How to wind tow on a thread efficiently

Content


1. Purpose of tow and how it works.
2. Varieties of sealing materials.
3. Method of sealing pipe threads with tow.

In plumbing work, tow is used to seal pipes and transitions connected by threads. It is made mainly from flax waste and is a coarse fiber of small size. If you wind the tow correctly, protection against leaks will be provided throughout the life of the pipeline. Answering the question of how to wind tow on a thread, it should be said that the quality of workmanship prevents the risk of leaks in the plumbing system.
There is a gap between the threaded connections through which water freely flows out of the pipeline. If it contains properly laid plumbing tow, then the gap becomes smaller, and as water penetrates into such a connection, the flax swells and the leakage stops.

Types of sealing materials.


The main materials that create a sealed layer between threaded connections include:
- plumbing tow;
- FUM tape;
- liquid FUM.
Silicone is used as an additional material to tow, but by itself, due to its properties, it cannot provide reliable protection of the connection from leaks.
FUM is a thread winder consisting of Teflon tape that is not wetted by water and creates a water-repellent layer in joints.
Liquid FUM is a one-component blue sealant that, upon contact with air, slowly hardens and forms a fairly strong and dense filler that prevents water from leaking out of the system. But, if when using the above listed materials, pressure testing of the water supply can be done immediately, then after using liquid FUM, before checking the system, you need to wait a certain time, depending on the diameter and ambient temperature.

Method of sealing pipe threads with tow.


High-quality thread winding is carried out using the following materials and tools:
- two pipe lever wrenches;
- sanitary tow;
- FUM tapes.
How to wind tow on a thread efficiently

Let's look at the procedure for obtaining a high-quality sealed threaded connection using the example of combining a union nut (American) with a 1-inch external thread and a check valve.
From the tow we separate a strand of length, approximately equal to 5 - 7 turns with a diameter of 1 inch and the density indicated in the photo.
How to wind tow on a thread efficiently

We apply the resulting workpiece to the beginning of the American connecting element, while its thread should be directed towards you, and we wind it clockwise, along the course of the turns and back. We bring the end of the tow to the beginning of the thread and smooth it with our fingers, clockwise. In the end, it should look like in the photo.
How to wind tow on a thread efficiently

Then, we wrap the FUM on this part clockwise so that it completely covers the plumbing flax and lays on it in 2 - 3 layers.
How to wind tow on a thread efficiently

Teflon tape prevents the tow from rotating and moving off the part. We attach the American one to the check valve and, using keys, tighten it until a noticeable load occurs.
How to wind tow on a thread efficiently

Such a combined winding of threads, with appropriate skill, almost always ensures reliable joining of two detachable pipeline elements. When all components of the system are assembled, it is necessary to pressurize it at a pressure of approximately 1 bar and inspect all threaded connections for leaks.
When using low-quality parts, the amount of winding should be slightly reduced, since during the process of flax swelling, forces arise that can lead to damage to the part.
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Comments (12)
  1. INOK
    #1 INOK Guests 17 February 2017 19:29
    19
    It would be better not to show the consequences of winding. This is how stupid people wind flax.It is necessary to form a wide thread from a strip pulled from a bunch of flax and wrap it around the product, and not just push the flax over the hole. If you tighten it as shown, the pipeline will not last long; a plug will form at the junction. The edges need to be smoothed out and tucked into the thread without allowing a single thread into the hole, carefully straighten and wind the flax tightly, and here you can add liquid fum or sealant.
    1. Guest Victor
      #2 Guest Victor Guests 5 July 2018 15:16
      1
      The Unified State Examination will not lead to any good! Well, what do you want from the Unified State Examination student? There is tow, there is tape, there is a suspicious set of keys, too! Result - 100 points! The rest is not included in the count!
  2. Alexander
    #3 Alexander Guests 19 February 2017 19:42
    25
    It is immediately obvious that the person is far from installation work and has no experience. Tow is used to caulk the spaces between logs in a wooden frame. And in the water supply they use flax, which cannot be offended, it can take revenge.
    1. Guest Igor
      #4 Guest Igor Guests 16 September 2018 12:19
      0
      These are two names for the same material.
    2. Guest Victor
      #5 Guest Victor Guests 4 February 2019 13:42
      1
      As far as I know, tow is the same as flax, only of low quality, “dirty”, you can’t wind it. You probably confused tow with rags.
  3. Mikhalych
    #6 Mikhalych Guests March 13, 2017 01:55
    17
    Sorry, but some dirty trickster wrote an article... What he wound there on the thread, he needs to screw it into one place and press it..
  4. Boris
    #7 Boris Guests 13 September 2017 23:02
    10
    Apparently the author was joking!
  5. Guest Gennady
    #8 Guest Gennady Guests 28 June 2018 22:16
    10
    A great visual example of what NOT to do! laughing
  6. Ramil
    #9 Ramil Guests 29 June 2018 23:05
    6
    You’re also my teacher, if you don’t know, don’t interfere! It’s not the tow that needs to be wound, but the plumbing flax, and it’s better to soak it in red lead so that it doesn’t rot later!
  7. Guest Igor
    #10 Guest Igor Guests 16 September 2018 12:16
    2
    Why wind FUM tape after tow (also called flax)? For fun, or what?
    The good thing about tow is that you can turn the connection back a little. The fum tape will immediately break.
  8. Guest Nikolay
    #11 Guest Nikolay Guests 26 September 2018 16:55
    1
    It would be better not to embarrass myself by flaunting my unprofessionalism ((((
  9. Guest Mikhail
    #12 Guest Mikhail Guests January 8, 2019 09:03
    0
    As the old plumbers used to say, “carpenters have tow, but we have flax.” Despite the fact that the material is “the same,” tow is not used in plumbing work, precisely because it is “...made from waste” and is a “coarse fiber.”