Re: [APD] teflon tape

["S. Hieber" <shieber at yahoo_com>]

One could put epoxy on the fittings and effect a seal that
way too. Even high quality duct tape might work -- I mean
the good stuff that softens your feet not the cheap stuff.
But is it smart to do? Would an insurance underwriter be
happy to hear that the recommendations are being made by
one of policy holders? 

Well, if you aren't going to be able to rely on the washer
between the faces of the two fittings, then both the
threads and the "shoulder" under the nut are potential
sites for leaking. (By "shoulder" I mean the place onthe
stem that keeps the nut from sliding off and against which
the nut presses to draw the fitting closed.) If you use
tape on the threads and tighten hard enough to not have a
leak, it means you're tighening enough to compress the nut
and shoulder to an air tight seal. You are, in effect
making that part of the joint a meteal-to-metal compression
fitting. Those parts are not designed for that kind of
abuse or the kind of torque one might need to apply to
effect a seal.

Can it work? Yes. Is it a smart thing to do? Nope. Much
smarter to use the parts as designed, in good working
condition, and with the proper parts.

sh

--- Robert H <robertph3 at comcast_net> wrote:


> Using teflon tape is a commpn practive by thousands of
> welders and beverage 
> people on their C02 regulators. It has been recommended
> to me by gas 
> suppliers that I deal with as well. I only use it when I
> lost the gaskets 
> and was to lazy to hunt down another one. Take everything
> with a grain of 
> salt, or a sliver of tape...
> 
> Robert Hudson
> www.aquabotanic.com
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Aquatic-Plants mailing list
> Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
> http://www.actwin.com/mailman/listinfo/aquatic-plants
> 

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