How long does it take to wind fum tapes on the thread so that the connection does not leak?

Hello, friends.

In the comments to the previous article, we touched on an important topic: how many turns of fum tape to wind on the thread so that the connection does not flow. The reader has hinted that a certain number of turns can lead, which guarantees tightness. I fundamentally disagree with this statement.

Let me tell you how I use fum tape and what I think about counting the turns of the seal.

How to properly wind fum tape

To securely pack a connection, you need to follow at least two rules:

• Wrap the tape in the direction of the thread. For example, on fittings with a right (standard) thread, we wind clockwise, if we look at the thread from the end (see. Photo).
• Wrap the tape with an interference fit. If you screw it loosely onto the thread, there is a risk that the seal will rotate during installation. In addition, it will not be possible to estimate exactly how many turns you need to make. The connection is likely to leak over time.

How many turns to wind

I believe that it is impossible to give universal advice. There are many variable factors here:

• Fum tape thickness: 0.075 mm; 0.1 mm; 0.12 mm; 0.15 mm; 0.2 mm.
• Thread diameter: 1/4 "; 3/8"; 1/2 ", 3/4", 1 ", etc.
• Tight seating of threads: tight or with a gap.

As you can imagine, in each case the number of turns will be different. You can, of course, try to create a table of incredible sizes that will take into account all the parameters. Let's better tell you what I am guided by when counting the number of turns of the fum tape.

As I wrote above, I wind the seal with an interference fit. I shake it until the sharp edges of the thread are visually hidden. Once the surface is practically smooth, that's enough. See how it looks in the photo.

In my case, it was required to make 10 turns of fum tape 0.1 mm thick on a 1/2 ”thread. Ribbons with a thickness of 0.2 mm took 4 turns for the same thread. When winding yourself, be careful:

• if the seal is not enough, the connection will flow;
• if the tapes are wound too much, the counterpart of the fitting may burst during assembly.

In a previous article, I talked about the positioning of taps and fittings. How to properly assemble the connections so that they do not flow later. Do not miss this material.

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