PTFE tape, thread seal tape, plumber’s tape or Teflon tape as it’s also known is a very usefully and versatile tape used mainly to help seal up plumbing joints and stop or prevent them from leaking. Don't let your plumbing give you the winter blues! We will show you how to prevent your plumbing from freezing and how to thaw frozen pipes. For example, hold the pipe fitting horizontally in your left hand with the threads facing your right hand, then position the tape with the end facing down, so you will wrap the tape away from you. Of course, if you’re ever in doubt about how to apply it or what kind you should be using, consider reaching out to a professional to answer your questions. They’ll make sure the job is done right so you don’t have to deal with the headache of a leak down the road.

A continually running toilet can cost you hundreds of dollars on your next water bill. Learn how to diagnose and fix a running toilet and save money! For products that actually create a seal in pipe joints products called “Jointing Compounds” should be used. Commonly known in the UK as “Portable Jointing Compound” and in the US often known as “Pipe Dope” these products are also used to help seal up threads in pipe joints.With double the density of white tape, yellow PTFE tape is made for fuel lines and gas lines. Green Tape Piping systems and additional piping that use oxygen need a specialized thread tape for their sensitive system. Therefore, a thread sealant was developed in green tape for these specialty plumbing lines.

Playing plumbing valve hide-and-seek? We will help you locate your main water shut off valve so you can close it and turn off your water. The short answer to which direction do you wrap PTFE tape around a joint is that it should always run in the same direction as the thread itself. e.g. if it’s a right hand thread and you do it up by turning it to the right then this is the way that the PTFE tape should be wrapped around the joint. As prevention is certainly better than cure in this case, for any plumbing joints that are hidden or hard to reach such as those being kitchen units, it’s not a bad idea to add some PTFE tape to ensure no leaks occur at any point in the future as in most cases you’ll never find a leaking joint until the damage has already been done. Keep tension on the tape, ensuring that it is snugly wrapped around the pipe. As you overlap the tape, work gradually away from the end of the pipe to completely cover the threads.

Applying Teflon tape may seem simple enough, but since it has no adhesive properties, you have to make sure you wrap it in the right direction and in the right spot or you could end up with a balled-up mess. Here the steps to follow to wrap PTFE tape properly and get a leak-free seal. As a product Plumbers Mate is more suited to preventing leaks in and around fixed objects rather than sealing up actual plumbing fittings. White Teflon tape comes in a single density. It’s made for water pipes that measure ? inches or less. You can also find it in silver color, on occasion, which is made to match the color of the pipe. Red Tape