After whale-watching in Monterey Bay and a bayside meal at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. on Monterey's Cannery Row, we headed south on Highway 1. We twice diverted within the few miles between Monterey and Carmel to the 17-Mile Drive, which winds past Pebble Beach.
Compression fittings work by the compression of an âoliveâ between two tapered surfaces and the pipe itself. The two surfaces are the body of the fitting (be it a valve, connector or any other type) and the nut. Using a spanner and a pair of grips the nut is tightened. This exerts pressure on the olive and bites it onto the pipe. Compression fittings work well if the pipe is clean and cut properly.
Avoid Stripping the Threads. The plumbing fittings are typically wide bolts. Inside each fitting are threads that screw on to the pipes to make a tight fitting. If you tighten the fittings too much, you run the risk of stripping these threads. Like any type of screw or bolt, if you strip a thread, you will find that it is harder to loosen the fitting as well as to turn it.