On Oct 23, 3:46*pm, J Burns wrote:
On 10/23/11 10:02 AM, wrote:



On Oct 23, 3:25 am, J *wrote:
On 10/23/11 1:36 AM, DD_BobK wrote:

On Oct 22, 8:05 pm, J * *wrote:
The other day I bought a 1-oz tube of Harvey's Faucet and Valve Grease.
* * It's little like vaseline but stickier and more viscous. *The tube
says it resists high temperatures.

I can imagine several plumbing applications for it. *Has anyone used
grease instead of teflon tape?

This grease is not an appropriate *substitute for teflon tape.

This grease is a lubricant.
Teflon tape's major role is that of sealant.

Contrary to the belief& * *recommendations some:

1) NPT threads (national pipe threads -tapered) require the use of
sealant; dope or tape
2) *the right spec of teflon tape is just fine for gas
http://www.imacsystems.com/Gas_Seal_...hread_Tape.pdf

cheers
Bob

Here's grease sold as a sealant:http://www.superior-industries.com/s...oduct_241.html

Another product is Dow Corning 111 Valve Lube Sealant

Novagard G 624 is another grease sold for sealing and lubricating.

Water was leaking around the valve cartridge in my shower because the
housing was pitted. *The valve grease completes the seal between the
o-rings on the cartridge and the housing. *It may also prevent further
pitting.

A few years ago, the 9" pipe for the shower head got thin and broke. *I
used teflon tape to screw in a new pipe. *This helped me screw it in
tight, helped it seal, and could make it easier to unscrew later. *In
the case of that shower pipe, what would be wrong with using a suitable
grease, instead? *It could be easier and more foolproof than teflon tape.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

The standard for water plumbing is to use either teflon
or pipe dope, both of which are cheap and available
anywhere. *Don't see why anyone would want to use
anything else.

What does the grease container say? *Website?

Thanks, I think I'm getting somewhere.

I had used silicone sealing grease in the military. *It's sticky, inert,
and heat resistant. *Later, I thought it would be just the thing for
plumbing. *(It is used for plumbing at sea.)

It came to mind when my cartridge leaked. *I came across the term
"plumber's grease" online and thought it must be similar. *The tube of
Harvey's said it could be used in steam systems up to 350F. *I thought,
"That's it!"

It worked, but in taking a second look, I found that it smells like
petroleum grease and isn't as sticky as silicone sealing grease. *The
MSDS says it's general purpose lithium grease.

I've had good luck with teflon tape, but sometimes I've had to try again
because I'd applied too much for a good mechanical connection. *You need
the right tape for the application. *It takes two hands, and you could
end up with a bit of tape in an orifice or valve. *If I applied sealing
grease to the male threads, it seems I could do it with one hand, it
wouldn't interfere mechanically, and any excess would be squeezed to the
outside, not the inside.

I've never used pipe dope because it used to harden. *That could make a
joint hard to unscrew and leave the contents of a container useless.
Now I see they have non-hardening dope. *I wonder how it differs from
sealing grease.

Yup... Valve stems on steam valves need lubrication to keep them
moving freely... The steam piping gets and stays quite hot during
the times the system is providing heating energy... You need a grease
or lubricant which won't cook off...

~~ Evan