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#1
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Teflon Tape Usage
A clerk at my local Ace Hardware told me to use Teflon tape on the
pipe threads but not the compression fittings. I'm trying to stop a very slow seepage from the couplings and flex hose surrounding a quarter turn shut off valve serving the cold water faucet to a bathroom sink. Is this advice correct? |
#2
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Teflon Tape Usage
GROVER wrote:
A clerk at my local Ace Hardware told me to use Teflon tape on the pipe threads but not the compression fittings. I'm trying to stop a very slow seepage from the couplings and flex hose surrounding a quarter turn shut off valve serving the cold water faucet to a bathroom sink. Is this advice correct? Sometimes a little teflon paste in and around the compression sleeve will help keep it sealed up. Jon |
#3
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Teflon Tape Usage
"GROVER" wrote in message ... A clerk at my local Ace Hardware told me to use Teflon tape on the pipe threads but not the compression fittings. I'm trying to stop a very slow seepage from the couplings and flex hose surrounding a quarter turn shut off valve serving the cold water faucet to a bathroom sink. Is this advice correct? I just changed a quarter turn valve behind toilet. Did not replace compression fitting on copper pipe as I would need to remove toilet to cut the old one off. I used teflon paste made for gas line work, it is thicker. No leaks. WW |
#4
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Teflon Tape Usage
GROVER wrote in :
A clerk at my local Ace Hardware told me to use Teflon tape on the pipe threads but not the compression fittings. I'm trying to stop a very slow seepage from the couplings and flex hose surrounding a quarter turn shut off valve serving the cold water faucet to a bathroom sink. Is this advice correct? Depends on how that flex hose is coming into the fitting. Ideally you want the hose fitting coming into the connection fairly straight so it's not pulling off to the side. This makes a good all around seal. Sometimes the available lengths of flex hose are just not good. (assume you mean these flex hoses?) http://www.direcsupply.com/products/...200250%20d.jpg In that case you get a extra long one and loop it. Sorry, can't find a pic of this offhand. |
#5
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Teflon Tape Usage
GROVER wrote:
A clerk at my local Ace Hardware told me to use Teflon tape on the pipe threads but not the compression fittings. I'm trying to stop a very slow seepage from the couplings and flex hose surrounding a quarter turn shut off valve serving the cold water faucet to a bathroom sink. Is this advice correct? It is correct advice. Either tighten it or replace it and don't over tighten. Teflon tape will do nothing on this, the threads do not hold water, the compression ring does. -- LSMFT Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. |
#6
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Teflon Tape Usage
On Mon, 31 Jan 2011 08:50:02 -0800 (PST), GROVER
wrote: A clerk at my local Ace Hardware told me to use Teflon tape on the pipe threads but not the compression fittings. I'm trying to stop a very slow seepage from the couplings and flex hose surrounding a quarter turn shut off valve serving the cold water faucet to a bathroom sink. Is this advice correct? Yes it is. |
#7
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Teflon Tape Usage
On Jan 31, 11:50*am, GROVER wrote:
A clerk *at my local Ace Hardware told me to use Teflon tape on the pipe threads but not the compression fittings. *I'm trying to stop a very slow seepage from the couplings and flex hose surrounding a quarter turn shut off valve serving the cold water faucet to a bathroom sink. *Is this advice correct? Yes it is. You probably need to replace the brass compression ring. If you do no thave some extra length in the line it is on you will need to replace that piece as well. Compression fittings can be reassembled but not infinitely. |
#8
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Teflon Tape Usage
On 01/31/2011 10:50 AM, GROVER wrote:
A clerk at my local Ace Hardware told me to use Teflon tape on the pipe threads but not the compression fittings. I'm trying to stop a very slow seepage from the couplings and flex hose surrounding a quarter turn shut off valve serving the cold water faucet to a bathroom sink. Is this advice correct? Yes. See the Wikipedia article on compression fittings to understand how they work. Most important thing with those is to be clean and gentle with them. Pipe threads are tapered according to the National Pipe Thread (NPT) standard. See also the Wikipedia article about that. You need teflon tape or a goopy sealant and a small pipe wrench to stop the leak there. |
#9
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Teflon Tape Usage
GROVER wrote:
A clerk at my local Ace Hardware told me to use Teflon tape on the pipe threads but not the compression fittings. I'm trying to stop a very slow seepage from the couplings and flex hose surrounding a quarter turn shut off valve serving the cold water faucet to a bathroom sink. Is this advice correct? The purpose of Teflon tape is to lubricate the threads so the fittings go together more easily. Teflon tape is not designed to be a sealant, even though it may act minimally in this capacity. |
#10
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Teflon Tape Usage
LSMFT wrote:
GROVER wrote: A clerk at my local Ace Hardware told me to use Teflon tape on the pipe threads but not the compression fittings. I'm trying to stop a very slow seepage from the couplings and flex hose surrounding a quarter turn shut off valve serving the cold water faucet to a bathroom sink. Is this advice correct? It is correct advice. Either tighten it or replace it and don't over tighten. Teflon tape will do nothing on this, the threads do not hold water, the compression ring does. My own experience begs me to differ with you on that point. While it may not be kosher, I've stopped slow leaks on compression fittings by trimming a few inches of teflon tape down to about 3/16" width and wrapping that narrow strip around the stub end of the tubing adjacent to the compression ring. When reassembled the teflon tape gets squeezed into the space between the valve outlet, the stub end of the tubing and the compression ring, sealing whatever path was leaking just fine. YMMV, but it's worked for me at least three times already. Jeff -- Jeffry Wisnia (W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE) The speed of light is 1.8*10e12 furlongs per fortnight. |
#11
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Teflon Tape Usage
We need to know if teflon tape is a lubricant, or water
displacer. And if it's got any relation to Nazis. -- Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus www.lds.org .. "GROVER" wrote in message ... A clerk at my local Ace Hardware told me to use Teflon tape on the pipe threads but not the compression fittings. I'm trying to stop a very slow seepage from the couplings and flex hose surrounding a quarter turn shut off valve serving the cold water faucet to a bathroom sink. Is this advice correct? |
#12
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Teflon Tape Usage
On Mon, 31 Jan 2011 16:32:35 -0600, "HeyBub"
wrote: GROVER wrote: A clerk at my local Ace Hardware told me to use Teflon tape on the pipe threads but not the compression fittings. I'm trying to stop a very slow seepage from the couplings and flex hose surrounding a quarter turn shut off valve serving the cold water faucet to a bathroom sink. Is this advice correct? The purpose of Teflon tape is to lubricate the threads so the fittings go together more easily. Teflon tape is not designed to be a sealant, even though it may act minimally in this capacity. Actually teflon tape does both. Before teflon tape a waxed linen thread was often used to accomplish the same thing. Wax alone would not do the job and it is an excellent lubricant - and plain linen thread would just shred, doing no good at all. |
#13
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Teflon Tape Usage
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#14
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Teflon Tape Usage
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#15
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Teflon Tape Usage
On Jan 31, 2:57*pm, jeff_wisnia
wrote: LSMFT wrote: GROVER wrote: A clerk *at my local Ace Hardware told me to use Teflon tape on the pipe threads but not the compression fittings. *I'm trying to stop a very slow seepage from the couplings and flex hose surrounding a quarter turn shut off valve serving the cold water faucet to a bathroom sink. * Is this advice correct? It is correct advice. Either tighten it or replace it and don't over tighten. Teflon tape will do nothing on this, the threads do not hold water, the compression ring does. My own experience begs me to differ with you on that point. While it may not be kosher, I've stopped slow leaks on compression fittings by trimming a few inches of teflon tape down to about 3/16" width and wrapping that narrow strip around the stub end of the tubing adjacent to the compression ring. When reassembled the teflon tape gets squeezed into the space between the valve outlet, the stub end of the tubing and the compression ring, sealing whatever path was leaking just fine. YMMV, but it's worked for me at least three times already. Jeff -- Jeffry Wisnia (W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE) The speed of light is 1.8*10e12 furlongs per fortnight. I've got to agree with Jeff. Yes, compression fitting have straight threads and a compression sleeve to do the sealing BUT telfon tape or teflon dope can be used on stubborn fittings that refuse to seal. I used to to be a purist and replace fittings that wouldn't seat properly & seal. I took the tip from a master plumber who I saw using teflon dope on compression fitted angle stops. I asked him..... "Hey Robert, what's up with the telfon dope on the compression fittings? They're supposed to be metal to metal contact....no dope required." To which he replied.... "Yeah, I know but it seems like my crew and I used to invariably get one to two 'leakers' out of a houseful of compression fitted angle stops. Often requiring the valve to be replaced or worse...... a call back the day. Since I've switched to teflon dope; leakers, no call backs." His experience was hard to argue with. He & his crews probably do more angle stops in a couple months than I have in my entire life. I switched to doping compression fittings. Goes against my engineer's sensibilities but it works. The dope or tape doesn't seal the straight threads but serves to help the compression sleeve & seat to seal. Maybe modern compression seats & sleeves aren't as well made as years ago and they have imperfections / deformities that need the dope? Now to address the dope or tape question. "it's a lubricant", "no, it's sealant".......... "no, it's both". They are sealants that provide come lubrication BUT their main purpose is "sealant", here's why......... Standard tapered pipe threads (NPT) will NOT seal without a sealant. Yes, they get torqued together BUT no matter how well lubricated or how much they're tightened, they will NOT completely seal. BTDT....... YEARS ago I did the experiment of trying to get NPT pipe threads to seal with lube alone; they can't, they won't. The internal threads & external thread have a bit of clearance so even when they are "tight" there is an volume beyond the tip of the external thread, ending in the valley of the internal thread. This "gap" between the tips & the valleys is where the pipe dope needs to be, to seal the NPT threads. Without tape or dope, you'll always get a bit of leakage; back through that spiral path. The good new is, a lot of domestic water carries minerals that will do the job of pipe dope..... eventually. In fact, check out the MSDS for Loctite HVAC Blue http://www.deltaindustrial.com/MSDS/...ntCompound.pdf The non-volatile part is calcium carbonate....... HVAC Blue is user applied "hard water deposits" Now for those who really want to "geek out".... there are "dry seal" pipe threads (NPTF) but if anyone ever suggests that you use them, I recommend asking them to "show me how". I've used them, YEARS ago and can attest, they are nasty & a real PITA. Do whatever you can do to avoid them. The are close tolerance and meant to create a true interference fit. The whole point is "seal without sealant". Made for military or applications where sealants (dope or tape) are a no-no. Bad enough in plated steel, in stainless they are a nightmare. cheers Bob |
#16
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Teflon Tape Usage
"GROVER" wrote in message
A clerk at my local Ace Hardware told me to use Teflon tape on the pipe threads but not the compression fittings. I'm trying to stop a very slow seepage from the couplings and flex hose surrounding a quarter turn shut off valve serving the cold water faucet to a bathroom sink. Is this advice correct? How cold is the water in that pipe? Perhaps it is not a leak, rather condensation? (like on the outside of a glass of ice water...) |
#17
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Teflon Tape Usage
Matt wrote in
: On 01/31/2011 10:50 AM, GROVER wrote: A clerk at my local Ace Hardware told me to use Teflon tape on the pipe threads but not the compression fittings. I'm trying to stop a very slow seepage from the couplings and flex hose surrounding a quarter turn shut off valve serving the cold water faucet to a bathroom sink. Is this advice correct? Yes. See the Wikipedia article on compression fittings to understand how they work. Most important thing with those is to be clean and gentle with them. Pipe threads are tapered according to the National Pipe Thread (NPT) standard. See also the Wikipedia article about that. You need teflon tape or a goopy sealant and a small pipe wrench to stop the leak there. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compression_fittings Good article. Didn't know this part. Never looked that closely. "To work properly, the ferrule must be oriented correctly; typically the ferrule is fitted such that the longest sloping face of the ferrule faces away from the nut." |
#18
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Teflon Tape Usage
On 1/31/2011 5:57 PM, jeff_wisnia wrote:
LSMFT wrote: GROVER wrote: A clerk at my local Ace Hardware told me to use Teflon tape on the pipe threads but not the compression fittings. I'm trying to stop a very slow seepage from the couplings and flex hose surrounding a quarter turn shut off valve serving the cold water faucet to a bathroom sink. Is this advice correct? It is correct advice. Either tighten it or replace it and don't over tighten. Teflon tape will do nothing on this, the threads do not hold water, the compression ring does. My own experience begs me to differ with you on that point. While it may not be kosher, I've stopped slow leaks on compression fittings by trimming a few inches of teflon tape down to about 3/16" width and wrapping that narrow strip around the stub end of the tubing adjacent to the compression ring. When reassembled the teflon tape gets squeezed into the space between the valve outlet, the stub end of the tubing and the compression ring, sealing whatever path was leaking just fine. YMMV, but it's worked for me at least three times already. Jeff Works for me also, tape or pipe dope. |
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