Teflon Tape
Teflon tape is a specialized tape used for sealing pipes being joined together for plumbing purposes. Technically, it is called as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tape. Teflon is a brand name owned by Dupont company. Teflon tapes are mostly available in hardware and home supply stores, commonly found in plumbing section. They are a standard and basic part of the toolkit of those people who do plumbing works. They are commonly found in white color, but some are available in few different colors. Each color has their intended purposes. Teflon tapes with blue rolls are specifically designed for water applications, the red rolls are for air applications, while the yellow and black rolls are for gas applications.
Teflon tape is used to wrap threads of a pipe and fills the space to avoid leaks. Before the existence of Teflon, joining pipes requires a gooey substance called pipe dope which is messy and can be strenuous. But with Teflon tapes, working on leaks is much quicker, easier and more importantly, neater as well.
This kind of tape is designed to use in pipes with tapered threads. They are not adhesive but they stick once given enough pressure. The effectiveness of the tape depends upon the proper way of installing it. Wrapping the tape against the thread will not be that effective and may cause leak after. In other words, you need to wrap the tape in the same direction of the threads. Wrap the tape several times but ensures that it will not overlap with the end of the pipe as this will only cause problems in the future. If you also think that using pipe dope and Teflon tape together will maximize the clinging, then think again, this may be too much and can be dangerous. As much as possible, just use either of the two, or use the latter for more efficient and neat plumbing.
Teflon tapes are made to make the plumbing task easier and neater. No need to use the gooey and messy substance called pipe dope. They also help even the non-professional do repairs and avoid leaks right away. You just need to learn the proper way of installing it and then you can already enjoy its great benefit. When shopping, you might want to purchase all the three colors so you can ensure that your air, gas and water pipes are safer and free from any leaks.
Teflon tapes are very useful item to keep in the house. Even without any current leaks, they are very good thing to keep in case of emergencies. When leaks occur, you can use the Teflon tape to temporarily block the leakage. As they are not adhesive, they can easily be removed and reposition. However, when dealing with gas leaks, you are not advisable to touch the plumbing because this is dangerous. Gas leaks should only be handled by professional plumbers. Once a gas leak is suspected, you should immediately shut off the gas supply and call the plumber right away.
