I have seen plumbers use all sorts of rituals for sealing threaded
joints and am curious as to the best way to make reliable threaded
potable water joints.

Those I've observed recently a

A wrap with thin (white) teflon tape
A wrap with thick (yellow...gas) teflon tape
The teflon tape augmented with RectorSeal No. 5
The teflon tape augmented with RectorSeal T plus 2
Just RectorSeal No.5
Just RectorSeal T plus 2
Permatex (black gooey mess)
Dry.

The pipes used have variously been threaded copper, brass, galvanized
steel and sch 80 PVC.

All of these various methods have been employed by licensed plumbers.
(And, some even leaked after a few days.)

Surely there is a consensus among those "in the know" as to what the
best technique is. Please let me know what it is.

RB

RB wrote:

A wrap with thin (white) teflon tape

I use this on things I expect to take apart in the future.

A wrap with thick (yellow...gas) teflon tape

Would be my choice, on gas lines, see above.

Recto seal - never heard of it

Harvey's pipe dope with PFTE (teflon), is the stuff I have available and
use for things I don't expect to take apart.

Surely there is a consensus among those "in the know" as to what the
best technique is. Please let me know what it is.

The licensed plumbers used white teflon tape and pipe dope (don't know
which brand), when asked why both?, a: "it is cheaper and easier than a
return call".

"RB" wrote in message
...
I have seen plumbers use all sorts of rituals for sealing threaded
joints and am curious as to the best way to make reliable threaded
potable water joints.

Those I've observed recently a

A wrap with thin (white) teflon tape
A wrap with thick (yellow...gas) teflon tape
The teflon tape augmented with RectorSeal No. 5
The teflon tape augmented with RectorSeal T plus 2
Just RectorSeal No.5
Just RectorSeal T plus 2
Permatex (black gooey mess)
Dry.

The pipes used have variously been threaded copper, brass, galvanized
steel and sch 80 PVC.

All of these various methods have been employed by licensed plumbers.
(And, some even leaked after a few days.)

Surely there is a consensus among those "in the know" as to what the
best technique is. Please let me know what it is.

RB


Sodder.
White tape

Death to christian warriors

"John Hines" wrote in message
...
RB wrote:

A wrap with thin (white) teflon tape

I use this on things I expect to take apart in the future.

A wrap with thick (yellow...gas) teflon tape

Would be my choice, on gas lines, see above.


Use teflon tape on your gas joints and it may void any warranty on the
downstream equipment....

"HeatMan" wrote:


"John Hines" wrote in message
.. .
RB wrote:

A wrap with thin (white) teflon tape

I use this on things I expect to take apart in the future.

A wrap with thick (yellow...gas) teflon tape

Would be my choice, on gas lines, see above.


Use teflon tape on your gas joints and it may void any warranty on the
downstream equipment....

Haven't seen that one. The only place I use tape is on the flex
connection that couples the device to the permanent gas lines. I've had
it go the other way, the use of pipe dope voids the warranty on my new
Moen bathtub valve, supposedly due to incompatibility with the plastics.
I used Harvey's plastic compatible (I checked the label) TPFE (teflon)
dope, and so far so good.

That is what I meant by take apart in the future, when a new appliance
is installed.

Other than replacing the water heater, I'll call a pro for the rest of
the gas line work.

I do use teflon on temporary work, such as when I put the shower head
and stuff on now, since it will have to come off to install the wall
board. Once it is all together and done, then it is time for pipe dope.

"John Hines" wrote in message
...
"HeatMan" wrote:


"John Hines" wrote in message
.. .
RB wrote:

A wrap with thin (white) teflon tape

I use this on things I expect to take apart in the future.

A wrap with thick (yellow...gas) teflon tape

Would be my choice, on gas lines, see above.


Use teflon tape on your gas joints and it may void any warranty on the
downstream equipment....

Haven't seen that one. The only place I use tape is on the flex
connection that couples the device to the permanent gas lines. I've had
it go the other way, the use of pipe dope voids the warranty on my new
Moen bathtub valve, supposedly due to incompatibility with the plastics.
I used Harvey's plastic compatible (I checked the label) TPFE (teflon)
dope, and so far so good.


Teflon tape is fine, but it has it's limitations. I carry a roll of it in
my tool bag, but it hardly ever gets used.

Like I said before, if you use teflon tape on your gas joints, it may void
any warranty on the downstream equipment. Bits of the tape may get in
between the seat and the operator and may cause the valve to not close
completely. The gas may dribble out, but you get enough gas and BOOM!

Teflon tape is for water connections only, in my opinion

"RB" wrote in message
...

I have seen plumbers use all sorts of rituals for sealing threaded
joints and am curious as to the best way to make reliable threaded
potable water joints.

Those I've observed recently a

A wrap with thin (white) teflon tape
A wrap with thick (yellow...gas) teflon tape
The teflon tape augmented with RectorSeal No. 5
The teflon tape augmented with RectorSeal T plus 2
Just RectorSeal No.5
Just RectorSeal T plus 2
Permatex (black gooey mess)
Dry.

The pipes used have variously been threaded copper, brass, galvanized
steel and sch 80 PVC.

All of these various methods have been employed by licensed plumbers.
(And, some even leaked after a few days.)

Surely there is a consensus among those "in the know" as to what the
best technique is. Please let me know what it is.

RB

If you use pipe dope, just make sure it is Rector Seal. I used another
brand once; something in a tube and it said it never hardened . It was
impossible to get the joint apart a couple of years later -- I had to use a
hacksaw, and a hammer and cold chisel to take the fitting apart in pieces.

Best regards,
Bob

Surely there is a consensus among those "in the know" as to what the
best technique is. Please let me know what it is.

RB

As a pipe fitter I install and tested threaded pipe everyday, so I
guess I could say I am -in the know. The secret to making a reliable
threaded connection is in the design of the threaded connection. The
threads on the pipe and inside the fitting are a NPT (National Pipe
Taper) thread. As you screw the pipe into the tapered fitting the
force of the pipe going into a ever increasingly smaller fitting is
what seals the pipe to the fitting, so having the correct taper on the
pipe thread is essential to getting a reliable connection.

If the pipe and fitting are store bought you can be sure of the
correct taper. If you have threaded the pipe yourself a good rule of
thumb is to thread a scrap piece of pipe ( be sure to apply enough
thread cutting oil when you cut the threads) and turn the fitting on
dry by hand. You should be able to turn the pipe 3 to 3 ½ turns before
it starts offering resistance.

I less than 3 to 3 ½ turns you have cut the threads to shallow and you
should readjust the pipe dies (close the dies up a little). If more
than 3 to 3 ½ turns you have cut the threads to deep so again you
should adjust the dies to cut less. (open the dies up a little)

As far as the Teflon tape, RectorSeal and other compounds
used,(commonly known as anti galling compounds, they are to prevent
the threads on the pipe and the threads on the fitting from Galling
(being welded together from the heat of friction generated when being
forced together). They have little to do with getting a leak proof
connection. Of course with out then you will never get a good
connection.

As a Start-up crew member, my job is to hydrostatically test ( test
with 150 lbs of water pressure for 24 hours) the screw pipe other
crews have build, so I see and have to rework many leaky connection
every day. The majority of the leaks I find are caused by not tighting
the connection enough, although I do sometimes find one tightened to
the point to where the fitting has been cracked and has to be
replaced. As an apprentice I was always taught to tighten the
connection until it will not go any more, then tighten it one more
turn.