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Cooked Stem Packing....?

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marcusjh
marcusjh Member Posts: 79
in Strictly Steam
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?


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  • Larry Weingarten
    Larry Weingarten Member Posts: 3,293
    edited November 2020
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    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
    marcusjh Member Posts: 79
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    Thanks Larry!
    I have not seen a thin brass washer.
    What size do I need?
  • nicholas bonham-carter
    nicholas bonham-carter Member Posts: 8,576
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    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
    jumper Member Posts: 2,247
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    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
    fxrgrunt Member Posts: 157
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    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
    nicholas bonham-carter Member Posts: 8,576
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    Did you split the brass washer when tightening?
    Time for a new one.—NBC
  • fxrgrunt
    fxrgrunt Member Posts: 157
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    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.
    ethicalpaul
  • Pumpguy
    Pumpguy Member Posts: 655
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    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.
    Dennis Pataki. Former Service Manager and Heating Pump Product Manager for Nash Engineering Company. Phone: 1-888 853 9963
    Website: www.nashjenningspumps.com

    The first step in solving any problem is TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM.
  • jerryb46
    jerryb46 Member Posts: 59
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    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
    marcusjh Member Posts: 79
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    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
    Larry Weingarten Member Posts: 3,293
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    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
    gfrbrookline Member Posts: 753
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    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
    Big Ed_4 Member Posts: 2,785
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    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 ...
    I have enough experience to know , that I dont know it all
  • Dan_NJ
    Dan_NJ Member Posts: 247
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    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

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