Teflon Tape vs. Pipe Thread Compound...
gblentz
17 years ago
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lazypup
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
Teflon tape or paste on external pump fittings?
Comments (9)Glen this year my fish went out the earliest yet--only because the pond was finished. Last year it was the first week in June but I had to wait for my pump to arrive. I usually wait until the pond water is about 55F or until the forecast is for no snow or frost! Their water in the tank in the garage was actually colder than the pond by a few degrees. I was mean this year and did'nt even set their bucket in the pond--you know add pond water etc. I just transferred them from the holding tank to the pond--no deaths yet and it's been almost a week. I leave my water lilies in the pond in the deep end which is about 45 inches deep. Pond musn't freeze to the bottom as we had a very cold winter this year and the lilies are all growing. The only plants that look doubtful are the pickeral rush which I had buried in the flower bed and covered with peat moss. They look kinda mushy on top--will wait for a bit and see if they do anything. It was pouring rain today and only 8C so quite a temp change from Sat. Madtripper lucky you no leaks? Most of my pipe/fittings are ABS and I use ferncos as are easy to disconnect. The valves are all glued except for the section that has the check valve--it comes out for the winter. I drain all my lines in the winter and so far havn't had any valves or pipe crack just that leak where the fitting screwed into the pump. Happy ponding! Patti...See MoreTeflon tape usage question
Comments (1)Pipe thread compound or thread seal tape should be used on all NPT (national pipe taper) threads, whether it is metal or plastic pipe....See MoreThread compound
Comments (3)Use the teflon tape AND the white teflon pipe thread compound. After you wrap the male connection with teflon tape, in a clockwise direction, put some of the white teflon based thread compound around the tape. This should stop all leaks provided you tighten the fitting all the way. Make sure the tape is not wrapped around the threads counterclockwise, or the tape will be getting unwrapped as the fitting is threaded on. I always visualize screwing the fitting on when I am wrapping with teflon tape so I get it in the right direction....See MoreTeflon Tape on Flared fittings
Comments (13)I'm an engineer, but before I finished engineering school, I became a certified HVAC tech to work to pay for college. So I have both technical training for flare fittings AND I have engineering knowledge of the same. There are always special case emergency-only exceptions to this, but if you have a special case you are probably doing something wrong or are using the wrong parts. Flare fittings are designed to be installed dry, and without sealing tape. Teflon tape will lubricate the fitting to make it easier to tighten, but it also lubricates the threads to make it easy to loosen. THAT is a bad thing, the natural friction of the threads is factored into the design. A flare is a compression fitting, and that compression is provided by the design and grip of the threads, and redesigning that by making changes such as adding teflon tape means you are no longer using the equipment as designed. Unless YOU are also an engineer, with the proper liability insurance, you are not qualified to redesign the connection. Worse, things like homeowners insurance is looking for an error to blame a loss on that is not covered by the policy. Doing your own electrical or plumbing work means you may be voiding your insurance policy if you do *anything* wrong. Insurance does not cover fire loss caused by improper installation or repair. Tapered fittings use pipe dope or teflon tape. ALL compression fittings, including flare and gasketed fittings, are designed for clean dry threads, NO tape. The one and only one thing you can do to add a sealant to a flare fitting is to add a flare seal. A flare seal is a plastic washer in the shape of the flare bell. These should only be used in solid fittings, where a copper flare is not present, such as a John Guest to flare adapter (for water lines). A flare seal is used to repair a leaky fitting, but usually means there is something wrong with the connection that should really be fixed properly. You should not need flare seals for new installations. A leak is usually caused after a connection is opened up, and there is some damage or corrosion of the seal surface. A leak on a new connection means you did something wrong....See Morejakethewonderdog
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