I hate pipe dope...

[Thermo1223]

Why does every plumber insist on using 1lb of it per fitting and using it on things that shouldn't have pipe dope near them like flare fittings specifically NG appliances.

Installed a used oven from a friend and his plumber put it on everything he could find to. The brass orifices, the brass regulator, the flared fittings for the flexible like. WHY?!?

The only thing that needed it was the couple to the gas valve. /rant

I only used the PTFE tape for gas lines because I can't stand the mess.

 

[John Galt]

I get and agree with your point but the plumber friend needs to eliminate callbacks and have no leaks. The quality of the threads and thickness of the brass on many threaded fittings and valves makes it a bit edgy to tighten up on threaded joints the way you might have 20 years ago, before all plumbing hardware was made overseas. I have had fittings split while being tightened up - that is a new feature of the modern quality of plumbing hardware. The use of pipe dope probably lets him leave a last full “man turn” off the fitting without fear that it going to leak.

As for using pipe dope on flared and compression fittings I agree that is inexcusable.

 

[zzyzzx]

The quality of the threads and thickness of the brass on many threaded fittings and valves makes it a bit edgy to tighten up on threaded joints the way you might have 20 years ago, before all plumbing hardware was made overseas. I have had fittings split while being tightened up - that is a new feature of the modern quality of plumbing hardware.

^^^ THIS. I don't trust newer threaded fittings that are probably made by children in a dirt floor factory in China / India / Pakistan, etc.

 

[JohnnyG]

Sometimes you just have to get serious, like when dealing with gasoline piping and have the EPA breathing down your neck!
I got to the point where I'd use Teflon tape, then just a bit of Teflon paste over that, worked like charm and no leaks.
No leaks, no fines!

 

[4wd]

^^^ THIS. I don't trust newer threaded fittings that are probably made by children in a dirt floor factory in China / India / Pakistan, etc.

Yep, I just put a new sink in our utility room. The NPT stuff was CCPT - terrible dimension control. Used allot of Teflon tape and paste - but cleaned the excess very well …

 

[walterjay]

I always used thread tape and a little teflon pipe dope on threaded fittings. Pretty much guaranteed to not leak. And I always did it neatly.

 

[JavierH19]

I second the others above.

The quality of these parts and fittings has gone down the equally cheap quality toilet. The new fittings and parts I get at lowes and hd are junk compared to stuff that is from decades ago. I too use a lot more pd and teflon than before to prevent leaks and in hopes it'll last longer before having to mess with it again.

 

[doitmyself]

Tape AND paste seems to be the norm now-a-days. I see the pros doing this. Me too - leaks seem more difficult to avoid using only one.

 

[John Galt]

Real old school plumbers had a trick of using very fine cotton string in their tool kit. For poorly made threads on pipe, they wrapped the string in the threaded groove on the male side and then used a very, very light application of pipe dope over the string. They made up the connection good and tight, the combination almost guaranteed a leak proof fitting.

It is a very fine string, not kite string. Can still be found at real plumbing supply houses that cater to professionals.

 

[walterjay]

Real old school plumbers had a trick of using very fine cotton string in their tool kit. For poorly made threads on pipe, they wrapped the string in the threaded groove on the male side and then used a very, very light application of pipe dope over the string. They made up the connection good and tight, the combination almost guaranteed a leak proof fitting.

It is a very fine string, not kite string. Can still be found at real plumbing supply houses that cater to professionals.

I have used that on certain stainless steel fittings when nothing else would work. Most plumbers actually do not know about it.

 

[Pablo]

I completely read that thread title wrong.

I have no use for tape. A little quality Teflon dope and done.

 

[Nessism1]

I didn't know about Teflon paste to go along with the tape. I learned something new!

 

[JohnnyG]

I didn't know about Teflon paste to go along with the tape. I learned something new!

Just put the tape on first, otherwise it has more of a tendency to slip on the pipe threads, and not go down deeply in the threads where you need it.

 

[Thermo1223]

I get and agree with your point but the plumber friend needs to eliminate callbacks and have no leaks. The quality of the threads and thickness of the brass on many threaded fittings and valves makes it a bit edgy to tighten up on threaded joints the way you might have 20 years ago, before all plumbing hardware was made overseas. I have had fittings split while being tightened up - that is a new feature of the modern quality of plumbing hardware. The use of pipe dope probably lets him leave a last full “man turn” off the fitting without fear that it going to leak.

As for using pipe dope on flared and compression fittings I agree that is inexcusable.

I get the adapter to the gas valve on the stove but not smearing it on the flare surface, threads only. I then found it on the regulator under the stove and half the orifices for the burners. They don't leak if you snug it. I was afraid of burn issues after seeing all of it caked in those areas. Doesn't take much to clog 1.6mm orifice.

 

[Hall]

But did it leak ?

 

[MurkyAsparagus]

I see where you’re coming from.

I agree with a lot of what others have said about call backs and quality.

I’m not a pro, but I’ve done a pretty fair amount of work over the years. I’ve resorted to 2-3 wraps of tape and a thin coating of dope (enough where when I thread the fitting in the dope gets evenly dispersed). I hate the mess that comes with the pipe dope. But, I’ve had things leak that used to never be a problem. Quality has diminished for sure.

There’s still some quality around, however I think that’s mainly in the larger fittings from outfits like Mueller.

 

[Thermo1223]

But did it leak ?

Well probably not....

 

[DCDG]

Why does every plumber insist on using 1lb of it per fitting and using it on things that shouldn't have pipe dope near them like flare fittings specifically NG appliances.

Installed a used oven from a friend and his plumber put it on everything he could find to. The brass orifices, the brass regulator, the flared fittings for the flexible like. WHY?!?

The only thing that needed it was the couple to the gas valve. /rant

I only used the PTFE tape for gas lines because I can't stand the mess.

Depends if the person knows how to apply it correctly. propane and natural gas can degrade Teflon over time. you have to use yellow PTFE tape which is rated for gas use. well lets clarify that oatey and hercules has a gray tape that can be used but some jurisdictions may require the yellow tape for code purposes.

 

[Trav]

Real old school plumbers had a trick of using very fine cotton string in their tool kit. For poorly made threads on pipe, they wrapped the string in the threaded groove on the male side and then used a very, very light application of pipe dope over the string. They made up the connection good and tight, the combination almost guaranteed a leak proof fitting.

It is a very fine string, not kite string. Can still be found at real plumbing supply houses that cater to professionals.

Hemp and Oakum was used by European plumbers for decades and some still use it as it seals very well, going back even further horse hair was used.

 

[Pablo]