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How to attach soft copper tubing to fitting?

this is my first time to handle any plumbing. i want to install a hand shower (hand bidet) beside the toilet.Guys at Lowe's helped me with a Watts 3 way 3/8" adapt-a-vavle and a piece of 3/8" soft copper tubing to connect the outlet on the adapt-a-valve to the 3/8" intake on the hand shower. Problem is i don't know how attach copper tubing to both sides....the tube fits inside both fittings...but it's loose....should they have given me some tubing with a flar ? any ideas ?? i got 1 Tube Insert Sleeve that came with the 3/8" compression fitting, would this thing help ?

Public Comments

  1. you need the sleeves that go on the tubing after you put the nuts on. with sleeves in place, when you tighten the nuts, they will crimp to the tube. if you don't use the sleeves, you'll have a major leak, the sleeves are called ferrules. when u put them on, it won't be loose anymore
  2. The ends of the flexible tubing need to be fitted with a suitable fitting to thread into the supply , and the bidet fitting. This can be either a flared fitting or a compression fitting. If you don't have a flaring tool, you probably should use a compression fitting. they use a compression ring, usually brass which the fitting nut squeezes onto the tubing to seal it. they are available at any plumbing or hardware shop.
  3. I am not sure what you have but it is probably a compression fitting. It should have a brass sleeve, that is called a ferrule, that slides around the tubing. Put the nut on the tubing, then the ferrule, and attach it to the valve, making sure the tubing is seated all the way into the valve. Good luck
  4. Check out http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/pl_pipes_fittings/article/0,2037,DIY_14190_2270855,00.html And see what type of fitting you are dealing with. It is probably a compression type. Flare fittings are sort of dropping by the wayside, which is too bad.
  5. you need compression fittings for soft copper
  6. u have to flare the tubimg with a flaring tool
  7. The fitting you have purchased is a common compresion fitting. There should be a brass ferrule under each nut. The nut goes on the copper with the threads going to the compression fitting, then the ferrule goes on ther copper. Push the copper untill it stops into the compression fitting and push the nut and ferrule down to the male threads. Tighten the nut till it is good and snug. The ferrule will compress between the nut and the compression fitting creating a water tight seal and holding the copper tight.
  8. If it is a compression fitting it will have threads and a nut on it. When you bought it there should have been a loose brass ferrule in under the nut. You slip the nut over the copper tubing, slide on the brass ferrule, and then tighten down the nut. Two words of warnings when using compression fittings: IMPORTANT!!! (1) Do not overtighten the nut, and even more importantly, (2) once you start tightening the nut, you CANNOT turn the nut the wrong way (as if to loosen it) even very slightly. ALL turning motion must be to tighten only. If you make a mistake and even turn the wrench back 1/4" an inch you can ruin the compression of the ferrule and the fitting will leak and no matter how tight you tighten it after that it will leak. At that point you would have to either cut out the pipe or otherwise remove it and start over.