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Why Is the Supply Line Leaking at the Nut?

Updated September 2026

▶Glossary5
  1. Likely Causes
  2. What to Check, in Order
  3. When to Open a Ticket
  4. Related Guides
  5. Common Questions

If the supply line is leaking at the nut, the fitting is usually either under tightened with the gasket not seated, or over tightened to the point that the gasket is damaged. The first thing to check is the gasket inside the nut. Feed line connections on an Ella faucet are made hand tight plus a quarter to half turn with the gasket seated, and going further crushes the gasket and starts a drip that no extra torque will stop. Ella 2 piece and 5 piece fast fill faucet sets ship with two 3/4 inch by 5 foot braided stainless steel supply lines, shut off valves are supplied by your plumber, and replacement braided lines are stock parts.

Likely Causes

  • The gasket inside the nut is missing, folded or out of its seat.
  • The nut was over tightened with a wrench and the gasket is crushed.
  • The braided line itself is damaged, for example a drywall screw through the jacket or a kink at the 90 degree connector.
  • The 3/4 inch shutoff valve is the wrong thread type or has a damaged washer, so it never tightens down.

What to Check, in Order

  1. Close the shut off valves and dry every fitting. Open the valves and watch each connection with the faucet off, then the spout on, then the hand shower on, since some fittings only see pressure in certain positions.
  2. At the leaking nut, back it off, pull the gasket and inspect it. Reseat a good gasket flat in the nut and retighten hand tight plus a quarter to half turn. Replace a crushed or torn gasket rather than tightening harder.
  3. Inspect the braided jacket along its full loop. A pinhole, a screw through the line or a sharp kink means the line is replaced, not repaired. Sizes and valve guidance are in water supply lines and shut off valves.
  4. Check the shutoff valve. The Ella lines end in 3/4 inch female pipe thread, so the valve must present 3/4 inch male pipe thread. A hose thread valve will not seal properly, and a valve that will not tighten is a plumber replacement.
  5. If the drip is at a faucet piece rather than the line, follow water under the tub, finding the source to separate it from the unions and the hand shower receptacle.
  6. Order new lines if any jacket is damaged. What a parts ticket needs is in how to order replacement parts.
Ella's Bubbles Shower Column Installation With A 5 Piece Faucet Set
Chapters in this video
  1. 0:00 Installing the Shower Column Base The technician inserts the shower column base into the pre-drilled hole and secures it with washers and a locking collar.
  2. 0:37 Attaching the Riser Tube The technician screws the riser tube onto the shower base unit, ensuring the gasket is correctly placed.
  3. 0:50 Connecting the Shower Supply Line The technician connects the shower supply line to the bottom of the base unit and then to the diverter.
  4. 1:13 Adjusting the Riser Arm Bracket The technician adjusts the riser arm bracket to accommodate various wall configurations and places the rubber gasket.
  5. 2:04 Mounting the Shower Column The technician attaches the mounting brackets to the shower wall, ensuring the unit is perfectly level.
  6. 2:22 Attaching Rain and Hand Showers The technician attaches the rain shower to the riser tube and the hand shower to the unit with a flexible hose.

The video shows the same feed line technique that applies to supply connections on the faucet: check the gasket, thread the connection on hand tight, add a quarter to half turn with a wrench, and never over torque a fitting. Watch: Ella's Bubbles Shower Column Installation With A 5 Piece Faucet Set with chapters and a full transcript.

When to Open a Ticket

If a line is damaged or a gasket needs replacing, open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support with a photo of the leaking connection, a photo of the whole line from the valve to the faucet, your serial number, and whether you have the 2 piece or 5 piece faucet. Your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 sends the matching braided lines and gaskets.

Common Questions

How tight should the supply line nut be?
Hand tight plus a quarter to half turn, with the gasket seated flat inside the nut. Over tightening damages the gasket and causes the very drip you are trying to stop. If it still weeps after a proper seat, the gasket or line is replaced.
Can I buy braided supply lines locally instead of ordering them?
The Ella lines are 3/4 inch by 5 feet with 3/4 inch female pipe thread ends, so a matching line from a plumbing supplier can work if the size and thread are the same. Replacement braided lines are also stock parts through your Ella dealer or the team.
Can a braided supply line be patched after a drywall screw went through it?
No, a braided supply line cannot be patched if it has been punctured, for example, by a drywall screw or if it has a sharp kink. If the braided jacket along its full loop is damaged, the line must be replaced, not repaired. You should shut off the valves, photograph the damage, and request a new braided supply line. It is also advisable to check the second supply line at the same time in case it was also damaged.
Why will my 3/4 inch shutoff valve not tighten?
Most often the valve is hose thread rather than the 3/4 inch male pipe thread the Ella lines need, or its washer is damaged. Your plumber swaps in a standard 3/4 inch ball valve placed where it can be reached through an access panel.

About this guide. Answers in the Ella’s Bubbles Support Center are compiled from real conversations with tub owners, our technicians’ notes and the product documentation, then reviewed by our team. Tub models and options have evolved over the years, so a detail here may differ slightly from your exact tub. If something looks different on yours, send us your serial number and a specialist will confirm it for your model.

Related guides

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