A plumber at my local bar said something about pipe dope that stuck with me

We were just talking shop and he mentioned he never uses Teflon tape on gas lines, only pipe dope. He said 'The tape can shred and clog things up, the paste seals better under pressure.' I'd been using tape on everything for years... so I looked it up when I got home. Turns out a lot of pros agree, especially for anything over 1/2 inch. I'm redoing a gas line for a fireplace insert next week and I'm switching to the paste. Has anyone else made this switch and noticed a difference?

2 comments

2 Comments

seth_rivera572d ago

Actually that plumber's advice sounds a bit off to me. Teflon tape done right won't shred if you wrap it the correct way and don't use too much. The paste can be messy and it's a pain to take apart later if you need to fix something. I've used tape on gas lines for twenty years without a single leak or clog. Sometimes the old way is the old way for a good reason.

gavinwood2d ago

Right? Tape works if you know what you're doing. I've seen guys use way too much and then wonder why it gums up the valve. But done clean, three wraps, tight against the threads, it's solid. That paste gets everywhere and sets like concrete. Good luck fixing that in a year without a torch.