A Handbook On Plumbing Sealant Types & Uses

You might have heard about the term “plumbing sealant” from your friendly plumber or came across it while researching about DIY projects online. But if you’re not yet familiar with it, read on and enjoy our blog for today! Plumbing sealant is an essential tool that should be a part of your emergency kit at home. It’s a product that’s simply designed to connect two pipes; a fixture and a pipe as well as other types of threaded connections. What it does is that it seals the gap between the two connected parties in order to keep gas or liquid from escaping the system. Because of the sealant, leaks are prevented. Now there are several types of plumbing sealants that you should know about.

Anaerobic Sealant aka Pipe Dope

The anaerobic sealant or in layman’s term, “pipe dope” is a pipe-joint compound. It’s easy to apply with the help of a brush or any similar tool because it comes in a gooey, liquid form. In the market, this type of sealant is commonly available in containers as little as 1fl. oz or as large as 32 fl. oz. Now you have to remember that pipe dope cannot be used on plastics. It can, however, be used on water lines and gas lines.

Plumber’s Putty

Plumber’s putty meanwhile is a sealing and caulking compound that’s mostly used around drains and faucets. Compared to pipe dope that dries up, this type of sealant stays pretty soft for some time to keep the connection watertight and its removal hassle-free. You can take advantage of it when installing pop-up drains or basket strainers in your bathroom and kitchen sinks. In the tub, you can also use it around the screws of the tub shoe. Just be careful not to utilize it on porous surfaces right then and there. Check the packaging first to confirm that the one you have is specifically made for that purpose. Otherwise, you just might give your granite or stone surfaces nasty stains.

Thread Seal Tape

This type of sealant is also known as PTFE or Polytetrafluoroethylene tape. It is available in several widths and comes in spools. For many of us, we know the thread seal tape as the Teflon tape. Now compared to the first two mentioned above, this type of sealant is obviously less messy and easier to tighten. You just have to roll it around pipe threads three or four times before securing the connections and they’re good to go.

We hope that we have given you valuable information about the different plumbing sealant types and uses. Should you need professional help, just hire the most reliable Wilton Manors plumbing experts in Broward County FL! Plumbers 911 Florida delivers exceptional yet affordable plumbing services in Wilton Manors FL including bathroom plumbing, toilet repairs, plumbing fixture installation, plumbing appliance installation and many more! Visit our website or call us at 305-662-0668 (Miami-Dade County FL), 954-468-0512 (Broward County FL), 561-327-6287 (Palm Beach County FL)!

Want to be prepared during plumbing emergencies? Watch this video to learn all about the most common plumbing problems you should watch out for!