A leaky pipe can cause water damage to the surrounding area enormously fast if left unattended. The best way to prevent this is to respond quickly and get in touch with an expert plumber right away. Pipe leak tape makes it simple to fix leaks quickly and prevent them from recurring in the future.PTFE is a thin film tape commonly used by heating engineers and plumbers for sealing pipe threads. There are instances, where online retail shops and local stores refer to PTFE tape with names such as plumber's tape, Teflon tape and, thread seal tape.There's one thing to keep in mind, however, that Teflon is a trademark of polytetrafluoroethylene. The tape itself is not produced by Teflon but only polytetrafluoroethylene. It is instead bought and transformed into tape by tape factories on a commercial scale.The tape can be used in a number of pipework and plumbing applications, such as wrapping around pipe threads and joints to form a tight seal, helping to keep leaks at bay when used in these applications.These applications lead to other names for PTFE tape, including 'Plumber's Tape', 'Thread Seal Tape', and 'PTFE Film Tape'. This type of tape comes in spools of various tape thicknesses (mm) and colours such as white, brown, black, grey, and translucent to suit the requirements of various applications.
What is PTFE and what does it stand for?
PTFE stands for Polytetrafluoroethylene. PTFE is a tough, flexible material which has a wide temperature range, excellent chemical resistance, and a long-lasting work life.The tape acts as a deformable filler and thread lubricant, helping to seal the joint without hardening or making it more difficult to tighten, and instead making it easier to tighten. It also protects the threads of both male and female pieces from direct contact with each other and physical wear that occurs over time, and helps seal and prevent leaks from the connection.It is mainly used with new PVC pipes (water supply, sewage, and drainage lines) to ensure smooth joints that are leak-free and easy to fix.What's pipe leak tape?
Pipe leak tape has a self-adhesive backing for sealing leaks. The material is rubber-based and forms an airtight seal around pipes.Using leak tape will permanently seal leaks and is suitable for use on both metal and plastic pipes. Simply apply the leak tape to the pipe after cutting and peeling off the backing.The pipe leak tape is ideal when it comes to sealing leaks on metal, plastic, and rubber pipes, with sizes to suit any application. Usually, 2 kinds of tape can be used to repair leaking pipes: Pipe Thread Tape - applied to establish a seal within a plumbing system. Silicone Tape - also serves to seal leaking pipes, whether they are made of metal, rubber, or plastic.How to use PTFE Tape or Plumbers Tape
The proper way to apply PTFR plumbers tape is by wrapping it around the male half of the fitting or joint in the direction of the thread, which is typically clockwise. This means the tape remains in place as the joint is tightened, rather than being undone. The industry recommendation is to wrap it around the thread three to four times. Thick enough to ensure there will be no leaks.Advantages of PTFE Tape
PTFE thread seal tape is usually sold on convenient plastic spools pre-cut to specific widths thicknesses and lengths (mm). This makes the application quick and easy with no mess or waste. PTFE tape offers the following advantages:Chemical resistant, waterproof and durable.