Teflon tapes have a reputation for their sealing capabilities as well as for their durability power. Most plumbers prefer Teflon tape for sealing the hot water pipes as the Teflon tape has a dimensional capability of stability against hot temperatures.
Therefore, the Teflon tape is being used to seal leakage in every hot water flowing pipe from home plumbing to industrial usage.
However, people get in a dilemma whether they can use Teflon tape in other sorts of fittings.
Therefore, we are going to answer whether you can use Teflon tape on brass fittings or not.
Can you use Teflon tape on brass fittings?
Teflon tapes can be used on brass fitting because of their flexible presses on the threads. The Teflon tape will easily get pressed into the male threads providing a tightly sealed connection. But you have to make sure the brass fittings don’t have any rubber gaskets in order to use Teflon tape.
PTFE Teflon tape can offer you a tight sealing when it comes to sealing on the brass fittings. Because the flexibility on the PTFE Teflon tape can help the threads sit on each other perfectly.
The flexibility of the PTFE Teflon tape presses the male thread to sit on the female thread completely and gives you a leakage free and tightly sealed connection.
But you have to make sure that the brass fittings don’t have any rubber gasket or else the PTFE Teflon tape will not provide you with a leakage-free connection.
Brass gas fittings:
Yes, you can certainly use PTFE Teflon tape on brass gas fittings. However, make sure there is no rubber gasket on the fittings and the gas doesn’t touch the Teflon tape.
Brass propane fittings:
The PTFE Teflon tape can be used on propane fittings too. As the yellow-colored tape is mainly made for sealing the pipes of gas fittings.
You can even use it as a sealant for butane fittings too. But make sure there are no rubber gaskets on the fittings of the propane.
Brass compression fittings:
You can certainly use PTFE Teflon tape for the brass compression fittings.
The Teflon tape will act as a perfect sealant for the fittings and will ensure that the threads are placed perfectly and offer you a tightly sealed connection.
Should I use PTFE Teflon tape on brass fittings?
Yes, PTFE Teflon can be used on brass fittings. PTFE Teflon tape is a fine material for installing brass fittings easily and effectively.
Be it in the kitchen or outdoor, whenever we need to tighten or seal pipes, PTFE Teflon tape is our best friend. PTFE Teflon tape ensures a solid connection where there is no chance of water leakage.
If the Teflon tape is used and applied correctly, the fitting will stay tight and secure for a very long period. In addition, the connection should be done with a good and experienced plumber.
When to use Teflon tape on brass fittings?
Teflon tape is regarded as our best friend when it comes to brass fittings. It is used when the male threads get installed on female threads. Usually, Teflon tape is applied on the edge of the male thread.
It then gets installed on the female thread. PTFE Teflon can be used in a threaded connection that does not have any built-in rubber gasket. The fitting looks solid and tight when it is done with Teflon tape.
For making the thread connection long-lasting, Teflon tape should be used and applied perfectly. The exact amount we use, the better it will work. When there is any leakage in the brass fittings, we use Teflon tape to solve the problem.
4 reasons why you can use Teflon tape on brass fittings
Teflon tape is an effective material for plumbers. When used properly, it gives a tight connection and fits well. There are several reasons to use it on brass fittings.
It repels water:
Due to having a water repellent property, Teflon tape can be used for plumbing and sealing pipes effectively. As water cannot come in contact with the Teflon tape, it does not get damaged easily.
The pin Teflon tape is the best to use as it lasts longer than any other tape. It repels water and does not get damaged.
It lubricates the connection:
Teflon tape can provide lubrication which makes the threading smoother and easier to install fittings. Enough lubrication is a must to tighten the connection effectively and also to loosen the connection easily.
It is non-sticky:
Its non-sticky property prevents brass pipes from sticking. Thus, when we install the pipes with Teflon tape, we can again uninstall it easily. In addition, the pipes do not get sticky with the use of Teflon tapes.
It blocks corrosion:
Teflon tape blocks the corrosion of threads. The Teflon tape is usually water repellent. So, when it is used in brass fittings it repels water and thus corrosion cannot affect the threads. So, the connection lasts longer.
Teflon tape is a very handy material for plumbers. It has many useful properties and can be used very easily.
How many wraps of Teflon tape on brass fittings?
It does depend on the density and thickness of the Teflon tape. On average, about seven to eight wraps are considered sufficient. The plumbers may use more depending upon the situation.
The use of excess tapes may increase the radius of the male thread. If the radius of the male thread increases, the fitting may not be proper.
In addition, various color Teflon tapes have various thicknesses. We should try to use those tapes which have greater thickness. It will help to seal the pipe effectively.
What color of Teflon tape to use on brass fittings?
Teflon tape has several colors. Such as white, pink, yellow, etc. Among them, white and pink Teflon tape is mainly used on brass fittings.
Usually, we use white Teflon tape as it is easily gettable and ensures a good seal for connection between the threads in the kitchen and bathrooms. But due to having more thickness than other tapes, we need to use more.
The pink Teflon tape works effortlessly for a longer period. It is not very thick and thus we don’t need to apply it more like white tape. The plumbers use white Teflon tape instead of pink because it is cheaper and can be found easily.
Also, the Teflon tape should be correctly applied in the clockwise direction. If so, water will not come in contact with the tape and it will last longer than usual.
How to use Teflon tape on brass fittings?
Teflon tape can be used on brass fittings by wrapping it up properly on all sides of the pipe to be placed and fitted.
The wrapping should be done in the correct way and direction to get the best output. To use the Teflon tape properly, the following steps can be followed:
Clean surface:
In the first step, the pipe and thread should be cleaned and washed so that no dirt remains that would create problems while making a tight connection.
Identify thread direction:
In the second step, we should look at the direction of the thread. Threads normally run clockwise while some run anti-clockwise. Examining the direction helps to create a proper connection.
Turning the male thread in the correct direction makes it faster and easier to create a connection with the female thread.
Start wrapping:
In the third step, we should start the wrapping part. The edge of the male thread should be wrapped with tape very carefully so that nothing goes outside.
If some part of the tape goes outside the tape, we should peel off the tape and start wrapping again.
Continue till the 7th to 8th wrap:
In the fourth step, we should continue wrapping the tape until we finish 7 to 8 turns. We should make sure the tape has covered each part of the thread in the same portion. Then we should cut off the tape.
Ensure there is no hole:
In the final step, make sure the wrapping is well done and does not require any more covering. We can use pipe dope with the Teflon tape for permanent sealing.
After the pipe is fully wrapped with the Teflon tape, use it on brass fitting. The fitting will be tight and secure.
If at some position the fitting looks loose, try wrapping with the Teflon tape again in a proper way. Otherwise, you should contact an experienced plumber to assist you.
Final Thoughts
Teflon tape seals perfectly all the connections of brass fittings. In fact, the flexibility of the tape makes sure that the threads sit on each other creating a leakage-free connection. But ensure that the fittings of the brass don’t have rubber gaskets or else it will cause leakage on the fittings.