Cooked Stem Packing....?

marcusjh

I did this stem less than two years ago, and apparently, the heat cooked it right out of the nut - is this normal?
I'm pretty sure I wrapped it about 4-5 times with the graphite stuff from HD.... am I missing something? Should I be using something different, or making more wraps around the stem, ... or less wraps?

Larry Weingarten

Hi, In my experience, there should be a thin brass washer above the packing that helps hold the packing in place. Any chance that washer went missing? Graphite should have no problem with the heat.
Yours, Larry

marcusjh

Thanks Larry!
I have not seen a thin brass washer.
What size do I need?

nicholas bonham-carter

You will have to take the packing nut to the hardware store and find a washer whose external diameter matches the inside of the nut, and whose internal diameter is the same as the stem. Brass is best, and turn off the system while you do this.—NBC

jumper

nicholas bonham-carter said:

You will have to take the packing nut to the hardware store and find a washer whose external diameter matches the inside of the nut, and whose internal diameter is the same as the stem. Brass is best, and turn off the system while you do this.—NBC

Save time punching your own or searching junk jar?

fxrgrunt

I need a new packing washer as well. I was repacking the o ring to stop the sizzle and did one turn too tight and split the washer. 

nicholas bonham-carter

Did you split the brass washer when tightening?
Time for a new one.—NBC

fxrgrunt

nicholas bonham-carter said:

Did you split the brass washer when tightening? Time for a new one.—NBC

Yup I was tightening and it just didnt feel like it was getting there. Probably combination of how old it is and the flexibility of brass. But just one turn and I saw it pop up and instantly hated myself.

Pumpguy

IME, worked brass age hardens. I've encountered brass compression rings get so hard they wouldn't crimp down and seal on the tube. Now, anything that I suspect came from old stock I heat the comp ring red hot first to anneal. Quench or not as you prefer. It's the heating that does the annealing, not the quench. Annealed brass comp rings crimp down and seal on the tube quite nicely.

Age hardening might explain why that brass washer split.

jerryb46

i can't remember the last time i took a packing nut to a hardware store and found they had a replacement?? Where is that Hardware store??

marcusjh

Could not find a correct sized brass washer at HD, or Lowes --- guessing I should find a local HVAC dealer - or maybe Grainger? Amazon?

Discovered this after finding the water in my glass was really low after about a week of cold weather.

Larry Weingarten

Hi, A stainless washer could work, or chromed brass like is sometimes used with toilet bolts. You'll likely need to drill out the center and then you could use snips to get the outer circumference close.

Yours, Larry

gfrbrookline

I don't like the graphite rope HD carries, I perfer this product, https://www.amazon.com/Brasscraft-Sf1336-Graphite-Twist-Packing/dp/B002QEUSMS/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2E2RQWDKH0BLI&dchild=1&keywords=graphite+rope+packing&qid=1604877316&sprefix=graphite+ro,aps,161&sr=8-3 , it seals better.

Big Ed_4

The graphite packing had the outlawed A stuff in it .. Remove the nut and wrap teflon tape around the shaft .. Not too much , you will need to catch a few threads and you can always add more . Don't over tighten and crack the packing nut ...

Dan_NJ

I went a little overboard at one point and got a small spool of this stuff, seems pretty solid:
https://www.amazon.com/Palmetto-Expanded-Graphite-Compression-Packing/dp/B0087U8OFS/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_pl_foot_top?ie=UTF8&th=1