# Strange leak



## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

We installed in a new home yesterday a reverse osmosis under a kitchen sink..

Nobody has moved in yet so as a company policy we turn the main shut off before leaving

We check for leaks prior to leaving and everything was dry

I get a call today that water was on the hardwood floor by the kitchen.. The floor was damaged...

So I arrive and the water is still turn off to the home...

Cabinets are wet inside... Wipe everything up... And put paper towels to check for drips... 

Turn the main back on and 45 minutes not a drop of water

So we decide to look at it tomorrow... I shut the supply valve off to the reverse osmosis and let it drain from the tap

I look down and the paper towels are soaken wet... Water all over the place again...

I removed the osmosis from the bracket to see what was happening... And tried repeating what just happen ... And there was nothing

It seems like if the water pressure drops the thing starts to leak from god knows where

Did anybody else have this problem??????

Tomorrow I am going to pull the whole thing out and hook it up where I can see the problem


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

That sounds like a mystery leak. Get a good light under that sink and you'll find it. What is the mounting bracket screwed into? Maybe your guy hit an ice maker line when he hung the RO bracket. Sorry to hear about the wood flooring.


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

Tommy plumber said:


> That sounds like a mystery leak. Get a good light under that sink and you'll find it. What is the mounting bracket screwed into? Maybe your guy hit an ice maker line when he hung the RO bracket. Sorry to hear about the wood flooring.


Lucky me we do not supply fixtures... Got out of that along time ago

It's an island cupboard and nothing behind it but air


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## Shanesplumbing (Mar 14, 2012)

I don't recall seeing that one before.
Couple questions though.

Was there a tank? (most of the ones I have installed had a pre-charged pressure tank 7-9 psi)

Was there a way to isolate the tank?

Come to think of it, I think I remember getting blasted in the face after I shut off cold supply & thought I relieved pressure through the spout while servicing one years ago.


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

Yes there is a tank

I have a shut off the the system and there is a shut off on tank


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## DesertOkie (Jul 15, 2011)

Does the RO have the 1/4 push connections? I have heard of them leaking with no pressure on the, I didn't believe the guy who told me at the time.


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## Gettinit (May 9, 2012)

It usually takes more than 45 minutes to charge a RO system. Here are a few aggervating facts about john guest fittings any slight defect in the pipe or nick in the o-ring will let it leak. When you put a john guest fittings together with pipe it will almost feel like you went through to the rings when it's actually seated properly. My guess it's a combination. I would undo every connection and reseat them again.


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

DesertOkie said:


> Does the RO have the 1/4 push connections? I have heard of them leaking with no pressure on the, I didn't believe the guy who told me at the time.


It all push on this crap... it only seems to leak when there is a lack or no pressure


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

Gettinit said:


> It usually takes more than 45 minutes to charge a RO system. Here are a few aggervating facts about john guest fittings any slight defect in the pipe or nick in the o-ring will let it leak. When you put a john guest fittings together with pipe it will almost feel like you went through to the rings when it's actually seated properly. My guess it's a combination. I would undo every connection and reseat them again.


The strange thing is it does not leak under pressure.. we had it charge well over an hour..

The problem happen when we turned the main off over night


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## RealLivePlumber (Jun 22, 2008)

Isn't there a vacuum breaker up in the faucet or something? 

Pressure drops and vac brkr. is discharging?


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

RealLivePlumber said:


> Isn't there a vacuum breaker up in the faucet or something?
> 
> Pressure drops and vac brkr. is discharging?


no breaker


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## Gettinit (May 9, 2012)

I have had some dribble on me before when it was not under full pressure.


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## Gettinit (May 9, 2012)

Stupid question for you, did your service tech pipe the drain from the faucet to the waste?


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

Gettinit said:


> Stupid question for you, did your service tech pipe the drain from the faucet to the waste?


Yes


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

I don't know is this thing suppose to leak with
Lack of pressure ????


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## AlbacoreShuffle (Aug 28, 2011)

OldSchool said:


> I don't know is this thing suppose to leak with
> Lack of pressure ????


 I wouldnt think so.:no:


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## Don The Plumber (Feb 14, 2010)

Thats why I think these units should be all installed in a basement, or a place where water will not cause damage. Got $1000 cabinet, & $10,000 wood floors, with these filters with cheap a$$ junk piping and a bunch of fittings, hanging 12" above, just waiting for the next bump, to destroy it all.

And can you imagine the poor guy that goes there to do a repair in another part of the house, & has to turn the water off, & these stupid fittings start leaking. Who thet gonna blame then?

Sometimes I think they ought to make sink base cabinets, with fiberglass inside, & a floor drain.:yes: 90% of the cabinets I see have seen, have water damage.


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

albacoreshuffle said:


> i wouldnt think so.:no:


me either 

i give up with this new plumbing crap


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## Gettinit (May 9, 2012)

Only other thing that would come to mind is the drain is blocked in the tubing. This would cause it to overflow through the top and sometimes leak back through...sometimes, but there would have been something on the counter top.


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

Gettinit said:


> Only other thing that would come to mind is the drain is blocked in the tubing. This would cause it to overflow through the top and sometimes leak back through...sometimes, but there would have been something on the counter top.


everything is brand new...


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

When I look for mystery leaks, I put newspaper on the wall. The water level will show itself quick.


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

gear junkie said:


> When I look for mystery leaks, I put newspaper on the wall. The water level will show itself quick.


 I use paper towels.. the starnge thing nothing with pressure..

I guess I am the only one that ever had this problem


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## Doubletap (May 5, 2010)

Don The Plumber said:


> Sometimes I think they ought to make sink base cabinets, with fiberglass inside, & a floor drain.:yes: 90% of the cabinets I see have seen, have water damage.


I like it. Except imagine laying on your back installing a faucet while laying in this fiberglass sink base. Might be almost as bad as lying on your back in a roach infested, rat infested, rotten particle board hell that find myself in from time to time.


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

Could be the auto-shutoff valve, when the water pressure drops the valve opens and water leaks out of a bad connection. The auto shutoff valve might have a crack in it that leaks when the pressure drops 

sent from the jobsite porta-potty


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