If you’re hooking up a gas dryer, or stove, or another appliance that uses natural gas, here’s a valid question: Can Teflon tape be used on gas fittings?
The answer is yes, with a big caveat.
You have to use the right kind of tape
There’s a big caveat with Teflon tape, or any other type of PFTE tape or thread sealing tape you’re going to use. PFTE is the generic term for the brand name Teflon. The important thing is to not use the same stuff you use on water pipes.
I’ll repeat. Don’t use the same tape you use for water pipes. The cheap Teflon tape that comes in the blue package is for water pipes. You can’t use it on gas. There’s a different kind of PFTE tape that comes in a yellow package. The yellow tape is thicker, harder, and has more tensile strength than the blue stuff. When you feel it, you can feel a bit of a difference. It feels more substantial and gives you more resistance. It’s more expensive too. But it’s not worth risking disaster to save a few cents.
The tape itself tends to have a more yellow tint to it than the stuff for water pipes too.
What about pipe dope?
You can use pipe dope instead, if you wish. I always use the yellow tape on gas lines and fittings because I find it convenient. What you can’t do is use both tape and dope. Use one or the other. If you try to use both, they will interfere with each other.
But I heard you can’t use Teflon tape on gas fittings
If you use too much tape on the pipe joint, you can cause a problem. Use 3-6 turns, leave the top two threads on the pipe bare, and you’ll be fine.
Pull the tape pretty tight as you wrap it, then run a finger over it at least a couple of times to push the tape down into the threads a bit more. Make sure you use enough tape that you can’t see any metal through it. But you need to be able to see the pattern of the threads in the tape. If you can’t see the thread pattern, it’s either not tight enough, or you used too much tape. Try pushing the tape down some more, and if that doesn’t work, try unwrapping one layer of tape.
Then screw the parts together, tighten with a wrench, or better yet, two wrenches, and you’ll get a good, snug connection. Using a second wrench helps you stabilize pipes while you tighten them so you don’t accidentally damage them.
Further reading
I have some tips on saving money on appliances if you’re interested. Frequently you can save a lot of money by buying used and/or off-brand appliances. And if you’re careful what you buy, you don’t sacrifice anything.
I also have some tips on how I cut my energy usage by 19 percent.
David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He started his career as a part-time computer technician in 1994, worked his way up to system administrator by 1997, and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He invests in real estate on the side and his hobbies include O gauge trains, baseball cards, and retro computers and video games. A University of Missouri graduate, he holds CISSP and Security+ certifications. He lives in St. Louis with his family.