Or even better, replace the worn out fittings! If you find 2-4 layers isn't doing the trick, consider using pipe dope instead. Bad news since that's usually an expensive piece of equipment like a pump housing or a multiport.Īre there crusty old fittings in the world that require more than four? Sure! How do you find out? Try two layers first. More than three or four and you risk breaking whatever female fitting you are threading into. When you get to the end you should have two layers over the entire fitting, and the threads should still be clearly defined through the tape. Keep tension on the tape as you wrap so it is pulled completely into the threads. Wrap completely around twice to hold the end of the tape in place, and then work your way up the threads overlapping half the width of the tape as you go. Start at the end of the threads, being sure not to go over the end as this may cause an obstruction. Wrapping the opposite direction will usually result in the tape coming unwound as you tighten the fitting. Teflon should be wrapped in the same direction as the male threads. Now that you know you've got the right application, how do you put it on? In short, if there's an o-ring or gasket present there's usually no need for teflon tape. This goes for ball valves with unions, most filter cartridge housings, spa heater unions, etc. Placing teflon tape on these threads would be useless since any water that leaked past the o-ring would escape out the other non-threaded side. The threads on a union, for example, are only used to provide compression to hold the flat surface on one side snugly against the o-ring on the other. Teflon tape serves no purpose on union or lock-ring type connections which depend on an o-ring or some other gasket. These are fittings like PVC male adapters, drain plugs, and pressure gauge threads where the threads are providing a seal. Teflon tape is used to fill in the gaps and lubricate tapered threaded fittings. The first thing to know is when to use it. A wasteful, frustrating nuisance when misapplied. AKA thread seal tape, plumber's tape, polytetrafluoroethylene film. Having seen two excellent examples of how NOT to use it yesterday I feel inspired. I've seen a few mentions here and there of how to use TT, but no one thread dedicated to it.
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