How to seal ss threaded gear? Constant leaks

[TheSlash]

So I have 2 welded 1/2inch full port couplers on my HLT and BK I use for a SS 2 piece ball valve and a thermometer. I for the life of me can't get these things water tight... I've tried wrapping 10 wraps of teflon tape, I've tried putting them on as hard as I could, nothing... Drip drip drip.

I can get them to not drip much, but there has to be a technique here I don't get.

I mean if it supposed to be super tight, how do you line up the thermometer or valve to the right position? Tight as it can go would never line up exact every time... So I tried adding more tape to line it up, but still drips.

I thought pipe tape only needed a couple wraps tops? Do I wrap to the end of the threads, or leave a few bare? Crank it down? I always heard the tape was for lubrication and not sealing...

I'm lost.


After all this trial and error, I have them slightly dripping so at this point in time, I don't ever want to take them off to clean them!!!

So do you all have a trick? Or is it trial and error every brew?

Can I just run starsan through the valve to sanitize or do you all remove the ball valve and hose every brew?

 

[Hammy71]

Not sure how your gonna stop the leak. But, I never sanitize my MLT, HLT or boiling pot. Anything that I use before the boil is finished I don't bother sanitizing. The boiling wort will do that for ya. I do clean my stuff using oxyclean and open and close the ball valves as I drain to clean/rinse them. I do squirt star-san into the ball valve on my boiling pot before I drain to the carboy though...

 

[TheSlash]

Not sure how your gonna stop the leak. But, I never sanitize my MLT, HLT or boiling pot. Anything that I use before the boil is finished I don't bother sanitizing. The boiling wort will do that for ya. I do clean my stuff using oxyclean and open and close the ball valves as I drain to clean/rinse them. I do squirt star-san into the ball valve on my boiling pot before I drain to the carboy though...

That doesn't sound too bad. I planned on squirting everything on the BK with starsan before each brew session. Might take the barb off to soak the hose tho.

Now for the leaking issues..

 

[Catt22]

The only thing that I can think of that may be causing the problem is that the coupling may have been distorted by the heat of welding so that it is no longer round, but egg shaped. I would think that if you put enough tape on the threads it would seal. You could try using the liquid type sealant. I like the PTFE stuff a lot. A pipe fitter once told me that he uses both tape and the sealant together, so you might try that. I would assume that the couplings have tapered and not straight threads, right?

 

[Raider-11]

Look real close at the threads of the coupler it maybe cracked, cracks are sometimes very hard to see, use a bright light source and move it around slowly so the light hits the coulper at differnt angles as to highlight the crack if there is one.

 

[JRems]

Sounds like you might have a straight thread instead of a taper thread. Post up some pics.

 

[TheSlash]

Will inspect soon... I have 2 of the pots from here http://www.homebrewing.org/9-Gallon-Brew-Pot-with-2-welds_p_1684.html

They have been doing this awhile, so I'm fairly confident the couplings would be correct. Cracked or oval I will have to inspect...

Can anyone go over there process? Like wrapping the teflon, do you cover all threads even the first, how many wraps, how tight do you screw in the ball valves?

Do you use vice grips to put the closed nipple on, then hand tighten the valve? etc..

 

[Catt22]

1. Wrap the tape in the right direction so that it doesn't unwind as you tighten the threads. I always start about one thread back from the end and use at least three complete wraps. It's not real critical how you do it and especially so in our application. You might try using the yellow tape made for gas lines. It's considerably thicker than the standard water line stuff. Tighten firmly by hand as far as you can go. Use a wrench on the valve flats (that's what the flats are for). No need to tighten the nipple first. Get them all started and tighten all by turning the valve. You will have to judge when to stop, but I would say that if you cannot back out the fitting by hand, you are tight enough. You don't need to put gorilla force on it to get a good seal and too much force can damage the fittings.

 

[TheSlash]

So a pipe wrench with a pipe on the handle was prolly too much and I could have damaged the threads... Got it. Will report back lol.

Damn gorilla hands.

 

[poislb]

Will inspect soon... I have 2 of the pots from here http://www.homebrewing.org/9-Gallon-Brew-Pot-with-2-welds_p_1684.html

They have been doing this awhile, so I'm fairly confident the couplings would be correct. Cracked or oval I will have to inspect...

Can anyone go over there process? Like wrapping the teflon, do you cover all threads even the first, how many wraps, how tight do you screw in the ball valves?

Do you use vice grips to put the closed nipple on, then hand tighten the valve? etc..

I ordered the same kettle, have not received it yet and dont know how im gonna seal the nipples myself but would silicone or plumbers dope work? im a pipe fitter and use it everday but dont know how it would last up to the temp cause most my work wont exceed 140 degrees..I think i used tape once and honestly its worthless....

 

[Catt22]

So a pipe wrench with a pipe on the handle was prolly too much and I could have damaged the threads... Got it. Will report back lol.

Damn gorilla hands.

Yeah, way too much force if you were cranking on it the a cheater bar. Easy does it most times and a little more than that if it doesn't.

 

[Raider-11]

This is the tape I use, I got it from a local supply house that sells stainless fitting, the owner recommended this tape to prevent galling "ie" low temprature welding of stainless,

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[Catt22]

I ordered the same kettle, have not received it yet and dont know how im gonna seal the nipples myself but would silicone or plumbers dope work? im a pipe fitter and use it everday but dont know how it would last up to the temp cause most my work wont exceed 140 degrees..I think i used tape once and honestly its worthless....

You probably know more about this stuff than anyone else here since you are a professional pipe fitter. Sure, you can use plumber's dope. I like this stuff:

http://www.doitbest.com/Pipe+joint+...seal+Corp-model-23631-doitbest-sku-464287.dib

 

[mmonacel]

I have a weld-less setup. I don't have my BK in front of me, but I remember for both my MLT and BK conversions I got drips. There was more than one "outside" nut though on the valve - meaning the valve itself outside off the kettle had more than one part to tighten. Once I figured that out I was golden. This may not be the case for you as I've never used a welded one, but just a thought.

Also, any way to isolate the problem by getting a termination cap of some sort and screw that on to see if it's the threads on the port vs. that of the valve causing the issue?

 

[poislb]

You probably know more about this stuff than anyone else here since you are a professional pipe fitter. Sure, you can use plumber's dope. I like this stuff:

http://www.doitbest.com/Pipe+joint+...seal+Corp-model-23631-doitbest-sku-464287.dib

Yeah, thats pretty good stuf...I normaly use the master plumber TFE paste, its the white stuff.... Just checked a tube of the paste, its good for up to 400 degrees..

 

[Catt22]

i normaly use the master plumber TFE paste, its the white stuff.... Just checked a tube of the paste, its good for up to 400 degrees..

That should do it.

 

[TheSlash]

And this is all food safe? Mmm looks like it. Was always worried about that stuff in a boil.

 

[poislb]

And this is all food safe? Mmm looks like it. Was always worried about that stuff in a boil.

Just dont paste the first few starter threads, go about 1/4 in on the nipple that goes into the welds. The thing with tape its not actually a sealant, its only purpose is to make the nipple or pipe go in further cause it acts as a lube. All piping is flanged creating a lock of some sort (gets bigger from the first thread to the last). if ya use tape its hit or miss, gotta get lucky to get a good seal with tape....paste actually creates a seal while it lubricates...

 

[kladue]

If the tape will not hold then clean the tape residue up and coat the threads with aquarium grade silicone and wait until the acetic acid smell starts before assembly. An overnight wait will let silicone rubber compound setup and if anything will seal bad threads other than Expando this will. The next lower choice would be rectorseal TRU-BLU thread seal which works better than the Rectorseal T+2 teflon paste for stainless threaded joints.

 

[RonRock]

This is the tape I use, I got it from a local supply house that sells stainless fitting, the owner recommended this tape to prevent gauling "ie" low temprature welding of stainless,

[/IMG]

FTW

I was going to suggest this after I read the entire thread. It is much thicker than Teflon tape. You have to be very careful with Stainless to Stainless threads, they will gall together then never come apart. Do not over tighten.

Maybe a combination of the Stainless tape and RTV will help seal the leak.

I think a better solution would be to get a pipe tap and chase the threads of the nipple to clean them out and you could also change the orientation of where the valve and thermometer ends up.

 

[RonRock]

Rectorseal is a very good thread sealer as Kladue suggests. But where can it be purchased? I happened to have a couple cans from a box of stuff I bought, but can not find it locally.

 

[BrewBeemer]

If the tape will not hold then clean the tape residue up and coat the threads with aquarium grade silicone and wait until the acetic acid smell starts before assembly. An overnight wait will let silicone rubber compound setup and if anything will seal bad threads other than Expando this will. The next lower choice would be rectorseal TRU-BLU thread seal which works better than the Rectorseal T+2 teflon paste for stainless threaded joints.

Tru-Blu has better thread locking or thread holding ability of parts like a gas valve's weight when hanging from an end of a pipe stub with not turning vs the use of non hardening Rectorseal.
Tru-Blu is manufactured by "Rectal Seal" I mean Rectorseal.

 

[kladue]

Here is a source for TRU-BLU thread sealer http://www.amazon.com/Rectorseal-Corporation-Trublu-Sealant-31631/dp/B0012YO0Z4. A suggested accessory is rubbing alcohol to remove the thread sealer you are going to end up wearing when you use this stuff, it seems to get on everything until it drys a bit.