PTFE tape on fittings

MeddlE · 13 Oct 2020 at 01:26

Anyone else do this or am I on my own?

It's an absolute must when plumbing so makes sense to me to use it when setting up my loop.

Radox-0 · 13 Oct 2020 at 01:50

Never used it in all my loops, don’t know of any friends who have used it either. When viewing builds / YouTube elsewhere does not seem all that common (as in never seen it used).

bremen1874 · 13 Oct 2020 at 02:01

Aren't most water cooling fittings sealed with o-rings nowadays?

There's a lot of misused PTFE tape in plumbing as well. The only commonplace you're going to use it is fitting radiator tails. You often see it used on compression fittings where it makes zero sense.

Defy Belief · 13 Oct 2020 at 07:47

Just you

MeddlE · 13 Oct 2020 at 08:26

Cheers. It only came to mind while I was watching Jayz2cents build his new rig and saw him screwing then in dry (!) that maybe I was adding an unnecessary step to the process.

MikeTimbers · 13 Oct 2020 at 10:38

used to be important before fittings had o-rings but no longer needed for those that do

RexAlba · 13 Oct 2020 at 10:41

I personally wouldnt do this, PTFE is for tapered threads... adding it on a straight thread sealed by o-ring is just potentially adding debris to the loop if applied wrong or screwing with the torque you put on fittings.

andy_mk3 · 13 Oct 2020 at 16:02

The fitting threads are in no way any part of the seal. On hardline it's the o-rings that seal it, soft tubing is sealed onto the barb and compressed by the ring.

Jokester · 13 Oct 2020 at 16:10

Before threads pretty much standardised on BSP with a o-ring seal, it was the done thing on the like of NPT barbs that were pretty common 10+ years ago.

im4gine3 · 14 Oct 2020 at 13:32

i still do this but mainly on radiator fittings. Have been doing this since i started watercooling yonks ago so see no issue carrying on

RexAlba · 14 Oct 2020 at 13:41

SWAK would be a better thing to use if you really wanted to use something i think, its a liquid PTFE we use in the pneumatic/hydraulic industry a lot.

mingey · 14 Oct 2020 at 13:47

As mentioned O rings form the seal not the threads.

MeddlE · 14 Oct 2020 at 21:40

no idea what said:
The fitting threads are in no way any part of the seal. On hardline it's the o-rings that seal it, soft tubing is sealed onto the barb and compressed by the ring.

Wrong end of the fitting. I'm on about the thread that goes into the block or radiator.

Bubo · 15 Oct 2020 at 08:50

Using PTFE you run the risk if particles getting into the loop and stuck in your block plates, probably riskiest time would be if you unscrewed a fitting and were not meticulously careful bits don't drop in etc. I don't see any upsides to using it nowadays personally.

3t3P · 17 Oct 2020 at 12:36

I only tried this on my res top as was having a lot of evaporation. But I took it off as worried about how tatty it got and it going into the loop.

tyler_jrb · 17 Oct 2020 at 12:40

Doesn't need it. The fittings have o-rings to seal against the radiator or block and the pressure itself is extremely minimal.

koooowweeee · 18 Oct 2020 at 10:52

I've used it on a EK reservoir that must have been tighten up too much by a previous owner.