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In this video, I give you my take on Teflon tape.

When I started in the business way back when there was no such animal, we used a roll of cotton lamp wick which actually looked like a spool of thread but much heavier. We would wrap it around the threads just like Teflon in a clockwise fashion and then follow up with a good brushing of pipe joint compound.

Teflon tape comes in a variety of thicknesses and widths so you'll choose which to use based on the application.

The key to getting Teflon tape to do its job is to make sure that you apply it in a clockwise direction which will ensure it stays inside the joint. I see all too often people applying it in a counterclockwise fashion which will cause the Teflon to remove itself from the joint when you attempt to screw it in.

The other tip I want to mention is that although it comes in a variety of widths, I generally use the ½'' version and keep it toward the front or tapered portion of the threads. By doing this I find that when the joint is completely madeup (tightened) you cannot visibly see any of the Teflon making it a cleaner looking job.

The worst thing to see is a series of pipe joints with the white (or whatever color you're using) Teflon sticking out past the tightened joint. Very unprofessional!

There have been some new and improved versions of Teflon that have recently made their way onto the market since I shot this video. They're denser in weight which means you can use less, and that's a good thing because the new versions are not cheap.

Take a look at the video and if you feel I missed something, please, by all means, contact me at [email protected].

Happy Plumbing!
Bob