I've been working on a number of projects with considerable plumbing recently. I had a weeping leak develop on a threaded metal fitting city pressure water that I had used teflon tape on the interface a few months ago. I did a bit of research on sealants that are safe for our tanks and came up with Hercules Megaloc (http://herchem.net/Products/thread_sealants.html). I have to tell you that this stuff is excellent!
After additional research it seems that some of the PVC pipe and fitting manufactures specifically instruct installers DO NOT USE TEFLON TAPE ON PVC FITTINGS.
Direct Link to Lasco Site:
http://www.lascofittings.com/threads
"Don't wrap Teflon tape or Teflon paste or pipe dope to add bulk to or to lubricate the joint. Do use a sealant for threaded joints. "
I have been using the Megaloc sealant on quite a few aquarium projects now and have had zero issues. The product is like a toothpaste consistency with teflon fibers. I squeeze a bit on the threads and tighten ~1-2 turns past finger tight and life is good. It's NSF61 approved so it's safe for drinking water and our fish. I don't think I'll even go back to tape for anything.
After additional research it seems that some of the PVC pipe and fitting manufactures specifically instruct installers DO NOT USE TEFLON TAPE ON PVC FITTINGS.
Direct Link to Lasco Site:
http://www.lascofittings.com/threads
"Don't wrap Teflon tape or Teflon paste or pipe dope to add bulk to or to lubricate the joint. Do use a sealant for threaded joints. "
I have been using the Megaloc sealant on quite a few aquarium projects now and have had zero issues. The product is like a toothpaste consistency with teflon fibers. I squeeze a bit on the threads and tighten ~1-2 turns past finger tight and life is good. It's NSF61 approved so it's safe for drinking water and our fish. I don't think I'll even go back to tape for anything.
