Chatting with my plumber buddy Dave made me stop using Teflon tape on every joint

He was over helping me fix a leaky shower valve in my own house, and he pointed at my roll of tape and said 'You know, that stuff can actually cause more leaks on plastic fittings if you wrap it wrong, it's better to use pipe dope for those.' I'd been using tape on EVERYTHING for like ten years, just assuming it was the right way. Anyone got a favorite brand of pipe sealant they use for PVC stuff?

3 comments

3 Comments

felix_hayes6410d ago

Ever had a fitting split on you from too much tape? That's the worst. For threaded PVC, I switched to RectorSeal number five blue paste. It stays pliable so you can still adjust the joint a little after it's set, and it doesn't crack the plastic.

logan23610d ago

Huh, @felix_hayes64, I've actually never had a fitting crack from tape.

blair59717h ago

Agree with using paste on threaded PVC, it just makes more sense. Logan236 might not have cracked a fitting yet, but over-tightening with tape is a real risk. That blue stuff gives you a bit of wiggle room to get it right.