92% of Homeowners Use Teflon Pipe Tape Wrong - Here's Why it Leaks

What plumbing tricks have made your life easier?

Another tip is to reverse the way you held the roll so you can get better/easier tension while wrapping the threads. It makes a much tighter wrap.

If you’re working in a tight area where the roll won’t fit, pre-wrap some Teflon tape around a pencil and then use the pencil as a tiny roll to go around the fitting

I've been a pipe fitter for over 20 years and have never used a special thread tape for Stainless. I've used your normal PTFE brand whether in a white, red or, blue cover and the tape is either white or blue for all normal fittings. We use paste or yellow tape depending on the chemicals that run through the pipe. Many different kinds of PTFE pastes are also used. I also was taught to hold the tape 180° different from how it is being held in this video. This allows me to control the tension then putting on the tape especially if the pipe is smaller than the roll, you don't need to keep on manually spinning the toll to build tension, just hold the roll to build tension and have it pull past the friction to tension the tape automatically. You are virtually making an S with the Roll, tape and tape roll instead of a C as seen in this videol

How'd you arrive at 92%?

When I use teflon tape, I run the tape clockwise, as per your video, but...I run it "backwards" from the spool. This helps me control the unrolling better, while keeping tension on the tape; and if I do have a fumble-fingers episode, it's much easier to recover than if you're running it forward off the spool, and if you drop it, it's liable to roll 10 feet away, unspooling as it goes.

Here are the two plumbing tricks that have made my life easier: 1. At the hardware store, buy way more parts, and of different types and sizes, than you think you'll need for a project. This saves repeated trips to the store, and you can always return what you didn't use. I now have a mini plumbing department in the garage ... 2. Because a pick axe can be used to locate buried sprinkler pipes, keep plenty of repair pieces on-hand, along with the necessary tools and solvents.

What did I learn today 1) there is more than one kind of teflon tape 2) wrap the teflon clockwise around the threads 3) wrap the teflon around the threads more than once, two to three layers is ok for threads in good condition $) for stainless steel fittings, there is a specialized tape. Your videos are extremely helpful. Thank you 🙏

I knew about the proper direction and the 2-3 layers, but never knew to avoid the 1st 2 threads. Thanks for the informative video!

I knew enough not to put tape over the end of the pipe, but it did not know the leave the last two threads bare trick. Thank you sir!

I love how practical and informative this video is! It's like having a plumbing expert right there with us, guiding us through each step.

It's rare to just simply, come across a genuinely informative video. This is great

To a certain extent, the color is to indicate to the inspector that a sealant tape has been used, and is compliant for the application. For example, gas inspectors will look for yellow. White tape is not rated for gas or propane. I use the D. N. Group Enterprise pink tape for almost everything as it's rated for propane, natural gas, water, most chemicals, hydraulic lines, air, and sewage lines, for metal and plastic up to 1.5" diameter. Another good brand is Gasoila. However, unlike the D. N. Group pink tape, Gasolia pink tape is only rated for water.

Love the useful nature of your videos. Probably won't ever buy an automated electric lawn mower, but your pragmatic view has its own value.

Former old school LPF here who worked on just about every type of pipe or tubing known to man. Couple of points. Any time we were doing malleable, carbon steel or even forged fittings with Teflon tape we would also use never seez (liquid graphite). NEVER had a leak with this combo but it’s not for every application. Whenever you’re using the hose fittings you described or anything with a rubber seal I now use silicon lube or grease on the rubber parts. Same success rate.

Something I learned early on from an experienced commercial plumber and has never failed me is to use tape and sealant...my preferred combo is Teflon tape and Rector Seal No.5...that has been for natural gas and/or propane gas both low and high pressure...and anything else that is held under pressure in a pipe with threaded connections...the only failures i have experienced were manufacturing defects in fittings, pipe, and equipment...

I used a whole roll of tape on a Chinese made water pump, you can actually see how out of round the fittings were!Thanks for posting this, I was doing it wrong.

I thought Teflon tape was not for sealing. I thought Teflon tape was used to decrease friction resistance so you can properly tighten metal fittings to the pipes by FULLY engaging the threads and being able to make them properly tight.

Great video, very informative. I would add that stretching the tape a bit while wrapping the threads helps. Also, I think you used too much tape.

Perfect timing. I have to rig up my garden hoses this week.