I may never use teflon tape again

[CraigStu]

I helped my neighbor replace an auxillary home water pump today. Inlet and outlet were threaded and needed several brass pieces to reduce size to connect to the braided hoses. One also needed a 90-deg piece. The small damper canister needed a reducer also. So we had a bunch of pipe threaded brass pieces to put together. We used about 3 layers of teflon tape at each joint. We ended up w/ 4 seeps so took it all apart and used 5 layers of tape and really grunted them tight. That got it down to 2 seeps. Took it all apart again, ran to Lowes for Oatey white which B Vila ranked as best for water. Put it all together and no leaks. We did see that two of the reducers were proudly marked 'china'. One thing to note is that the pieces all threaded together in the early stages before reaching the grunt it tight stage much more smoothly. I wonder if a lot of the advantage is due the better lube allowed by the Oatey lets us get the fittings tighter. It would be interesting to try a non-water soluble grease as a test but not on this job.

 

[garfunkle24]

If I'm working on clean dry threads, I usually use a liquid thread sealant. I do use tape on a fitting when I can't get it thoroughly clean/degreased and don't really have any trouble with leaks.

 

[dogdog]

I have no problem with any tapes used yellow grey white blue. I just have to make sure I always wrap it in a clockwise direction.

Btw most of the pipe I used are coo China no issue with threads but some cheaper ones are thinner walled.

 

[rooster59]

Clean threads with a pick. 2-3 wraps ptfe tape, leave 1st thread exposed. wrap clockwise looking at the end. Then small bit of Rectorseal T+2, smear with finger clockwise. Chinese threads are a challenge, engagement std is whatever. Dull tap / die, what’s that?

 

[rayra]

lol 3 layers of thin PTFE tape is nothing. Especially on tapered threads in Chinesium.

/Probably didn't wind it in the right direction, either.

More wraps and.or thicker tape and some thread sealant wouldn't hurt either -

 

[nadogail]

Pipe dope carefully applied has made many an amateur plumber look good.

 

[Wheelingit]

I have always used a combination of tape and paste. Did thousands of joints like this and had virtually no leaks.

 

[Firstram]

Love this stuff

 

[KnurledNut]

Blue monster tape and dope.

 

[mike93lx]

I have never used dope, always tape and making it type.

Maybe just lucky?

 

[Jackfre]

I’ve been screwing pipe together for almost 60 yrs now. On brass/brass I’d use tape. In the old days I was taught you didn’t to need tape or dope on brass as the heat of tightening itself would cause the brass to heat enough to almost fuse. Properly applied tape rarely leaks, ON GOOD PIPE/THREADS. On todays pipe I take my taps and dies on all jobs and ******* and fittings get run through them to true things up. It helps a great deal and gives a sense of confidence in the install. Amazing how a tap to clean up the threads helps.

 

[HenryAZ]

On todays pipe I take my taps and dies on all jobs and ******* and fittings get run through them to true things up. It helps a great deal and gives a sense of confidence in the install. Amazing how a tap to clean up the threads helps.

I do the same, except a thread file rather than die for external, making sure the entry threads are good and hit any other obvious bad spots. Last week I ordered a 1/4" x 18 NPT tap, went to put it away and found out I already had two. Getting old *****.

 

[dfiler2]

I also use the thicker tape and at least 5 wraps, I have used nothing but tape for years and have not had any problems except a couple of times when it was brass on brass, very frustrating.

 

[Crazyjake8493]

Which tape was it? If it was the thin, white tape that comes in the little blue plastic rolls, throw that stuff in the garbage and forget about it. Get some good tape like Blue Monster and it'll work. At work, we use good tape and a thin schmear of pipe dope as well on the big stuff.

 

[PhantomEB]

At work which I adapted to home, clean threads up good, Teflon tape then a light coating of pipe dope. Learned this from the pipe fitters.

 

[fitter30]

Hercules megaloc or anaerobic dope the go to i use. Want a sealant for torn threads, fitting that the ****** is buried and loose, flange that has grooves
Expando a powdered mixed with water to a thick paste takes overnight to set.

 

[ez-duzit]

There may be rare uses for Teflon tape, but never combined with pipe dope, which won't stick to Teflon tape.

 

[428PI]

I've had a lot better luck with Teflon tape than the Teflon paste.

 

[James-W]

I never use anything on brass fittings and I have never had a leak. It is my understanding that pipe threads are designed to automatically seal as you tighten them. Teflon tape or pipe dope will help you tighten the pipe because it acts a little bit like a lubricant and makes tightening the joint easier, but I do not see any way either one can prevent leakage for high pressure systems. The pipe threads are designed to crush and seal and do that.

 

[CraigStu]

Which tape was it? If it was the thin, white tape that comes in the little blue plastic rolls, throw that stuff in the garbage and forget about it. Get some good tape like Blue Monster and it'll work. At work, we use good tape and a thin schmear of pipe dope as well on the big stuff.

Exactly what we both had. I will look for the better tape. We went from 3-5 wraps and almost had it fixed but not quite. Vila had the Rectorseal listed but for other fluids but Lowes has it also so I may pick up some when I buy my own can of Oatey white. I have also always thought that brass fittings were made to deform each other and seal but these sure didn't.

 

[tstaude]

Blue Monster is some really great tape, I'll never buy the regular stuff again!
I use that along with a light amount of sealer.

 

[reader2580]

A plumber who does Youtube videos always uses six wraps of Blue Monster. I used that method on a recent plumbing project and no leaks.

 

[fsae0607]

Teflon tape then some RectumSeal. Works every time, even with chicom fittings!

 

[joe_padavano]

Five wraps??? Geeze. I use two wraps of the thicker grey tape. Never had an issue in decades of doing this. I do make sure the threads are clean of all old tape and sealer first.

 

[CraigStu]

I happened to go to HD yesterday and tried to grab some sealer. Apparently HD sells the RectorSeal but not Oatey. I need to research a little more on which RectorSeal goo and I also want the Oatey white. They did have some Oatey grey tape so I grabbed one of those.

 

[HenryAZ]

I happened to go to HD yesterday and tried to grab some sealer. Apparently HD sells the RectorSeal but not Oatey. I need to research a little more on which RectorSeal goo and I also want the Oatey white. They did have some Oatey grey tape so I grabbed one of those.

I use Rectorseal T+2 with PTFE for all NPT joints, no tape at all. No leaks for years. The product is relatively cheap on Amazon, for a can that will do many, many joints.

 

[HoosierBuddy]

Yeah....I gave up on teflon tape for my work (mostly natural gas piping) about 25 years ago. Pipe dope is easier to use and more reliable in my experience. I've tried several different brands over the years. I've not found anything better than Rectorseal #5.

 

[rlmartinson]

About 20 years ago, the Permatex rep told us that Teflon tape was never meant to seal a joint and that you should use a pipe dope for that purpose. Never had the chance to confirm this info with a different expert.
I know I've had a few leaks with tape, but was able to make it work. None of my projects have been critical to not leak.

 

[nh_yota]

Teflon tape isn't a sealant - it's a friction reducer that allows you to tighten the fittings so they seal with their own tapered threads. Problem is, most fittings these days have crappy threads so using Teflon tape on its own may not work.

 

[Blt2Lst]

Blue monster tape and dope.

That's the combination we use where I work on all autoclave water lines.

 

[silkman]

Theres a reason pipe dope is still around in 2022...

 

[mike93lx]

Theres a reason pipe dope is still around in 2022...

That just means people are buying it. Not that it is good or the best .

You can also still buy Chrysler vehicles...

 

[Mr onetwo]

I am testing this stuff out https://www.rocol.com/products/rapidseal...it is an anaerobic thread sealant used extensively in Europe. Similar to Loctite 545 which is the only stuff I use on hydraulics.I used Xpando for years but it is a pain. Blue Monster tape and dope is excellent, but for threads that can't leak the first time I want to see if Rocol is as good as I think it is. Chasing the threads isn't necessary if you buy Ward or Anvil USA made fittings. The chinesium **** at the big box stores is absolutely terrible.Because I no longer work in a production setting I use Brakleen to clean all the oil from the threads...seems to help.Last thing I'll say is don't overtighten...you can stretch a cheap fitting.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

There may be rare uses for Teflon tape, but never combined with pipe dope, which won't stick to Teflon tape.

Tell that to every Fitter & Plumber I have ever worked with...

Tommy

 

[gmole]

3M 545 ,amazing stuff, gas ,oil. No leaks

 

[rustyjames]

I'm stuck on on Permatex #2 Form A Gasket as a thread sealant. What convinced me is when I did a head gasket replacement on a Continental F227 Flathead engine where some of the head bolts extend into water jackets. The Permatex was recommended to seal the threads on those bolts.

 

[Firebrick43]

Tell that to every Fitter & Plumber I have ever worked with...

Tommy

Its sad that we have to do it but with pipe and fittings made of the finest chinesium its the norm now. We save old pipe taken down, and it threads butter smooth without tearing unlike the chinesium pipe. I do have purchasing buying ward fittings for now because I physically showed them with USA pipe and ward fittings I could make leak free joints with just cutting oil on the threads. (just a demonstration) and showed them all the leaking joints on one of their new machines installed with just white Teflon tape and chinesium pipe/fittings. Unfortunately we tried to source USA pipe and they could not.

Thankfully hydraulic NPT fittings are not terrible quality yet and therefore 545 is enough.

 

[Stedlin]

I wonder how a female taper pipe thread seals at all. After all, most of them are tapped. A taper pipe tap will always leave an incomplete thread since it is always engaged in cutting at the point that it stops and reverses. It’s impossible for the thread to be accurate when produced in this fashion.

This is why I thread mill internal pipe threads.

 

[pizza]

i'm not convinced (yet) that tape + dope is any better than dope.

when i do use tape (not often, but sometimes on drains), i use oatey fastape (gray). it's thicker and denser than normal ptfe tape. i'm sure there are other good brands, but i haven't tried them. i wouldn't mind using something else as long as it's at least as good as this stuff.



i use RectumSeal #5 for dope. hasn't let me down yet, but ditto to what i said above about formulas from other brands probably being as good.



i am very convinced that dope is the way to go.

 

[pizza]

I am testing this stuff out https://www.rocol.com/products/rapidseal...it is an anaerobic thread sealant used extensively in Europe. Similar to Loctite 545 which is the only stuff I use on hydraulics.I used Xpando for years but it is a pain. Blue Monster tape and dope is excellent, but for threads that can't leak the first time I want to see if Rocol is as good as I think it is. Chasing the threads isn't necessary if you buy Ward or Anvil USA made fittings. The chinesium **** at the big box stores is absolutely terrible.Because I no longer work in a production setting I use Brakleen to clean all the oil from the threads...seems to help.Last thing I'll say is don't overtighten...you can stretch a cheap fitting.

rocol rapidseal sounds nice. where'd you get it, and where'd you hear about it?

RAPIDSEAL | Rocol

RAPIDSEAL is a FOLIAC rapid-curing pipe sealant for industrial metal pipework up to 3 in. It seals threaded joints and helps reduce repair downtime.

www.rocol.com

since it's suitable for potable water, i wouldn't mind trying it when i get fed up with my current tin of rectumseal 5. it's getting kind of old, and the brush is getting fucked up.

that applicator nozzle looks a lot nicer than the brush. so much more precise and less messy. a brush might still be nicer if you can't rotate the pipe though since idk how the nozzle works in tight spaces or upside down.

i just wonder if it stays homogenous in the tube. with rectumseal, i have to stir it up every time i use it (i'm not a plumber, so i use it very infrequently).

i found a vid about it:

lol, "apply heat to disassemble" ?!?
i wonder how hard it cures? if it actually makes joints hard to disassemble, that kind of *****.