Can someone give me definitive answer on installing a brass shower mixing valve? Here is my plan, solder threaded adapter to copper pipe, 3 wraps teflon tape, and screw into valve. I see lots of talk of tape, and dope, some say just tape, others dope, both, etc. I don’t want leaks, will tape alone do the trick? how tight should I go?
Once on there, how close can I get with the torch to the taped threaded joint without melting the tape?
Should I install in line arrestors above the valves will it prevent hammer? I have problems with the kitchen sink hammering.
thanks.
Replies
Runnin late for work I'll be back tonite with answer, I'm sure you will get some good responses in the mean time.
You got it. You won't melt the tape -- it's teflon, as in frying pan lining, not plastic. (You stand a better chance of cooking the valve than melting the tape.)
In cases like this, I'm one of the "belt & suspenders" crowd. I tape and then dope with RectorSeal. Tape is fine 99% of the time, but I've run into cases where, e.g., a minor flaw in one side of the threaded fittings leaves a very slow leak unless you use dope, which seems to do a better job of filling any gaps between the threads. You can't check your work for leaks until a point where it will be a major PITA to fix it, so I try to make double sure that joint will be solid.
Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA
In this situation we always dismantle the valve and sweat the threaded copper fittings directly onto the valve body.
I always do it this way because there are no chances for future leaks from dried out dope or insufficient tape.
If the valve needs replacing it is a simple matter of cutting the pipe with a mini and installing a new one.
sully
I recommend teflon tape only for fittings that will be removed down the road. Shower heads onto nipples, for example.
For others, use something ike rectorseal, which was already recommended.
Mongo
OK you got some good info.
Instead of arguing which way is best I will tell you what we do on our jobs ( highrise condo's, hotels, & apartments).
We tape & dope.
Personal preference, most of my guys do not like Rectorseal No5 for use on water fittings.
Weapon of choice is Hercules Megalok, & Rectorseal Trublue as well as Rectorseal Tplus2.
I will not let my guys solder anywhere near a threaded connection----- I'm not worrying about Teflon melting, I'm more worried about the metals expanding & making the joint weak.
Tighten everything just til it breaks, then back off a quarter turn.