When is an olive not an olive ........

[MidLifeCrisis]

I'm fitting a propex, and as part of that I have disconnected the two-way gas isolation value that was feeding the fridge and hob - it looks a lot like this but may not be exactly the same;



Just tried to reconnect new 8mm pipe to it using new olives and the new olives are not being compressed by tightening the nut on the valve - and having looked at the old olives on the old pipes it seems that they are of a different size/design/type (basically larger) to the standard 8mm olive; (The nut that tightens over the olive also seems to be a slightly different thread to the other nuts on other pipe joints that I have purchased - so is this a British Standard vs Something Else issue?)

So, has ayone got any idea where I can get new olives from for these isolation valves - I tried my local friendly gas fitting shop but they were unable to provide anything ... and I don't know of anywhere else local to go ask (I'm near Heathrow).

Van is a holdsworth villa 3 if that is any help ...... please help before the girlfriend finds out that I have 'disabled' the complete gas system!! And not fitted the propex!

Oops !!

[MidLifeCrisis]

Ah - just found this in the archive

http://archive.club8090.co.uk/viewtopic ... e#p7408360

Is this my answer?

[BOXY]

Have a look at the nut to see if it's marked WADE. If it's an imperial WADE type fitting the thread will be 1/4" BSP and the pipe will be 5/16" OD not 8mm. Try a hydraulic / pneumatic distributor to see they stock WADE. Flowtech do imperial compression fittings as well, but you'll probably have to buy through a distributor as well.

http://www.flowtechnologyuk.com/imagebr ... mperial%20

[Ian Hulley]

There are olives and 'shouldered' olives the pipe may be 8mm copper or 5/16" copper ... one may not seal on the other ?

I got a 2 way gas manifold as you show from Cak Tanks or Rainbow Conversions (I forget which) and it came resplendant with new 8mm olives.

Ian

[lloydy]

does it look like this?

i also have the correct nut for that olive....
It is possible to remove and reuse old olives, Get a set of grips on them and with a light hand start spinning the olive and working it off the end of the pipe

[MidLifeCrisis]

Thanks - I'll give that a bash ....

[BOXY]

Re-using olives on a gas pipe?
The olive in the photo above has that thick band on the right to stop the fitting being over-tightened. It acts as a stop between the fitting and the nut when the correct torque has been applied. If you try to re-use that type of olive you can't give in an "extra nip" to make it seal safely again. Can you post a photo of the original olives that are still on your pipework? I worked in the hydraulics industry for nearly 20 years and you'd be surprised by how many different olives and fittings there are. With a gas line it would be better to get it right than bodge it.

[lloydy]

I disagree, apart from the bit about not bodging it....
We are not talking high pressure installs here... 0.3 bar at most. And olives are not a one shot item, if tightened correctly in the first place.
Obviously new is better, I've asked if it is the same as in the picture. If it is I have what he needs.....
20 years and counting, in the gas industry

[boxer]

Always check a gas fitting with water and a spot of washing up liquid. Even when I (always) use a new olive.

[lloydy]

Or perform a drop test to the industry standard times, allowing for permissible pressure drops.
I'm only messing by the way although you would be surprised how big a leak you can have that doesn't show on a test with leak detection fluid

[BOXY]

I wasn't having a "pop" but the original post mentions the nut not fitting the body as well.

The nut that tightens over the olive also seems to be a slightly different thread to the other nuts on other pipe joints that I have purchased

that plus possibly the wrong olive would be lucky not to leak even at low pressures. Anyway a "bodge" isn't always a bad thing. One by someone who knows what they're doing is completely different to "bodge" by someone with a bigger spanner and some thread tape.

[MidLifeCrisis]

My note about the different size nut was meant to suggest that the olive might be different to others from other fittings - I'll be using that nut on the correct size thread on the gas valve (its a Truma valve by the way).

Heres a pic of the old olive on the old pipe - not sure that I'd be able to get it off even if I tried - looks like its been there a good few years and looks practically part of the pipe.



I've tried all the shops round me that I can find with no success so I think its now down to either order some 'shouldered olives' off t'internet and see if they fit, or order a new truma valve and nab the olives off that....

[lloydy]

I can send you the olive I pictured above, and the correct nut for it. I got them when I redid the gas in my van

[MidLifeCrisis]

Thanks Lloydy - very kind offer.
Unfortunately I need two so I've ordered a couple from an internet site- they are listed as 'Truma Stepped Olive' so hopefully they'll be correct;

For reference I ordered from;

http://www.autogasshop.co.uk

We'll see how it turns out when they turn up!
Thanks for all the help/info.

[syncroandy]

DIN olive ?