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Re: Teflon Tape



George wrote:

I've found that it is a good idea to use a new washer each time I refill
(they
are cheap if not free).  Also, go back a day or two after you tighten it and
give it a little extra tighten-up. I think the washer may relax a little
after
the initial tightening.

George Booth

I write:

This is definetly true. I was going thru a 20# tank on my 125 in about a
month! I would refill the tank, and test for leaks and everything was tight
according to the soap test.
Again about a month later, the tank was running down. For the heck of it, I
did another soap test and sure enough there was a leak where the regulator
attaches to the bottle. I put a wrench on it, and the nut was loose even
though it was tight when I first assembled it. So as George said, I would
retighten the nut after a couple of days. I also figured out a good way to
test for a leak without soaping everything up. I close the needle valve
completely - not too much or you will damage the needle- and than turn off
the valve on the bottle. Watch the bottle pressure gauge and if it starts to
drop, you know you have a leak. Then you can pursue it further with soapy
water to figure out where it is. If a couple minutes go by and and it
doesn't drop, than there's no need to soap everything up. By the way, what's
the average life of a 20# bottle running 24hours at about 3 bubbles per
second?

Thanks
Jeff Vamos
jbvamos at patmedia_net