Acetylene Leak

[Beltzington]

My acetylene regulator has a slight leak where it attaches to the tank valve. I originally detected the leak by smell and just confirmed with soapy water. Remove the regulator and cleaned treads and fittings with a shop rag and compressed air. Reattached the valve taking care not to x-thread and tightened with a 12" crescent wrench to the point I would refer to as very snug. Still leaks. Should I:

- Tighten some more (Don't have an open-end torque wrench)
- Put some plumbers tape on the threads
- ??

TIA

 

[JB4310]

My acetylene regulator has a slight leak where it attaches to the tank valve. I originally detected the leak by smell and just confirmed with soapy water. Remove the regulator and cleaned treads and fittings with a shop rag and compressed air. Reattached the valve taking care not to x-thread and tightened with a 12" crescent wrench to the point I would refer to as very snug. Still leaks. Should I:

- Tighten some more (Don't have an open-end torque wrench)
- Put some plumbers tape on the threads
- ??

TIA

That's a flare connection I'm pretty sure so I don't think tape is gonna work only additional tightening might.

Check the flare on the regulator and the seat on the tank, around here you just swap tanks with the dealer when you need a refill so you never know what your gonna get, I tell them there's OSHA guys on my job and they are looking for safety violations, this way they give me the newest tanks.

I've never had a leak though even with just snugging the nut.

JB.

 

[zzvyb6]

Carefully check to see if the leak is caused by a crack in the pipe at the flare. These fittings take a lot of side load for various reasons....

 

[Beltzington]

Thanks JB - That was easy enough, just went past my comfort factor with a brass fitting and tightened that mother down. No more leak. This was a swapped tank (my first) and even though it felt smooth I guess the there was a problem with the compression fitting.

 

[JB4310]

Thanks JB - That was easy enough, just went past my comfort factor with a brass fitting and tightened that mother down. No more leak. This was a swapped tank (my first) and even though it felt smooth I guess the there was a problem with the compression fitting.

Well that may work for now but the whole idea of flare fittings is that you shouldn't need to "tighten the mother down" you could do damage to your regulator. I don't think compression fitting is really the right term, It's a flare and seat

For guys who transport them to and from jobs they need to be easily put on and off sometimes several times a day. I've never had to go more than just snug with the little 6" long torch accessory wrench.

ALWAYS keep your tanks shut off when not in use, not just shut off at the torch handle.

JB.

 

[Skyco]

My acetylene set up was leaking also. Looking in the tank valve there was the tiniest nick or dent. Put some fine grit emory cloth on a finger tip and sanded it out, still takes more tightening than I'd like but seals. When the tank empties I'll of course be given another in the swap, so maybe I'll get a better one.