Counterclockwise Teflon Thread Leaks in a Plumbing Wrap
Teflon tape, Dupont's trademarked plumber’s tape, is white in appearance and comes in small to large rolls, like any other type of tape. You may find Teflon tape at your local hardware or plumbing supply store. The tape works to seal pipe connections in your house’s plumbing, stopping leaks before they start. Does this Spark an idea?
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Tape Function
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Teflon tape helps prevent leaks at pipe or water supply line connections. When you thread the connecting pieces between either metal or plastic pipes, small gaps between the threads of the two pipes may exist. Water always flows through the pathway of least resistance. If the water finds a gap in the pipe connections, it flows through the gaps and leads to leaks. Teflon tape sits between the threads on the two pipes, closing up the gaps so the water continues flowing through the pipes instead of leaking.
Leak Damage
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Even though a leak may be small, it can lead to significant damage in your house, especially if the leak continues for an extended period of time without being detected. Plumbing leaks may pool in the subfloor of your house, weakening the floor joists. A water leak may also cause mold to grow in your house behind walls or under floors where you cannot see it, potentially harming your health. Water leaks can also ruin drywall on the walls or ceiling, peel paint and short out electrical fixtures.
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Pipe Connections
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When you tighten a pipe connection, you must turn the connection clockwise so the connection tightens. Turning a connection counterclockwise loosens or breaks the connection. Another way of remembering this is the adage "righty is tighty and lefty is loosey." You must wrap the Teflon tape on the pipe threads the same way you turn the pipe connection, otherwise the tape peels up and bunches inside the connection. Without an even layer of tape, air gaps may still exist, and water may still leak out.
Proper Installation
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Always wrap the Teflon tape clockwise around pipes’ threads so the tape works as effectively as possible. When you first apply the tape to the pipe threads, press down on the tape to drive it into the threads and close up any potential air gaps. Keep the tape taunt as you wrap it, since wrinkles introduce air gaps. You need to wrap at least 4 or 5 layers of Teflon tape around a pipe’s threads, otherwise there may not be enough tape to prevent leaks.
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