To use or not to use? Teflon tape

[3dchipset]

I'm using those Bitspower compression fittings and wondering do you need to use teflon tape on the threads before screwing them into the connections on the water blocks, pump, resovoir?

[fatman]

would not hurt but i dont think it necessary

[Waterlogged]

NEVER, EVER use Teflon tape with "G" or NPSM (old Swiftech) fittings, the O-ring does the sealing.

[Herc130]

Whenever I install o-ringed fittings or parts at work, I always lube the o-ring with petroleum or whatever fluid runs through the part. You should not install with the o-ring dry, since fittings and some parts are screwed in with the o-ring spinning as you tighten or remaining still as surfaces around it spins. A dry o-ring is more likely to bind up or twist on itself before you get a good torque, so just dip the o-ring in whatever fluid you are going to be using right before you install. And no, don't use teflon tape on an o-ring fitting.

[T_Flight]

Whenever I install o-ringed fittings or parts at work, I always lube the o-ring with petroleum or whatever fluid runs through the part. You should not install with the o-ring dry, since fittings and some parts are screwed in with the o-ring spinning as you tighten or remaining still as surfaces around it spins. A dry o-ring is more likely to bind up or twist on itself before you get a good torque, so just dip the o-ring in whatever fluid you are going to be using right before you install. And no, don't use teflon tape on an o-ring fitting.

Same deal on my rocket motors, and why I always always use Slick 50 One Grease on them. If you screw the closures on a rocket motor with dry O-Rings you may get the shock of your life when the rocket plume comes out of places where it shouldn't.

All I do on my rocket motors (and will do on my water cooling stuff) is just take and dip my finger very lightly in it rub my thumb and forefinger together and just shine them up a bit. It doesn't take a pile of it, but I've learned that dry o-rings can bind also.

[systemviper]

Whenever I install o-ringed fittings or parts at work, I always lube the o-ring with petroleum or whatever fluid runs through the part. You should not install with the o-ring dry, since fittings and some parts are screwed in with the o-ring spinning as you tighten or remaining still as surfaces around it spins. A dry o-ring is more likely to bind up or twist on itself before you get a good torque, so just dip the o-ring in whatever fluid you are going to be using right before you install. And no, don't use teflon tape on an o-ring fitting.

Same here, great advice +2 :up:

[dnottis]

I only use teflon tape with plastic barbs that dont use o-rings.

My own builds only use chrome barbs with o-rings.

[Herc130]

If you want to make sure a fitting never comes loose, can try safety wiring em

http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/1976/safetyme3yn2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

I considered getting a jig to drill holes into fittings so I can string safety wire through em. Just about everything I touch at work is safety wired. No, I don't think a PC waterloop really needs it :) and it's very unlikely I will do this.

Anyway, if you look at the pic, the safety wire has a positive pull going clockwise/righty tighty/tighening direction on both fittings at the same time. Neither fitting will budge much if any in the loosening direction. If one fitting tries to loosen, it will also have to tighten the other fitting while it's loosening...this will not happen, so it just will not loosen.

[CyberDruid]

I only use teflon on a tapered metal to metal fitting. It will not work correctly on a poly to metal connection nor will it work correctly on a straight threaded fitting. And it really doesn't work on an O-ring connection.

[3dchipset]

Thanks for the responses. It sounds like I should dip the screw side into some distilled water before I hand tighten the parts into the pump, radiator, cpu block, etc...

My parts consist of:
eK Supreme Universal
eK MultiOption 4 Port Res 150
Danger Den DD-CPX Pro Pump
Black Ice Xtreme 2 XFlow 2x120

Thanks for the help!

[bigslappy]

KY Jelly works for me !

[DRT-Maverick]

NEVER, EVER use Teflon tape with "G" or NPSM (old Swiftech) fittings, the O-ring does the sealing.


I've used teflon w/ o-rings. I usually give it a little extra space between the tape and O-ring, but i do use it. I haven't had any problems, in fact I found it to be a good precaution. Why 'NEVER, EVER'? (The teflon is wrapped around the threading, while the o-ring is pressed against the plastic wall)

[hellcamino]

I've used teflon w/ o-rings. I usually give it a little extra space between the tape and O-ring, but i do use it. I haven't had any problems, in fact I found it to be a good precaution. Why 'NEVER, EVER'? (The teflon is wrapped around the threading, while the o-ring is pressed against the plastic wall)

You don't use teflon tape with an o-ring fitting because all it takes is a single strand going astray when you assemble the part to break the o-ring seal.

[Herc130]

I've used teflon w/ o-rings. I usually give it a little extra space between the tape and O-ring, but i do use it. I haven't had any problems, in fact I found it to be a good precaution. Why 'NEVER, EVER'? (The teflon is wrapped around the threading, while the o-ring is pressed against the plastic wall)



Please try using only the teflon tape with a fitting made for O-rings and let me know how that goes.

NPT fittings are tapered. They seal because of the taper. As you screw it in, you will get to a point well before it bottems out, that you can no longer turn the fitting. The threads in the screws themselves form the seal by crushing each other and with help from the teflon tape, it forms a seal. An o-ring on a tapered fitting is of course pointless and is obviously pointless because for most fittings of this nature, it doesn't screw down far enough to compress an o-ring and you will see the o-ring moving freely and know it is not doing anything and is not a good precaution incase the tapered fitting fails.


An NPSM is a straight fitting. It seals usually by an o-ring. It does not have a tapered fitting, the threads will not crush on each other to form a seal. If you wraped enough teflon tape on it to make it so it might seal via crushing that tape on its screw threads, then you would most likely be unable to thread the screw because it is not tapered. If you only put enough tape on it so that you can thread it, then most likely it will not be enough to crush onto the threads to form a good and lasting seal. This is a straight fitting and was made to screw down all the way till it bottems out and compresses an o-ring and forms a seal.

It's been so far so good for you because the o-ring works great. Putting teflon tape on there is not a good precaution, it's just useless baggage at best.

[Waterlogged]

I've used teflon w/ o-rings. I usually give it a little extra space between the tape and O-ring, but i do use it. I haven't had any problems, in fact I found it to be a good precaution. Why 'NEVER, EVER'? (The teflon is wrapped around the threading, while the o-ring is pressed against the plastic wall)

:brick: :brick::brick: must bite tongue and be nice!

....because the very smart guys that thought it up, designed it so only the O-ring does the sealing, the threads are not design to do anything other than hold to 2 parts together. The gap between the threads is "huge" when compared to tapered threads which as Herc stated are the seal. He did have one little part wrong though about NPT threads, there is alway a little gap between the root and crest of the threads that needs to be sealed and this is what the tape is for. If you were to try and seal a BSPP with only tape, you would use so much that you might not be able to actually get the fitting in.

[Eddie3dfx]

bspp is specifically sealed with the Oring while npt seals by it's tapered threading. NPT is actually not mean't for everything in and out, since it's mean't to be jammed in.

[BreeSpree]

You don't need it, and you really shouldn't do it. If anything you'll will make it worse, because you will be putting stress on the fitting.

[ex2cib]

You don't need it, and you really shouldn't do it. If anything you'll will make it worse, because you will be putting stress on the fitting.

Edit: OMG yay 100 posts in 3 days. Ima not check out sale section.
:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

well, from my observation, you obviously spammed your way there

if you wouldve read the rules 72 hours ago, you might've noticed number 9

9. Spamming
There will be No Spamming allowed. If spamming appears to be for the simple purpose for access to our classifieds section. Your post(s) will be removed and future access will be denied. Any and all spam will not be tolerated. This includes spamming to PM boxes.

but, your access to the for sale section has likely already been pulled by one of the higher-ups

thanks for admitting your guilt rather than making it a judgement decision this time though:rofl:

edit: had to fix your quote for you

[Movieman]

You don't need it, and you really shouldn't do it. If anything you'll will make it worse, because you will be putting stress on the fitting.

Edit: OMG yay 100 posts in 3 days. Ima check out sale section.
:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

Ahhh,no..
Some people just never learn..:shakes:
Listen to me for a minute and learn.
The FS section here is there as a convienience to the "contributing members"
It is not eBay, it is not a place to find pre release Nehalems for $20.00..
It is a place for people here who have gotten to know and trust one another OVER TIME and through their posts ok?
God's truth, in almost 3 years here I have bought 3 items from the FS section and no real deals, just something I needed at the time and usually older tech..Yea, castoffs from members that have upgraded.
In all three cases I bought from people I trusted as they had a history here at XS..
Think on that a little and you'll understand this place a little better!

[BreeSpree]

Sorry, to be honest I did not try to spam, I just spend a lot of time on forums I guess. I'm trying to learn as much as I can before I start a new project actually. I find the forum, expecially the liquid cooling forum, informative as to keep tabs on what is coming out. I use the forum for information solely. I just thought that the for sale section would be an extra kick. I did read the rules, but I just thought spamming was the same as trolling, which I don't do. I gave honest input and advice in all my replies so far. I would just like to make it known that I was not trying to spam, because well I would consider spammers, troublemakers who don't deserve the forum and I am NOT that. If I can't use the for sale section I am fine with that, I just don't want to be the troublemaker.

[dionysio]

always use teflon but be careful not to cover the o-ring... you can also take off the o-ring and use more teflon. i used both methods with success. iam waiting for other views on this...

[Waterlogged]

always use teflon but be careful not to cover the o-ring... you can also take off the o-ring and use more teflon. i used both methods with success. iam waiting for other views on this...

Have you not read this thread?

[dionysio]

my own experience unfortunatelly forced me to use teflon. especially with koolance reservoirs. they leak even applying tight fixing with only the o-ring as seal.

[Waterlogged]

my own experience unfortunatelly forced me to use teflon. especially with koolance reservoirs. they leak even applying tight fixing with only the o-ring as seal.

If your talking about the new reservoirs that Koolance recently released then something sounds very very wrong as I've not had a single problem mounting any fittings on mine. What type fittings did you use (please link if possible)?

[LeeH]

Well, I joined this forum for the sage advice of those with more experience than me so off comes the teflon.

I have been testing my loop and have teflon on all the fittings. I was planning to take it down today to modify the pump(EK top for the D5) and add some other blocks. While I'm at it, Ill remove all the teflon tape

[dionysio]

i used ek barbs and taps and also koolance barbs. koolance taps get rusty so i threw them away and replaced them with nickel-platted from a hardware shop.

[AndrewZorn]

I can't believe I didn't think to lube up the o-rings. I hope I at least thought to get them wet. Now I'm worried...

Oh well, next time.

[Waterlogged]

i used ek barbs and taps and also koolance barbs. koolance taps get rusty so i threw them away and replaced them with nickel-platted from a hardware shop.

Can you post a pic of the res as it is now?

[Eddie3dfx]

Not necessary, but I do use it on npt barbs-swiftech rads that are npt threaded.

[Waterlogged]

Not necessary, but I do use it on npt barbs-swiftech rads that are npt threaded.

As well you should. :up:

[3dchipset]

Any suggestions of what liquid to use for smearing around the fitting before screwing/twisting them on the CPU Block, Radiator, Pump? Just dip it in water? Or use some other kind of liquid?

[BreeSpree]

I thought you were not supposed to put any liquid into the fitting before you screwed it in. If it lubricates the hole and you just keep twisting and twisting the o-ring might snap, and then you have a real problem. The general rule of thumb was twist it as hard as you can with your fingers, and add a half-turn with a wrench. Or at least that's what I've heard.

[bigslappy]

Can using Teflon tape keep me from getting a STD ?