broke. Thank you for clarifying!
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Old 06-06-2018, 11:01 AM   #16
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More thoughts

Dear ScamperGirl,

What I would do is based on assumptions. If I were there and could examine each part inside and out I might have a different opinion. You need to be comfortable with what ever path you choose to take and realize that if you try to repair this yourself there is a risk of failure that you will have to bear, and in the case of failure you will probably have to take it to a professional to get it fixed properly.

The fix I recommended is not a proper fix, but if it succeeds it should last a long time. It is unlikely a professional would recommend it because he or she would have to bear the risk and warranty the work.

Raspy said "you can slip vinyl braided hose over PEX and clamp it with a stainless band clamp, but that is strictly temporary."

Realize that pushing a vinyl braided hose over the existing elbow part and using a hose clamp isn't a pex connection (see photo), and should work as long as the rough elbow surface doesn't tear the hose. Then you need some sort of fitting to connect the flexible hose to the other end, something like the attached photo, in the correct size ($2.97 at Home Depot). This would eliminate the need for the epoxy repair I described as long as the flexible hose you use is capable of holding the pressure, and have integrity at the elbow where it would be clamped. Yes, it's temporary, but how temporary? Not trying to be contentious, but a temporary fix could last years. Just keep an eye on it.

If you are not comfortable with any of the recommended fixes in this thread (mine or others), then your best bet is to do nothing and take it to a professional. You will avoid the headache and the risk.

Best Regards,

Harold
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Old 06-06-2018, 11:22 AM   #17
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Clamps

The clamp you show requires a special type pliers to constrict it, although nippers might work okay. I would not use that clamp on braided reinforced hose.

Clamps with the worm screw can cut into your hose and might make the fix even more temporary. Get good clamps.

Harold
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