Totally relate to this—it's a common misconception that tighter is always better. I remember one call where the homeowner had tightened fittings so much, the rubber washers were completely squashed and split. Ironically, that caused more leaks than it prevented. A good rule of thumb is hand-tight plus a quarter-turn with a wrench; usually that's plenty. Glad you caught it early though...beats having to replace damaged parts later on.
Interesting point about overtightening—I hadn't really thought about washers getting damaged like that. As a first-time homeowner, I've been cautious about plumbing because I've heard so many horror stories. Recently, I noticed a slow drip under my kitchen sink and immediately assumed the fittings needed tightening. But after reading your experience, I'm wondering if maybe I tightened them too much? I did use a wrench and gave it a good extra turn or two beyond hand-tight, thinking more was better. Now I'm thinking I should probably check those washers to see if they're squashed or split. Is there a reliable way to tell if you've overtightened fittings without completely disassembling everything? I'd rather catch it early than deal with bigger leaks down the road...
One quick thing you might notice is if the washer looks squeezed out around the edges—that's usually a telltale sign of overtightening. Ever tried using plumber's tape instead of cranking fittings tighter? Saved me some headaches...
I've tried plumber's tape before, and yeah, it does help a bit. But honestly, I wonder if it's really a long-term fix or just masking the real issue? Had a pipe under my sink that kept leaking even with tape, turns out the fitting itself was warped from previous overtightening. Maybe sometimes the real solution is just biting the bullet and replacing the fitting altogether... anyone else find themselves stuck in that cycle of temporary fixes?
"Maybe sometimes the real solution is just biting the bullet and replacing the fitting altogether..."
Yeah, been there more times than I'd like to admit. Plumber's tape is great for minor leaks, but if the fitting itself is warped or damaged, you're just delaying the inevitable. Learned that lesson after a tenant called me at midnight because their "fixed" pipe decided to give up again... fun times. Sometimes it's better (and cheaper in the long run) to just swap it out and sleep easier at night.
