How Does Pipe Leak Tape Work?

Leaks are not to be taken lightly. Ignored for long, the usual leak wastes around 10,000 gallons of water in the average U.S. household. Worse, those leaks can turn into burst pipes, damaging your personal property and the structure or foundation of your building. There is an ample number of products and services on the market to repair leaks, but this article focuses on pipe leak tape. What is pipe leak tape? How does pipe leak tape work? When should pipe leak tape be used? You will get the answers to all of these questions in this article. If you are left with any questions and concerns, then feel free to call the experts at Neighborhood Plumbing.

What Is Pipe Leak Tape?

The general application of tape is pretty well-known, but what is pipe leak tape? This product has a broad range of applications in plumbing as well. However, there are a variety of types of pipe leak tape and here’s what you should know about the common types:
-    Pipe Thread Tape:
This type of tape has many nicknames including “Teflon tape,” “plumber’s tape,” “thread seal tape,” and “PTFE tape.” It is generally used to create a watertight seal between plumbing joints or lubricate the connection between joints and make threading smoother.
-    Silicone Tape:
Also called “self-fusing tape” or “self-amalgamating tape,” silicone tape is self-adhesive, meaning it sticks to itself rather than to the pipe. This tape is used for hairline fractures and non-joint leaks.
So, to summarize, pipe thread tape is used for leaking joints while silicone tape is used on fracture leaks anywhere else on the pipes.

How to Use These Pipe Leak Tapes?

Both of the aforementioned types of pipe leak tape are quite easy to use:
-    Pipe Thread Tape:
You will want to first locate the joint that is leaking, then turn off the water supply. Unscrew the leaky pipe joint to disconnect the connection, remembering which way you had to turn the pipe to screw or unscrew it from the joint. Next, remove the worn-out seal and wrap the pipe thread tape in the opposite direction from which you will screw the pipe back in. Wrap the tape around four to six times, making sure the tape is quite snug. 
-    Silicone Tape:
This process is even easier and quicker. Locate the leak and turn off the water supply. Dry the area as well as you can and begin wrapping the silicone tape over the fracture as tightly as possible, overlapping about four to six times. Wrap the tape around the area surrounding the leak as well.

How Long Will This Fix Last?

A joint leak fix with pipe thread tape can be considered a long-term fix as long as the joint itself is not leaking. Silicone tape, however, is a temporary measure while you seek a permanent fix. Call Neighborhood Plumbing as soon as possible so that we can prevent those leaks from getting worse. Our live representatives and certified plumbers are available 24/7.