Finally. A pipe sealant that works!................hb

heatboy

We have been using this stuff for a little while now and I must tell you, this is flat out, the best sealant I have ever used. I have tried virtually every tape or dope on the market with varying success, but they pale in comparison. Those of you that work with the Energy Kinetics System 2000 use it all of the time. That's where I buy mine. Give it a try and I'm sure you'll think the same.

hb

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steve_25

yeah but....

> We have been using this stuff for a little while

> now and I must tell you, this is flat out, the

> best sealant I have ever used. I have tried

> virtually every tape or dope on the market with

> varying success, but they pale in comparison.

> Those of you that work with the Energy Kinetics

> System 2000 use it all of the time. That's where

> I buy mine. Give it a try and I'm sure you'll

> think the same.

>

> hb

>

> _A

> HREF="http://www.heatinghelp.com/getListed.cfm?id=

> 304&Step=30"_To Learn More About This

> Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in

> "Find A Contractor"_/A_



first thing in piping up boilers, besides the dope "lampwick" should always be used... i don't believe
in teflon tape.. teflon is good for only few aplications thats it... i use lampwick and then blueblock and the good thing about blueblock it's apoxy base but it never gets rock
hard... and i've had no problems for years... i've seen guys use teflon tape and rectoseal... and a few years down the road the manifold is rusted and leaking

J.C.A._3

Oh , Man do I have to disagree!

The locktite stuff is great, I tend to smoothout the resulting "birdsnest" look with a fingerful of pipe dope,(thanks to a suggestion from the Wall).

As far as Teflon, I like to use a thin coat of dope(I prefer Rectorseal#5, as I also deal with oil), , 2 to 3 wraps of teflon, then another thin coat of dope. I learned this from an "old timer", and everything he put together comes apart when I go to replace it.

Ask Mr. Milne how many times I've asked him if teflon was invented while he did "this install". My 6" Rigid pipe wrench was destroyed while trying to remove an expansion tank he installed , only 5 years earlier because it "had a harmonic convergience with the air scoop" , they had become one. Snapped it like a wishbone on Christmas Day!

Teflon is a fine product. Don't discount it at all. Remember to "treat things like you'll be the next one there to do the service". If you do it well ....you will. If you do it poorly, you'll be there to fix it for free. Chris. Merry Christmas.

Big Ed

Leak Lock

They must of used "Leak Lock" on that expansion tank .That was nasty stuff to remove on heated cast . We were using that stuff back in the 80's. Trick to removed a seized thread expansion tank... Bend it back and fourth to break it off from it's adapter then you can use a larger wrench to remove the adapter.

I have been using Mega Lock and lampwick. I like the ease of clean up and soft set.. I still use Leak Lock on oil fittings...Teflon I rarely use anymore. I found it to cause havoc within the system . Teflon does has a place with frequent service parts...

Unknown

Leak Lock

Now that is a fitting that will never leak - or be taken apart again . Like Permatex , and it's just as hard to get off your hands and clothes .

Ed , do you have any trouble using the Megalock in cold weather ? It always seems to want to spread it on like a big snot , clumps up on me all the time in low temps .

Big Ed

Yes

Yes your right I noticed that too.You have to push it into the threads..... I thought it was drying out never thought it was the cold..Hmmm you have me thinking now... When that happens I reach for a new can ???I do like the way it cleans up and the fact of no dripping on first build up.


Permatex that brings back a memory. And that was before latex gloves.

Arthur

Thread sealing on expansion tanks

The trick with expansion tanks is to put a mac union right on to the tank. And also use a good quailty european tank then you don't have to renew them so often.
I've only ever seen 2 expansion tanks pack up in over 30yrs. The european tanks we use must be a lot better than the ones you guys use.

Big Ed

Flair Brand

When the diaphram tanks first came out . Flair made a long slender tank that lasted 20 years without a charge... The problem with them was it was piped with in it's space. The new chunky tanks sometimes had to be piped outside it's space. What was that red color brand Vent Rite . I think I seen about the last of them..

Unknown

Yes , Mega Lock does clean up

the easiest , in my opinion . I have a new pair of pants that still have a big mustard stain of Rectorseal from a steamer a few weeks ago . After 4 washes its still there .

I learned a good trick from our oil tank crew - take the thread sealant into the cab and park it in front of a vent on cold days . By the time you get to the job , it's almost like soup . Do they still send those Megalock can coolers ?

Big Ed

I still.....

....have a can cooler around a 1/2 pint Mega Lock in a wrapper sitting in my truck What you can send away for more ?

Drip

Nice Thread, can I quiz you guys on a oozing subject?

We have two outdoor wood burners each are Stainless steel. Both can get to 200 degrees at times. We have not found a product that will seal the threads. Stainless to stainless, and stainless to brass. Both systems ooz all over. One has Camco Boiler grade anti freeze and the other has auto anti freeze.

It's too cold now, but when the weather breaks I want to drain each one and reseal all the fittings.

By the way, whats a good way to remove the old pipe dope?




Drip....

Jack, CVMS

Megaloc & cold

weather - thin the Megaloc with a little denatured alcohol. You only need a very thin coating on the threads anyway, and that makes it easier to brush down into the threads, as well as thins it out in the cold. Ever try spreading pipe dope that's been sitting out at 45 below? Good thing I charge by the hour...

Mark Wolff

Jack, Jack, Jack

That's what your turbo-torch is for!

I was up north of Kotzebue last winter, and had to take the pipe dope inside every 4 minutes because it would freeze that quick. 40 something below zero. I'm sure you can relate.

My vote also is for Megalok. It works the best for everything I do.

By the way, thanks for that email, we are looking into adjusting accordingly.

Unknown

Sure

Give me your address , I'll send a few slightly used ones . They might smell a little like stale Michelob , but they work great .

Unknown

To remove the old dope

we use a cleaning brush for fittings very lightly and then some steel wool .

Which products did you try for sealing the threads so far ?

Jack, CVMS

Turbo Torch

Heck, I thought the Turbo Torch was for heating the wrenches so I wouldn't get frostbite every time I picked one up.
Fortunately for me, when I was working in the Kotzebue area, in various villages along the Kobuk River, I was working on diesel-electric generators or refrigeration, both nice, warm, indoor jobs.

Drip

Ron,

I used Harvey's brand pipe dope for liquid, it had some Tefflon in it. I threw the bottle away after the job.

On a recent addition I tried Harvey's PTFE thread seal tape. Put 4 wraps on each and some joints are leaking and it's been less than 30 days.

Wayco Wayne

I got some

Locktite 55 pipe thread sealant that came with a Buderus boiler. Looks kinda like dental floss. I wrap it around the first 3/4 of the threads and then put 3 wraps of teflon tape over top of it, and then use some blue Block pipe dope over top of that. I also put some pipe dope on the inside threads of the fitting. Have had no leaks since I started using this method. WW

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Tom_22

Locktite Like Lampwick? & Varying The No. of Wraps Of Tape

>>>>Locktite 55 pipe thread sealant that came with a Buderus boiler. Looks kinda like dental floss.
=======

Isn't that Locktite 55 like lampwick then, but probably a better material?

Also, I usually use more wraps of tape on larger pipe on the theory that the clearance between the threads is bigger on larger pipe = more space to fill up. But it seems like a lot of guys use the same number of wraps for all sizes. I don't get it.

Ruthe Jubinville

Pipe Threads

I like the locktite 55. It worked for us after taking a stainless joint apart about 10 times. We got brave and used it with nothing else and it didn't leak. The can tells how many wraps for each size pipe Jerry

Bob Gagnon plumbing and heating

wire brush

the male and female threads before tightening. you will feel how much smoother the threads go together. i haven't had a leak in gas pipe in years. bob

JM_2

web site for 55

http://www.loctite.com/int_henkel/loctite_us/index.cfm?&pageid=19&layout=3

Mark Eatherton1

Funny...

how something so simple can be right there in your face the whole time, ain't it...

No body has TIME to stop and put a fitting brush to an iron pipe fitting...But they ALWAYS have to "find time" to go back and fix the potentially harmful leak.

ME

Tony Conner

I Hadn't...

...thought about discussing that. We don't normally brush fittings, or factory nipples (unless they've been around awhile and have some dirt or rust in the threads, but we wear out wire brushes cleaning the threads we field cut.

scrook_2

Loctite 55 cord...

Looking at the MSDS it appears it is polyethylene thread w/ lime, silicone oil/grease PTFE (e.g. Teflon® or the equiv.) stearic acid (also used in soaps, deodorant/antiperspirant, hand cream etc.) and talc (talcum or baby powder) on it, so it sounds similar to dental floss like material w/ a paste coating.

http://sds.loctite.com/wv.asp?A=LIST&F_Product=35082&F_language=en&F_Subformat=USA

Mark Eatherton1

It can't hurt...

and with wire fitting brushes chucked up into a cordless drill, it's a ZIP ZIP proposition...

ME

scrook_2

do you degrease

the threads w/ Loctite degreaser or similar first w/ the Loctite 565? Do you find larger fittings harder to disassemble with it than with regular pipe dopes?