Skip to Content

Can You Use Teflon Tape on Propane Fittings? (Answered)

The last time when I went to use my existing Teflon tape, I faced difficulties because it was not suitable for my propane fittings.

Then I realized that Teflon tape has different versions, and you cannot use one certain tape for everything. You have to know your objects, then select the perfect Teflon tape.

Selecting the Teflon tape is not challenging anymore. You will find different types and colors of tape on the market. You need to choose the perfect one for the propane fittings.

Can you use Teflon tape on propane fittings?

You can use Teflon tape on propane fittings. It will stick to the propane and will last for a long time. But the fact is quality and color. First, the Teflon tape cannot be too old; it will be a risk to use expired or old tape on any fittings. Then comes the color. You will find different colors.

White, yellow, and gray are the most common Teflon colors. You have to use the yellow Teflon tape on propane fittings or any propane gas line. The red and white will not fit the propane fittings because of their quality and materials.

Impact strength, hardness, and other features vary from one Teflon tape to others. So, you have to choose the yellow gasoline tape to use on anything regarding gasoline, propane, gas line, and similar fittings. You will also have other colors, but they are not for the propane.

One of the main reasons is the build materials. The manufacturers especially designed the yellow PTFE tape for the propane or gasoline. However, it doesn’t mean that other colors of Teflon tape cannot be used on anything else.

You can do it for other fittings. We will talk about it in the following section. You should know that only the yellow Teflon tape is made for propane fittings and gasoline work. It will give you the most secure and perfect solution accordingly.

What are the different colors of Teflon tape for?

You will find different colors of Teflon tapes on the market. They have other purposes as well. Yellow, grey, green, white, and pink are the best colors of Teflon tape. They have different uses too.

Yellow Color:

The yellow color Teflon tape is for the gasoline, propane, and gas line fittings. You can use it ideally on these surfaces and secure all the fittings. It will resist the pressure and bear the heat too. You cannot expect it from other colors’ Teflon tape.

White Color:

The white color Teflon tape is for regular use. You can seal the regular fittings using white color tape and on pretty much any home appliances. Especially if you have any regular fittings, you can use the white color Teflon tape.

Pink Color:

You can use the pink color Teflon tape for the water lines. Sometimes, you can also alter the pink color tape with the white color tape. So, you must buy the pink color Teflon tape to use on water pipes and waterlines.

Green Color:

Apart from all the different colors of the Teflon tapes, the green color is entirely different because the green color of Teflon tape is used for medical purposes. You can use it on oxygen lines and related fittings.

Grey Color:

Mainly, Teflon tape’s grey color is made from stainless steel. We have different home appliances that are made with stainless steel.

If they need to be changed or repaired, we must use Teflon tape. But the grey color tape is suitable for stainless steel.  

What kind of Teflon tape can be used on propane fittings?

There are different kinds of Teflon tapes available. And they have other materials and distinct characteristics that we already explained in the previous section. However, the yellow kind of Teflon tape can be used on propane fittings.

Here the kind refers to the colors because the Teflon tapes depend on their colors. Therefore, Teflon tape’s yellow color is mainly designed for gasoline or propane fittings. It has high resistance against the pressure & heat.

You cannot expect white or other colors of Teflon tapes to work on the propane fittings. They are not suitable Teflon tape that you can use on propane fittings; only the yellow tape will go with the propane fittings.

What is Teflon® tape (PTFE tape)?

People often call Teflon tape a plumber’s best friend. It is a simple but effective waterproof tool that you can use to seal something to make it airtight or watertight.

It is lube and acts as a component for minimizing friction. If you plan to install fittings in the kitchen or the bathroom, it is a must to use thread tape on those. You can use it from the water heater to tap into any pipe-related activity.

As a general rule, Teflon tape comes in very handy when you need a strong material that can help you tighten and seal pipes to avoid leaks. The fact is it’s a useful product not only for just plumbers if you have a house, but you will also get to know its importance for sure.

You need to use Teflon tape whenever you want to work on any fittings. It might be the water lines or the gasoline pipe.

Can I use white Teflon tape on propane fittings?

You cannot use white Teflon tape on propane fittings because it is not suited to these activities. It is also very thin.

It is highly recommended not to use white Teflon tape on propane fittings because the tape may deteriorate as time goes by and allow the gas flow to leak through the fitting, which is quite risky and can cause unexpected incidents.

White Teflon is only listed for plumbers. If you are looking for Teflon tape in your propane fittings, you should go for the yellow one. You may use it, especially for this kind of requirement.

How to use PTFE or Teflon tape on gas fittings?

Using PTFE or Teflon tape on gas fittings is not a tiresome task. You can use it as a regular tape. Let’s follow some tips and use the PTFE or Teflon tape on gas fittings.

Clean the Gas Fittings:

Before applying any tape on fittings, you must clean that area. Once the tape is applied, you can’t remove it. Or the removal will take more effort and time than your anticipation. The same goes for the gas fittings.

You have to clean the gas fittings and remove the dirt. You can use a dry fiber cloth and clean the entire area within a while.

Use the Tape:

After cleaning the gas fittings, you can start using Teflon tape. When you apply the tape around the fittings, you must firmly hold the fittings to evenly and perfectly join them.

It will become a mess and move from the required place if you fail to hold the fittings.

Double Coat the Tape:

Since the tape will stick to the gasoline or gas fittings for a long time, you need to use sufficient Teflon tape by coating them twice. They need to be enough for the fittings to hold them up and do their job perfectly.

When should you not use Teflon tape?

At times, you should avoid using Teflon tape as a precautionary measure. You should not use Teflon tape while installing PVC fittings or valves with female (FPT) threads in order to prevent corrosion.

When placing the tape on female connections, it may narrow down the space of the joints.

A pipe union is an excellent illustration of this. Although you can use tape on the threads where the union screws into the pipe, you should avoid using it on the threads or joint face where two sides of the union come together. A brass fitting will be more suited to this scenario.

Can you use Teflon tape on natural gas connections?

Teflon tape has two color codes: white and yellow. The yellow one is made of a special type of Teflon that is safe for natural gas connections. You can use the tape for any kind of gas line connection.

Because yellow Teflon tape for gas lines contains a double density thickness, it can perfectly absorb the high pressures of a gas line connection.

Keep in mind that you should only use yellow Teflon tape on the threads. Because of this, thread tape is a frequent term for this material. Make sure you do not use the tape in connections related to compression or anything else that does not have threads in it.

Final thoughts

Since the yellow Teflon tape is made for gasoline fittings, you can certainly use the Teflon tape on propane fittings. It will give you the most secure and best fittings on any gas line fittings. Although there are different colors of Teflon tapes available, only the yellow Teflon tape is suitable.