Boss White v. PTFE....or nothing?

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Is it best to use Boss White/jointing compound, PTFE, or nothing at all , around the olives when installing compression fittings in both ‘potable water’ and ‘non-potable’ water situations ?

Also same question for radiator 'tail pipes' when fitting new TRVs.
 
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PTFE on olives gives a very good seal, and is clean. However you do need to seat the olive onto the pipe first by doing up the nut enough that it will not slide out of place.

There is no point in wrapping the PTFE round the rest of the pipe, the width of the tape on the olive will overlap enough onto the pipe.

Some elderly plumbers object to PTFE on olives.
 
I wonder if an elderly plumber will deny that PTFE makes a good seal, or is clean.
 
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It gives a good seal, and is clean.

What more could you want?
 
I don't know what I'm doing, but I use PTFE liberally on radiator tails (10 wraps?), and a small smear of jointing compound just before an olive. I find that jointing compound is not normally required unless I've over-tightened.

Unless I'm soldering, which I prefer.
 
With the cheap and nasty fittings available A smear of paste on the olive prevents many a drip.

I have used this method for 45 years without problems.
 
I have used ptfe on olives before and has got me out the s##t.
However compression fittings don't come with a roll of ptfe,
A good clean joint and correctly tightened fitting should not leak.
 
A compression joint just needs an olive and a correctly tightened nut.

That's what I did when I fitted a new sink (and taps). No leaks.

I should mention that I'm an elderly NON-plumber!
 
It gives a good seal, and is clean.

What more could you want?

A job that doesn't make my heart sink to know that a DIYer has been there before me.

The numpties even put the stuff on the compression nut threads. :evil:

And I'm only middle aged. :rolleyes:

Seen plenty of compression nuts split that way. I know I won't be the only one either.

James.
 
It gives a good seal, and is clean.

What more could you want?

A job that doesn't make my heart sink to know that a DIYer has been there before me.

The numpties even put the stuff on the compression nut threads. :evil:

And I'm only middle aged. :rolleyes:

Seen plenty of compression nuts split that way. I know I won't be the only one either.

James.

Probably because they had to use brute force to make the things seal. ;)
 
Ptfe for threads, paste for joints, and NO ptfe on compression threads, its a waste of time. As for ptfe on olives, personally i've never needed to do it but if it works.
 

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