PPK Sealing Tape

How to Use Plumber's Tape

The trick to getting plumber's tape right is to wrap it around the pipe in the proper direction.

When the pipe is turned into the fitting, the friction of the mating threads should work to tighten the tape around the pipe, rather than work against it and unravel or ball up the tape. Therefore, you wrap the tape around the pipe in the opposite direction of how the pipe will turn into the fitting. Here are the basic steps:

Clean the male threads at the end of the pipe with a clean rag.
Place the end of the plumber's tape on the second thread from the end of the pipe and hold it in place with a finger or thumb. The tape should lie flat (not bunched up) over the threads and extend perpendicularly to the length of the pipe.
Begin wrapping the tape around the pipe in the opposite direction to the direction the pipe will be turned.
Maintain tension on the tape so it wraps snugly around the pipe. Work away from the end of the pipe, overlapping the tape as you go.
Complete four to six wraps around the pipe, finishing near the end of the threads (opposite the end of the pipe).
Break the tape from the roll by gripping it between thumb and forefinger and pulling sharply; it breaks easily. Smooth the loose end down over the threads. The pipe is now ready to go into the fitting.
Where To Use Plumber's Tape
Plumber's tape is recommended for use with most threaded connections that don't have a built-in rubber seal.

If you're familiar with using pipe-joint compound (a.k.a. pipe dope), you can substitute with plumber's tape in the same applications. It can be used on all standard metal pipe materials as well as rigid plastic pipe. Common places to use plumber's tape include:

Shower arms
Showerheads
Threaded tub spouts
Pipe-to-coupling connections
Pipe-to-valve connections