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wrote:
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
EricP wrote:
5. i'd put a couple of wraps of PTFE tape over the olive as i'd been
advised that this can help stop small leaks (was this my downfall?)
This is the reason.
No it's not.

Compression joints are not PTFE territory.
I'm one of those who does use PTFE round the olive. And non of mine leak -
and certainly don't pull apart.

I use it as well but only on old fittings or where there is a problem.
I've NEVER ever had one leak or one come apart.

I saw Tommy Walsh using the same method recently flame suit on ;-)

What I don't get is this recent puritanical aversion to PTFE tape in
this NG. Has someone gone short on PTFE tape manufacturers' shares?

PTFE tape works best in a threaded coupling...as a thread filler, Its
less effective in an olive because by and large, its not strong enough.

All olives MUST permanently deform the copper pipe enough to grip it
reliably.

The problem is once you start, its easy to go too far and get to the
limits of the thread to compress the olive. Such a joint has no more
'slack' left in it, and will be unreliable when re-used. Filling it up
with PTFE tape MAY just bulk it out enough to be watertight..but I am
dubious as to the longevity on high pressure systems.