I've seen reversed tape wrapping cause headaches more times than I'd like to admit. Honestly, it's one of those things that's easy to overlook until you're staring at a slow drip and scratching your head. About the liquid thread sealants—I recently gave one a try on a small heating circuit repair. It worked pretty well, but I gotta say I'm still cautious about using it on anything critical or high-pressure. Call me old-fashioned, but there's something reassuring about properly wrapped tape that you just don't get from a liquid sealant. Plus, with liquids, you really have to make sure the threads are spotless and dry for it to bond properly. If you're dealing with older fittings or slightly dirty threads, tape might still be the safer bet. Just my two cents...
"Call me old-fashioned, but there's something reassuring about properly wrapped tape that you just don't get from a liquid sealant."
Yeah, I totally get that. I've had decent luck with liquid sealants on newer fittings, but older threads can be a gamble. One time I spent way too long cleaning and prepping an ancient fitting only to have the liquid stuff still fail on me...ended up redoing it with tape anyway. Curious if anyone's tried those hybrid sealants—supposedly combining tape and liquid properties? Wonder if they're worth the hype or just another gimmick.
I've had similar experiences—liquid sealants seem convenient at first, but older fittings often have imperfections that liquids just don't fill reliably. Haven't tried the hybrid stuff yet, but honestly, good-quality tape wrapped correctly rarely lets me down...might stick with what works.
"good-quality tape wrapped correctly rarely lets me down...might stick with what works."
Totally agree with this. Tape's reliable if you wrap it right—just make sure you're going clockwise and overlapping slightly each turn. Older fittings can be tricky, but sounds like you've got it figured out now. Nice job!
Tape's alright, but honestly, after dealing with a stubborn leak last winter, I switched to pipe dope and haven't looked back. Bit messy at first, sure...but zero leaks since. Might be worth a shot next time you're in there.
