I'm having problems with a new bathroom radiator/towel rail in getting
the tails to seal properly into the rad. The tails seemed quite a
loose fit and despite a fairly liberal application of ptfe tape there
is still a bit of weepage which is now starting to stain the floor
tiles, so I need to do something about it. Unfortunately the floor has
electric underfloor heating, embedded in some (now solid) latex goo,
plus the tile cement, and the pipes to the rad are pretty well
immovable. I can get the rad off ok, but will need to ensure that the
tails, when refitted, project exactly the same amount.

Any suggestions on sealing the tails - Fernox LX, Plumers Mate, Boss
White, yet more ptfe, etc?

Thanks for any advice.
David.

On Thu, 10 Apr 2008 18:31:46 +0000, DavidM wrote:

I'm having problems with a new bathroom radiator/towel rail in getting
the tails to seal properly into the rad. The tails seemed quite a
loose fit and despite a fairly liberal application of ptfe tape there
is still a bit of weepage which is now starting to stain the floor
tiles, so I need to do something about it. Unfortunately the floor has
electric underfloor heating, embedded in some (now solid) latex goo,
plus the tile cement, and the pipes to the rad are pretty well
immovable. I can get the rad off ok, but will need to ensure that the
tails, when refitted, project exactly the same amount.

Any suggestions on sealing the tails - Fernox LX, Plumers Mate, Boss
White, yet more ptfe, etc?

Thanks for any advice.
David.

==================================
You could use old fashioned hemp + Boss White instead of the PTFE tape.
Hemp has more 'body' than tape.

Cic.

--
===================================
Using Ubuntu Linux
Windows shown the door
===================================

On Thu, 10 Apr 2008 18:53:40 +0000, Cicero wrote:

Any suggestions on sealing the tails - Fernox LX, Plumers Mate, Boss
White, yet more ptfe, etc?

You could use old fashioned hemp + Boss White instead of the PTFE tape.
Hemp has more 'body' than tape.


Or new-fashioned stuff that's like dental floss but thicker and made of
some combination of nylon and PTFE

--
John Stumbles

I'm more non-competitive than you

"John Stumbles" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 10 Apr 2008 18:53:40 +0000, Cicero wrote:

Any suggestions on sealing the tails - Fernox LX, Plumers Mate, Boss
White, yet more ptfe, etc?

You could use old fashioned hemp + Boss White instead of the PTFE tape.
Hemp has more 'body' than tape.

Last time I did this it was new tails into 30 yr old rads (thermostatic
valves), and I used what I had to hand - hemp and LSX. This old/new
combinarion was easy to use, and worked a treat. Hemp is very good at gap
filling in threads, so might be good for your problem, and LSX is clean and
effective as a sealant.

Charles F

In article ,
DavidM writes:
I'm having problems with a new bathroom radiator/towel rail in getting
the tails to seal properly into the rad. The tails seemed quite a
loose fit and despite a fairly liberal application of ptfe tape there
is still a bit of weepage which is now starting to stain the floor
tiles, so I need to do something about it. Unfortunately the floor has
electric underfloor heating, embedded in some (now solid) latex goo,
plus the tile cement, and the pipes to the rad are pretty well
immovable. I can get the rad off ok, but will need to ensure that the
tails, when refitted, project exactly the same amount.

Any suggestions on sealing the tails - Fernox LX, Plumers Mate, Boss
White, yet more ptfe, etc?

When I put my radiators in, I used the white PTFE. Started off with
10 turns. If that didn't tighten up before the tail screwed all the
way in, I'd strip it off and do 12 or 15 turns, depending how far
off it was. They were then all air pressure tested for leaks before
the system was filled with water. I don't think I had to reseal any
of the tails (only some of the compression fittings).

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

On 11 Apr, 11:05, (Andrew Gabriel) wrote:
In article ,
DavidM writes:

I'm having problems with a new bathroom radiator/towel rail in getting
the tails to seal properly into the rad. The tails seemed quite a
loose fit and despite a fairly liberal application of ptfe tape there
is still a bit of weepage which is now starting to stain the floor
tiles, so I need to do something about it. Unfortunately the floor has
electric underfloor heating, embedded in some (now solid) latex goo,
plus the tile cement, and the pipes to the rad are pretty well
immovable. I can get the rad off ok, but will need to ensure that the
tails, when refitted, project exactly the same amount.

Any suggestions on sealing the tails - Fernox LX, Plumers Mate, Boss
White, yet more ptfe, etc?

When I put my radiators in, I used the white PTFE. Started off with
10 turns. If that didn't tighten up before the tail screwed all the
way in, I'd strip it off and do 12 or 15 turns, depending how far
off it was. They were then all air pressure tested for leaks before
the system was filled with water. I don't think I had to reseal any
of the tails (only some of the compression fittings).

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

Get some of the gas ptfe tape - its much thicker.
Simon.

"Andrew Gabriel" wrote in message
...
In article ,
DavidM writes:
I'm having problems with a new bathroom radiator/towel rail in getting
the tails to seal properly into the rad. The tails seemed quite a
loose fit and despite a fairly liberal application of ptfe tape there
is still a bit of weepage which is now starting to stain the floor
tiles, so I need to do something about it. Unfortunately the floor has
electric underfloor heating, embedded in some (now solid) latex goo,
plus the tile cement, and the pipes to the rad are pretty well
immovable. I can get the rad off ok, but will need to ensure that the
tails, when refitted, project exactly the same amount.

Any suggestions on sealing the tails - Fernox LX, Plumers Mate, Boss
White, yet more ptfe, etc?

When I put my radiators in, I used the white PTFE. Started off with
10 turns. If that didn't tighten up before the tail screwed all the
way in, I'd strip it off and do 12 or 15 turns, depending how far
off it was. They were then all air pressure tested for leaks before
the system was filled with water. I don't think I had to reseal any
of the tails (only some of the compression fittings).

I always do a number of turns, wind it in until tightening, then remove and
ADD more turns on top (the first ones having been driven into the threads.
Never had a leak yet.


--
Bob Mannix
(anti-spam is as easy as 1-2-3 - not)

"sm_jamieson" wrote in message
news:005b9a4e-8ec2-4661-90b2-

Get some of the gas ptfe tape - its much thicker.
Simon.

Seconded.

On Thu, 10 Apr 2008 18:31:46 GMT, DavidM
wrote:

I'm having problems with a new bathroom radiator/towel rail in getting
the tails to seal properly into the rad. The tails seemed quite a
loose fit and despite a fairly liberal application of ptfe tape there
is still a bit of weepage which is now starting to stain the floor
tiles, so I need to do something about it. Unfortunately the floor has
electric underfloor heating, embedded in some (now solid) latex goo,
plus the tile cement, and the pipes to the rad are pretty well
immovable. I can get the rad off ok, but will need to ensure that the
tails, when refitted, project exactly the same amount.

Any suggestions on sealing the tails - Fernox LX, Plumers Mate, Boss
White, yet more ptfe, etc?

Thanks for any advice.
David.
Thanks for the suggestions. Picked up some hemp from the plumbers
today, will have a try with that and Fernox when I go back next week.
David.

"DavidM" wrote in message
...


Any suggestions on sealing the tails - Fernox LX, Plumers Mate, Boss
White, yet more ptfe, etc?

Shouldn't need any PTFe on a new tail to new rad fitting .. only on the male
thread into the rad

But if you do have a problem joint .. the answer is often LSX ... seems to
work wonders