Honestly, I feel this. I bought my first place last year and the first time I tried to fix a leaky valve, I watched three YouTube videos and still ended up calling my dad halfway through. He told me, “If you’re not cursing at least once, you’re probably doing it wrong.” Not sure that’s in any manual, but it seems about right.
I’ve definitely overdone it with Teflon tape before, just because it felt like more = safer. Still not sure if that’s a good idea or just me being paranoid. Does anyone else get anxious about overtightening stuff? I keep reading about cracking fittings but then I’m also worried about leaks if things are too loose. Sometimes feels like you need a sixth sense for plumbing.
Curious if there’s a good rule of thumb for when to stop tightening or if it’s just trial and error every time...
For threaded fittings, I always tell folks “hand tight, then a quarter turn with the wrench.” It’s not exact science, but it keeps you from Hulk-smashing the thing and cracking it. Teflon tape—three wraps is usually plenty. More than that and you risk making it hard to thread or even causing leaks. I get the anxiety though... first time I did a shower arm, I kept thinking, “Is this too tight? Not tight enough?” Sometimes you just have to trust your gut, but if you’re straining, it’s probably too much.
I get where you’re coming from with the “hand tight plus a quarter turn,” but I’ve seen a lot of folks overtighten even with that rule. Sometimes, especially with brass or plastic fittings, it’s better to stop at hand tight and just check for leaks after turning the water back on. If you see a drip, then give it a little more. As for Teflon tape, three wraps is usually good, but on older threads or rougher pipe, sometimes four or five is what gets the job done. Just depends on the fitting and how worn it is. There’s definitely some trial and error involved... nobody gets it perfect every time.
Title: Handy shortcuts for finding plumbing info quick
I’ve gotta admit, I’m always a little nervous about stopping at just hand tight. Maybe it’s the horror stories I’ve heard about slow leaks turning into surprise indoor swimming pools... but I usually go for that extra quarter turn, even with plastic. Haven’t cracked anything yet (knock on wood). As for Teflon tape, I once wrapped a fitting like six times because the threads looked ancient—probably overkill, but hey, no leaks. Guess it really is a bit of trial and error, especially when you’re still figuring out which “tight” is tight enough.
I usually go for that extra quarter turn, even with plastic. Haven’t cracked anything yet (knock on wood).
Honestly, I’ve seen a few cracked PVC fittings from “just one more turn,” so I’m always a little wary. My shortcut: finger-tight, then maybe an eighth-turn with a wrench, max—especially on old stuff. If it leaks, back off and try again with fresh tape or paste. Over-tightening’s bitten me before... learned the hard way.
