Frozen apart mains stopcock joint - Picture

[Nige F]

Go4it

why people feel the need to wrap PTFE tape around threads and joints with olives!

I totally agree ... had big argument with a bathroom fitter chap about this ... he even wanted to tighten the olive joint - then undo and wrap olive with PTFE tape and re-tighten ... arrrggh!

Bathroom "fitters" couldn`t fit a french letter

 

[JohnD]

he even wanted to tighten the olive joint - then undo and wrap olive with PTFE tape and re-tighten ... arrrggh!

Nothing wrong with that

It really does make a better, more leak-proof joint

some plumbers like to pretend they use no compound or tape and never get leaking joints. It isn't true.

 

[denso13]

some plumbers like to pretend they use no compound or tape and never get leaking joints. It isn't true.

I don't use either. Joints properly put together don't leak.

And I'm not pretending

 

[JohnD]

"Never"

??

 

[denso13]

Not on compression olives. Threaded fittings yes.

Had many an argument with my old man about it (been in the business 60 years). When he actually thought about it he used Boss White to "make the joint go together easier...with less squeaking" Didn't stop him using it though

I have had fittings leak, but not because of the lack of joint compound - because it wasn't done properly.

 

[go4it]

some plumbers like to pretend they use no compound or tape and never get leaking joints. It isn't true.

I don't use either. Joints properly put together don't leak.

And I'm not pretending

Agreed, I too do not pretend - only a DIYer would suggest otherwise or a poorly qualified person. I don't use jointing compound on water joints either. I use it on gas joints as they often need to bed in more, but on the whole you should not need to use any compound on water joints if you have made them up correctly - Yorkshire Fittings have been saying this for years.

I used to teach gas safety and plumbing in a college for over ten years, during that time we had seven students win national awards for their work in related competitions - jointing compound was never used and their joints never leaked.

I have over 30 years experience in the trade, been a registered gas installer for twenty of those and have used jointing compound on gas fittings only, I've never had to use it on any others, apart from radiator union threads. But it has to be said that there is nothing wrong in using a jointing compound, the only fault is using any thread or compound on the thread of a backnut, as the joint has already failed if water gets to that part of the fitting.