Weldless fitting not sealing.

[David R]

I'm struggling to get the weldless ball valve to seal on my Grainfather urn. I've never used one before, and had imagined it would have an O-ring and washer on each side of the wall, but it was only supplied with one of each. The hole isn't perfect, the wall of the urn is pretty thin and soft and the drill bit chewed it out badly when I tried to enlarge the hole, but I've filed and straightened it and the O-ring is still plenty bigger than the hole.

Any suggestions? There's room on the shank for me to install another O-ring and washer, if that would help. Probably should have sorted this before I started brewing eh, lucky I still have a pot and burner! :p

[Cain Harland]

I would defiantly try another o-ring with a lock nut (one of the ones with the indent to sit the o ring in) rather than a washer if you have enough shank or washer if you don't. I'm sure theoretically you can make a seal with just one but odds improve with one either side. The trick I've found is to try and just squash the o ring against the wall not to twist it. With 2 you kind of have to twist one as you tighten but with just 1 put it on the side your just holding in place and tighten from the other side. If that makes any sense.

I recon having something with a bit more surface area contacting the outside of the urn will make the whole connection feel a lot more solid too.

[David R]

Cheers, I'll get the required parts tomorrow (or Monday more likely, knowing Whangarei's usual opening hours) and give it a go.

[Nathan]

http://www.northernbrewer.com/documentation/CoolerValveBulkhead.pdf

Try this

[Brett Soanes]

Silicon washer is good. Can even cut it out of the misses silicon bakeware. On the inside of the other too

[David R]

Good idea, I'm sure she'll be thrilled!! :D

Cheers Nathan, its always helpful seeing a diagram.

[Nathan]

Yup I went to the scarehouse and bought a silicon oven mitt and hacked it up for washers work mint

[Nicholas Jones]

Probably have a bulkhead that will do this a little easier David? http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=1023260009