How To Install a Compression Fitting on Copper or Plastic Tubing

Larsen Supply Company presents a 2-minute plumbing video on how to install a compression fitting on copper or plastic tubing. Fix-it man Mark Kimball shows how it's done.
Do it yourself with www.lasco.net

[@ricotinez]

I wish all videos on KZbin were this informative, clear and brief. You get right to the point, unlike just about every other video where the person talks forever while holding a shaky camera. This is how it's done! Thank you!

[@JimFelderOKC]

aint that the truth!

[@ScottStruzik]

I could not agree more. Correct terminology. Clear speaking. Well lit. Concise! THANK YOU!

[@DrFunk-rk6yl]

hell yeah!

[@ericalexander3246]

Today I am going to comment about your comment. So, I am writing in reply to your comment. Commenting on a video is something people do for a number of reasons. They may write a comment to thank the uploader. They may write a comment to criticize a part of the video. They may write a comment to criticize everything in the video. They may write a comment to comment on someone else's comment. Everyone makes their own comment on their own account. Each person who comments does so from their own keyboard. But 2 people, or more, may use the same account, so maybe not everyone makes a comment from their own account. The same goes for the keyboard: more than one person may use a keyboard. People have different reasons for commenting, and may do so on a phone or other handheld device. My comment about your comment is: nice comment! I agree! It's great when they just get to the point in these videos.

[@threetreesinblue]

@@ericalexander3246 eric has just done an excellent job of showing how so many people WASTE TIME and have no word economy in their shaking videos and even in comments!

[@trentrockport]

Two minutes. Straight to the point. Subject matter in focus, well lit, and fills the screen.

[@swankyk]

Clear concise video of what I was looking for, no filler, no muff or guff, this is how all "how to" videos should be made.

[@threetreesinblue]

Everyone please watch h this for how to make a fast, efficient tutorial video. (for starters he didn't "hey guys" at the beginning......thank you!!). Nice work

[@genopierpoint8887]

I wasn’t able to find a video like this before I installed a commercial style ice machine. I got everything up and running then a week later there was a leak. Watching this video and fixing it quickly just saved me a lot of time and unwanted stress. Thank you. 🙏🏻

[@kroffustsnail]

Videos like this are a godsend. Close shots, clear instructions, do's and don'ts, nothing else.

[@dgaulait]

I watch this video every year when I start up my evaporative cooler. No one could give me this info and here it is on KZbin. Clear, concise, informative. Great video.

[@Ramesh-sh9ty]

Thanks for the video. It was amazing. It was a show case of "how to publish video on KZbin". Precise and yet very informative. You know the stuff as well as how to present it. Well done!

[@tbtitans21]

couldn't have said it better

[@johnanderson8324]

This is the perfect instructional video. It's complete, concise, and very clear about the information being conveyed. Narration, demonstrations, and video presentation/editing worked together to present the subject clearly. I learned exactly what I needed to know in 2:00 minutes flat and I am very confident that I can apply the information learned without problem. Thanks for this little gem.

[@lisamariefonseca3222]

Some compression fittings have the compression sleeves built it. Not knowing what I was doing and watching video after video no one mentioned this. I went without water for two days After trying to install a compression fitting with a compression sleeve and not having the fitting fit because I was trying to use compression sleeve with a piece that already had one built-in. The videos are so helpful but for those of us who really don’t know anything sometimes the best video still isn’t enough. I was a housewife of 20 years my ex husband decided he was bored and left leaving me to raise the kids and become an instant DIY’er. I’m learning but sometimes the most simple of task are so frustrating because of something so small that seems so obvious to so many but for someone like me has no clue. This was a great video and so were so many I watched however not one video did I learn some comprehension fittings had everything built in. That all I needed was to insert and tighten. Thank you for a great video without videos like this I’d be completely lost. Please just remember what might seem obvious to so many may be something that someone else didn’t know. Thanks again😊

[@quest127]

So glad there are super simple, straight forward videos like this on here. I knew the basics of getting the pieces on, but wouldn't have known which direction the plastic ferrule goes on if I hadn't taken a minute to check this out. Thanks for keeping it clear and simple for those of us who don't have much experience with this sort of thing.

[@TeriAnneAshley]

Thanks, Mark, for the explicit vocabulary and and clear directions. You're a wonderful instructor!! :)

[@tonya.8975]

I installed 10 compression shut offs yesterday without a leak thanks to your demo. Thank you

[@MrBackslider1]

Damn straight simple and to the point!!! we need all videos to be like this.

[@ajw105]

Thank you so much for simply showing the steps! So many videos give lengthy back stories and that drives me bananas!

[@Nallasuk44]

Great job. If I had watched this earlier I would have saved 3 fittings and half a day.. Keep up the good work.

[@Tuxedo2680]

Sir, thank you so very much for your video!! It is short and straight to the point but most of all, it solved my lifelong problem of knowing how much to tighten these finicky compression fittings. If you tighten them too much, they leak. Too little and they burst open as soon as you turn on the water supply.... or worse yet, several hours later when you're not at home. I've had this happen to me so often that I have come to HATE those fittings with a passion!!! You have restored my faith in them by showing how to make those hookups reliably. Advice and pertinent details from a competent tradesman is pure gold.

[@rosseryn8216]

Best explanation on you tube I have seen in a very long while, maybe ever. This is an extremely well done how to video. Everyone should use it as a model.

[@ErikRuvalcaba]

Thank you, Fix-it man Mark Kimball, for another fine video. Concise, accurate, complete!

[@seaofrage]

Thats how you do a freakin tutorial. Thank you so much! Clear quick and absolutely to the point!

[@Gunbudder]

This is the perfect instructional video. nothing will ever top it.

[@ozmaxmichaels6650]

I did not even know I had to use that copper tubing insert for the plastic line, thanks so much for a very simple video

[@beholdcaesar]

Thank you, spent hours trying to figure out how to hook up my icemaker, was missing the tapered plastic sleeve, and didn't know what to look for until I saw your video!

[@gerry.shafer6101]

WOW. ICE MAKER. TOO. THANKS. !!!

[@elainehalpin1407]

Excellent. Well Done. Easy to understand no time wasted. Thank you exactly what I was looking to find.

[@shawndonald78]

Thank you very much, I totally forgot to insert that little metal sleeve inside the tube and couldn't figure why I still had a leak! Saved me from even more frustration.

[@kimstockdale632]

Where does that metal sleeve come from? I purchased the plastic compression ring, but did not know a metal sleeve is needed too. I'm trying to install a 3/8" plastic tubing to a shut-off valve.

[@aly3560]

Thanks! I bought a plastic tubing ice maker kit that came with all brass parts and the tube slid right out of the nut after fastening. This was very helpful. I went out and bought the plastic compression sleeves.

[@jasperliu]

Thanks! Clear and concise. I wish I had watched this before I overtightened my plastic pipe without putting in the tube insert...

[@foxbilj]

Thank you so much! Simple, to the point and extremely useful to this housewife trying her best to be a plumber! ;)

[@nickobrien5262]

Shannon Fox that sounds scary as fuck......

[@Tezlaze]

Well said, too many DIY videos are dragged out and over 10 minutes long. What happen to the days of under 2 minute how to videos.

[@marshamartin800]

Thank you so much for making this video. It’s extremely helpful for ladies trying to make their own repairs

[@totallyfrozen]

Fantastic! Seriously. Thanks a million. I literally learned exactly what I wanted to know if the first minute. 👍🏻 THAT’S a tutorial!

[@maxpagel8951]

Great tutorial, thank you very much. Exactly what I was looking for

[@elveldugo2]

This video saved my life, especially the half a revolution part, thanks!!

[@steveo7265]

Thanks for this, I was trying to put a brass sleeve compression fitting on plastic tubing and I couldn't get it right. Good to know what the right fitting for the job is.

[@peterc2171]

you helped me to understand how this thing works. When I took out the plastic tubing, the insert fall out and I did not know where to put back until seeing your video. Thanks

[@richpaul8132]

Well... That surely explains what I've been doing wrong! I would tighten the compression nut (with a plastic tubing) until I couldn't crank that thing any tighter while using two wrenches! In addition, I wrapped the threads with Teflon tape so you can be sure that I was over tightening this assembly by a mile! About a month after I installed a kitchen faucet and I used my "plastic tubing tightening technique" we started finding water pooled up inside the cabinet under the sink. I would check for leaks but couldn't find any. We figured that the dishwasher may have had a momentary problem, (don't ask me to explain the logic I used to accept that possibility). Finally, we found water pooled 1" deep inside the cabinet a week ago. I cleaned it up, blamed that damn dishwasher, and went on my happy way until I found the water had pooled up over 1" deep again last night! (Sorry, but I've just got to tell this to somebody): I figured the water was pooling behind the faucet at the and leaking down into the cabinet because of a very poorly done caulking job on the back-splash of the counter top seam. Sooooo, I completely removed the old caulking, cleaned it up and applied a new seal along the entire back-splash board and counter top seam. The job took me about 3.5 hours and while I was putting away the tools, my wife was running the hot water to clean some stuff. I then went to place a new cabinet surface sheet in the cabinet and found water pooling in the cabinet... AGAIN! This time, it didn't take long to happen and finally, I spotted the water drops at the bottom of the hot-water pipe. The origin of the leak was the plastic tubing that I masterfully installed with a 'gorilla-like' tightened compression nut on a plastic tube... Thank you for the video and I'm pretty sure you solved my problem. Rich

[@richwellman7]

Mark you are awesome!!. I just got sprayed by my plastic dishwasher line using the brass fitting. I need the plastic one with the sleeve. Thanks again!!!

[@emryb]

Same thing happened to me. The fellows at Lowes didn't have any tips for me either so I came here for answers.

[@JimFelderOKC]

Me too! I went to Ace twice. The first time I bought the brass sleeve with the nut. Trashed the sleeve. Back to Ace. Bought the same sleeve. Still leaks. This is coming from the copper line on the hot water heater, to plastic tubing to the fridge. The guy at Ace lead me wrong twice!! I told him IN DETAIL so he didn't know his stuff at all. AND he told me to tighten as hard as I could!!

[@philipparana9225]

no offense, but never get advice from the hardware store people. I started working at one at 16, can't tell you how much nonsense these people talk. I am now a professional engineer, and I cringe at some of the advice I sometimes overhear given at these stores, and the people suck it in like gospel. Bottom line, the person making $10 hr is not an SME in any field, other than stocking shelves.

[@mrgrey361]

@@philipparana9225 Haha very true...I laugh when one of these numbnuts tries to give unasked-for advice on how to do something when all I asked was where to find an item.

[@edyue1]

best video on youtube, the others at the top of the google search were junk. too bad I have to search a few more down the page for yours. You are definitely a professional sir. Thank you.

[@paulstanwayjr]

great video... the demo is exactly what I needed for my project. :)

[@olegkunets12]

Thank you Mark. It is the best "how to" video

[@jessicaswindle6665]

So helpful I watch a different video first and this one was much easier to see and understand

[@vidademikey9790]

Omg thank you! All i wanted was to know how to install this plastic tubing for the swamp cooler without it leaking. I was using the brass compression nut because thats literally what every person on KZbin talks about. Not everyone uses copper hose for their a/c. 🙄

[@NoliKannoli]

Short, sweet, simple solution

[@johncarcamo6772]

exactly the video I was looking for, thank you for your knowledge.

[@FD-dh2fu]

Great video. Thank you, straight to the Point and perfectly clear.

[@412fish]

Thanks so much. Accurate, to the point, and close-ups.

[@burrmanchu1460]

THANK YOU. omg I can't believe it took me so long to find a simple explanation of this.

[@Ingcivilcarlos]

I was struggling so much with this lol. thank you for the video

[@kjbrand]

Thanks! I didn't get the same advice at a local hardware store. They provided a brass ferrule for the plastic pipe and skipped the metal insert. I also didn't know about the one full turn rather than 'keep turning until it stops.' I kept turning and deformed the ferrule which cause a leak :( Back to the hardware store!

[@coreygee238]

He went straight to the point 🙏 perfect

[@randyperl1472]

well, my line was vertical and it was hard to measure a full turn using a 9/16 open end wrench. So, I did what anyone would do, turn, on the valve and tighten until it stops leaking and no more. btw, I was using plastic inserts and copper rings, which this video helped me correct. Thank you

[@gerry.shafer6101]

TKS THE BEST VIDEO YET !!!

[@janni7454]

thank you so much. I could not get this to work and you showed me the error of my ways. Works great now. Bless your heart.

[@JoeKaye-hn5dt]

Lousy instructions, with micro size illustrations are useless. I've had a compression joint with 1/4 " poly tubing fail in 3 consecutive attempts now! Just pulls right out. The metal tubular insert on the last attempt had no flange to it (it came like that!). It pulled right out when I turned the water on. Good view of the compression sleeve with flat end facing toward the nut. This is the first You Tube demo I've run across to actually show those things up close and clearly.

[@GarretDuffy]

great video. I was putting the compression nut on too tight on the pex compressions. Thanks a mill!

[@robertemerson7083]

Excellent instruction. Thank you and my family thanks you!

[@MsJdy]

Perfect Clear and precise!!!! My leak is gone

[@lbvt1]

Well explained, thank you! Just the way I need it.

[@alexmcdonald8134]

Mark Kimball is a beast.

[@gwyllem]

Thank you so much for a well explained video. It saved me time and $$$.

[@jnb8918]

Good video, but pay attention to this fact: some copper compression fittings needs one and a quarter turn, instead of just half a turn.

[@MegaGaryBusey]

Thanks! Just helped me fix my copper fridge water that I broke

[@unmanaged]

At high temperature and pressure or during oscillating movements, the use of tube supports prevents distortion of the tube and guarantees effective gripping and sealing.

[@MegaMindyLou]

Wonderful! Exactly what I needed! Thanks so much!

[@jcepri]

I am installing this on a 1/4" copper fridge line. I was told by the guy at Home Depot that I don't need to use the insert with copper tubing and that the insert is for plastic tubing. The other guy there said to use it anyway. Which is it? This video was excellent.

[@Graham_Wideman]

The insert is used with the plastic tubing to maintain its shape as it's squeezed by the ring when the nut is tightened. So this allows the tubing to push back against the ring so it seals between the tubing and ring, and likewise between the ring and the female fitting. With copper tubing, the copper maintains its shape without this inner reinforcement. There's no point using that insert when it's not needed -- it just reduces the flow a little.

[@DEricSoutiere]

Thank you, for the helpful video. Since (finger tightening) is relative to the person, I sagest, tighten more (with the wrench) and (stop) when you feel the need for (very slightly) more strength to apply.

[@jamescaudill2124]

Thanks video was just what I needed to see.

[@Australia-ky7kx]

Professional quality video thanks for posting

[@billlastwits8229]

Seems like a good idea but I can't get my bench vice under the sink to make the connections. ;>\

[@wilkyahzee2335]

bill lastwits brainless

[@kevinkibbe2146]

It's sometimes easier to just bring the sink down to the bench vice...

[@enzprintco.8625]

Kevin Kibbe - I definitely just chuckled out load haha

[@MarkRopel]

Just what I wanted, getting HOT in Dry Old Albuquerque, and I forgot which way the white collar fit, appreciate it, THANKS !

[@corbinhartter7432]

Watched this video before attempt #5. Success. Thank you very much.

[@rholbrook0587]

Excellent info and demo! Many thanks!

[@Broncs78]

Thank you so much for posting .

[@solowiejs]

Hey, thanks Mark! I was struggling with a brass collar on a plastic tube... glad you reminded me that there are plastic collars out there.

[@Eaglef90]

Thanks for this video. I am connecting a plastic supply tube for my dishwasher (it came with the tube and was used by the previous owner for a year with no issues) to an existing copper pipe that has a threaded end. I got a compression connection from the local hardware store but I looks like the gave me all the wrong info. My compression ring was metal not plastic like yours and they said to tighten it all the way and now it leaks. Now I know to only do one full round. Thanks.

[@arthurhernandez]

This was phenomenal!

[@clarencewstone]

thank you for this sir! Mine still seems to have a tiny leak still. I wrapped it with a ton of teflon tape and it went away but I dont think this was the right approach.

[@markd1882]

This was very helpful. Thank you for sharing

[@1chinchinchin]

when i followed your instructions for plastic compression sleeve (tapered end away from the compression nut), the completed fitting leaked water. Did it twice, thinking I may have done it wrong. Still leaked. So I assembled the compression sleeve with taper FACING the compression nut. No leaks...worked like a charm. Just saying.

[@Graham_Wideman]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZWbe3WQo96dhK8 agrees with the video above.

[@benoitlaforest6198]

Thanks for the videos, it is very well explained :) About the copper fitting, if we use 2 wrenches, would it be half a revolution in both directions? About the plastic fitting, is there a way to do it with pex cold compression fitting in order to preserver the same water flow?

[@fieldaj2011]

crap. wait, you mean cranking tight the nut onthe copper tubing until I cant crank it any tighter is NOT how to do it? sigh. Wish I saw this first!

[@drbichat5229]

Thank you. Answered my question

[@jesinu]

I give this video one. full. Like. And that's it.

[@NOBOX7]

tighten it until i cant tighten it any more , other wise it will leak if used at pressure over 30 psi or with hot liquid

[@philosophybum]

great, concise video! Thanks!

[@mikel3094]

Super clear advise. Great vid! Sure helped me

[@ForbinColossus]

Can you run copper from angle stop valve to faucet --- instead of the typical PEX or SS-sleeved flex hose? Thx for the demonstration in your vid - very clear and you speak well.

[@fromerop2823]

Dear One: Very interesting, but what type of tubing was shown here? Was a 3/8", a 1/2", a 3/4" or a 1”? I read that the ring must be plastic if tubing is 3/8" or under but, over 3/8" the ring can be copper. Could you explain this more in detail? Thank you so much for the wonderful video; perhaps you were using a tripod for the difference unlike others. Best Regards

[@axma55]

Thanks for the video. It helped me out of a jam.

[@menguardingtheirownwallets6791]

Here is how you install a compression fitting: Slide on the fitting, tighten with two wrenches, go to work, come home to $5,000 of water damage as the compression fitting wasn't tightened down hard enough and popped off while you were at work, causing $5,000 in water damage. Next time, use a SharkBite fitting instead, and push in the pipe until you feel the 'Second' click.

[@itsizzi]

So helpful!

[@thesuperstomper4776]

This was perfect, thank you.

[@idaestelle]

Thanks to your video....all the pieces finally came together....pun intended.

[@MattnMimi1]

awesome simple video

[@augustwestusa]

I love you tube!!! Thank you so much for your video!

[@ramon3300]

Great video and very informative. 👍👍

[@dilwalla]

Thanks a million!

[@gtibollo]

My quarter inch copper ice maker line needed many, many full revolutions. One half rev resulted in a slow leak. I used the ferrule under the threaded brass connectors just like this video. Did anyone else experience this?

[@RobertJadeBen]

Thanks, your video helped me.

[@eileenreed1382]

Very helpful, thank you very much.

[@HandyAndBeyond]

A regular insert tubing doesn't fit for plastic pipes. where can I find the proper inserts? Thanks