Compression Joints - how tight and which type of olive?

[JohnD]

I've used PTFE on olives and seen the results, it gives a better seal.

What results did you get when you tried it?

 

[gaswizzard]

Have you seen the results using paste? , TBH i've NEVER seen a tidy job where PTFE was used on comp fittings , just shows eh.

 

[JohnD]

yes I have seen the results using paste, some of them leak.

I see you don't want to answer my question.

 

[gaswizzard]

I'll answer any question you like but whether you'd understand or not is a different matter.

 

[roguetrader]

John, at college we were never taught to use ptfe on comp fittings, when I worked out on site with blokes who'd been in the trade for 40 or 50 years not one of them asked or told me to use tape on a comp fitting. I've been at work for 22 years and I've never used tape on comp fittings, I've made up thousands by now.

Now all of a sudden some guy who won't even tell me what he does for work tells me I'm wrong??

 

[JohnD]

roguetrader and gaswizzard

I've used PTFE on olives and seen the results, it gives a better seal.

What results did you get when you tried it?

 

[gaswizzard]

Now this is where you trip yourself up "PTFE gives a better seal" , have you evidence of this? , i'll bet a pound to a penny you haven't , I used to work for my college tutors back in the late 70s (on site) , NEVER did they/we use PTFE on comp fittings , I suggest you hang the shovel up.

 

[roguetrader]

Paste or nothing John, no need for tape.
Tape is handy when you cut yourself, wrap it round your finger or whatever.
That might come in handy in your job, whatever top secret profession you're in.

 

[JohnD]

Do you mean your answer to my question is
"I have never tried doing it myself therefore I am not in a position to deny that it gives a good seal... but I will criticise it anyway?"

I'm sure none of those old plumbers you mention from fifty years ago had used it either, because it hadn't been invented, but they were probably very skilled making a wiped joint with a paraffin blowlamp and a moleskin cloth.

Time to move into the 1990s

 

[Dan Robinson]

PTFE Tape had been around 24 years or so by then

John, I think your on a loser here mate. .

 

[JohnD]

Dan,

I've used PTFE on olives and seen the results, it gives a better seal.

What results did you get when you tried it?

 

[Whitespirit66]

I'm sure none of those old plumbers you mention from fifty years ago had used it either, because it hadn't been invented,

You've blown your own argument. Compression fittings were being used 50 years ago. How did anyone seal them, before this magic tape came along?

You're telling us you're a DIYer, and you need PTFE thread sealing tape to make a compression fitting seal properly. Fine. That confirms a lot about the skill levels of some DIYers.

Doesn't make it right though, and maybe expecting those with higher skill levels to agree to use DIY methods is a little odd.

 

[JohnD]

Whitespirit,

I've used PTFE on olives and seen the results, it gives a better seal.

What results did you get when you tried it?

 

[Dan Robinson]

Only time I have ever used it was to augment the seal on an overcrunched olive by a DIY'er.


Gives a better seal to what anyway?

Most of the time I don't bother with anything.

If I need to use a tin up, I use paste.

 

[Whitespirit66]

Only time I have ever used it was to augment the seal on an overcrunched olive by a DIY'er.

Exactly. It may occasionally be used on an olive that was well mullered, as might a smear of LSX. A bodge by any other description.

But, these are last ditch attempts at sealing something at 5.30pm on a Friday evening when all else fails, not usual practice. For peace of mind, I would be chopping out the piece of pipe and letting in a new piece and olive.

Then finishing it off professionally with a light smear of paste. Any plumber that habitually put PTFE on olives would be viewed suspiciously.