mysty
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Post by mysty on Feb 4, 2024 20:38:56 GMT 1
Two of the radiators I bought for the last renovation were Italian and the four holes in the rads were huge not like the usal bog standard ones. No matter how much PTFE tape I put on there was still a weep, so I went up to the diy store and asked if they had fiber washers this size and he said they were special ones for rads and they dont have them. He said just use PTFE and grease, I ask again grease he said yes. He said do you have grease I said yes but not at this house so he gives me WD40 spray he called that grease. he said wrap three or four turns of PTFE and spray the tape with WD40 and tighten it up. It worked no leaks, I thought I was retarted I had spent so many times draining the rads and re fitting the joints. Its the big silver bit that joins onto the white rad in the picture below. WD40 is handy stuff.
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JohnnyD
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Mayenne (53) When Covid allows..........Which isn't very often these days........
Posts: 2,014
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Post by JohnnyD on Feb 4, 2024 22:40:12 GMT 1
Two of the radiators I bought for the last renovation were Italian and the four holes in the rads were huge not like the usal bog standard ones. No matter how much PTFE tape I put on there was still a weep, so I went up to the diy store and asked if they had fiber washers this size and he said they were special ones for rads and they dont have them. He said just use PTFE and grease, I ask again grease he said yes. He said do you have grease I said yes but not at this house so he gives me WD40 spray he called that grease. he said wrap three or four turns of PTFE and spray the tape with WD40 and tighten it up. It worked no leaks, I thought I was retarted I had spent so many times draining the rads and re fitting the joints. Its the big silver bit that joins onto the white rad in the picture below. WD40 is handy stuff. View AttachmentMaybe the WD40 melts the PTFE? OR just greases up with heat?
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mysty
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Posts: 1,298
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Post by mysty on Feb 4, 2024 22:49:50 GMT 1
It turns the tape to a gooy mush but its a perfect seal. I was thinking of trying joint compound but never used it. PTFE always worked. The house was all laminate floor so could not risk a leak.
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Le-Dolly
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La Souterraine (23) depuis '05.
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Post by Le-Dolly on Feb 4, 2024 23:23:11 GMT 1
When I worked in heavy (nuclear) engineering, we we always instructed to use joint compound or pate and hemp for water joints, hot or cold, and PTFE for any gas joints. A practice I still use today without any failures.
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Post by lapourtaider on Feb 5, 2024 7:19:48 GMT 1
A suppression pump that I fitted last year just would not seal with PTFE tape. Hemp and pate did the trick.
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Post by Olave H on Feb 5, 2024 9:39:30 GMT 1
Hemp & paste are the only sure way to joint the parallel threads that are prevelant here. PTFE ok for smaller joints where thread depth is small but the above is always leak free.
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Post by cernunnos on Feb 5, 2024 9:55:09 GMT 1
I have never seen a professional use teflon tape , always hemp and paste, as I use myself.
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michael86
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Vienne 86 and England
Posts: 65
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Post by michael86 on Feb 5, 2024 12:42:11 GMT 1
I'm fairly sure that when I fitted my radiators, the bleed nipples and blanking plugs all had rubber 'O'rings to seal them. I agree with Olave, PTFE tape is OK on small threads or taper threads, but not good on parallel threads. I have used Loctite 55 for some time now on parallel threads and can't remember having a leak with it. www.henkel-adhesives.com/es/en/product/thread-sealants/loctite_550.htmlMichael
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lurcher
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Post by lurcher on Feb 5, 2024 14:23:52 GMT 1
Thanks for the tip about Loctite 55. I must get some in for the next joint sealing event. It looks more likely to work compared with my ptfe tape.
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mysty
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Post by mysty on Feb 5, 2024 14:47:14 GMT 1
Clearly the hemp's have it and parallel threads that was a new one for me. I thought hemp which I thought was horse hair was a thing of the past. I had to replace some steel threaded pipe to join the boiler on to the heating circuit and had no issues with the PTFE tape on these joints Will have to try the hemp next time. Thanks for putting me right it's always good to find out you did something wrong. I thought if I could get new fibre washers I could double them up that normally fixes a weep.
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michael86
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Vienne 86 and England
Posts: 65
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Post by michael86 on Feb 5, 2024 15:04:34 GMT 1
Mysty, steel pipes are almost certainly tapered threads so PTFE tape works well. See if you can get rubber 'O'rings to fit your bleed nipples. Size them so that they stretch a little when you put them over the threads. Don't overtighten them or you may wreck the 'O'ring. Just nip them up plus a little more. If you can't get 'O'rings, try the Loctite 55 thread sealing cord. It's cleaner to use than hemp and paste.
lurcher, I'm sure you won't be disappointed with the Loctite 55.
Michael
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Post by another on Feb 5, 2024 15:46:42 GMT 1
I've had issues with PTFE but found this stuff which is brilliant.
As easy to apply as PTFE but as effective as hemp/paste without the mess!
It's available on Amazon.fr.
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Post by cernunnos on Feb 5, 2024 18:41:07 GMT 1
For those that didn't know ( like me ) I have always called it teflon tape. PTFE stands for polytetrafluoroethylene. It is a synthetic fluoropolymer.
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mysty
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Posts: 1,298
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Post by mysty on Feb 5, 2024 19:31:38 GMT 1
For those that didn't know ( like me ) I have always called it teflon tape. PTFE stands for polytetrafluoroethylene. It is a synthetic fluoropolymer. You are not alone, I thought it was just another nane PTFE/ Teflon was the same thing. I normally do not use copper pipe I have been using PER for years the house I was working on was built in the 70s and was all steel and copper with oil C/H.
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Post by cernunnos on Feb 5, 2024 19:50:52 GMT 1
I used copper when I first came here , but once I found how easy it was to use PER , I used it on the central heating and the last bathroom connections ,I still prefer copper but it is a lot easier to use PER.
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