Hemp and paste legal in the USA?

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kotterr

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I was having a lot of trouble with a 2" pipe leaking. I put on the thread seal tape and did the job twice, but it kept leaking. The smaller (1/2, 3/8) fittings were just fine. So I started looking and saw that some people said thread seal tape is only reliable for 1" and under pipes. Obviously, 2" is way over that. Since I had no other option at hand, I used Silicone I caulk and waited a day. Seems to have killed the leak completely, but this is also kind of pricey and was really just a way out of the situation.

So my only option seems to be the Oatey goop which is pricey and has a short shelf life or hemp and paste, but I have not seen hemp and paste in the US. Is this hemp illegal in the USA? I have seen plumbing hemp sold on eBay, but it's from out of the country and quite expensive.

So where can I get hemp in the US? Would this hemp cord:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hemp-Cord-20lb-400-Natural-/112181700848

do the job? Will it work with

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PHOENIX-27-XL-PIPE-JOINT-LUBRICANT-WATER-DISPERSIBLE-NNB-/282219006954

?

I'm looking for something reliable and with indefinite shelf life.
 
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Hemp and marijuana are not the same. Use the thread sealant as frodo suggested, but also look into the possibility that the pipes are not being joined properly (installer error). Threading 2" pipes can take a bit of effort and you haven't stated if this is for water supply, drainage, gas, steam, etc. so there might be more to look at as to why you are having trouble with leaks. Post some pictures if you start to have more problems.
 
Caduceus said:
Hemp and marijuana are not the same. Use the thread sealant as frodo suggested, but also look into the possibility that the pipes are not being joined properly (installer error). Threading 2" pipes can take a bit of effort and you haven't stated if this is for water supply, drainage, gas, steam, etc. so there might be more to look at as to why you are having trouble with leaks. Post some pictures if you start to have more problems.
Click to expand...

It's for drinking water. I put on quite a bit of tape in the correct direction and tightened it quite hard. It leaked. When I used the silicone, I tightened it less and no leaks. I suspect it may have been insufficient tape.
 
kotterr said:
It's for drinking water. I put on quite a bit of tape in the correct direction and tightened it quite hard. It leaked. When I used the silicone, I tightened it less and no leaks. I suspect it may have been insufficient tape.
Click to expand...

The reason why I think there may be an installation error is because the tape is an aid to the connection but is not necessary all of the time. The sealed connection comes from the threads and thread sealant works primarily as a lubricant and secondarily as a sealant. When connecting threaded IPS tapered pipe and fittings, there is friction and as a result there is heat. The metals start to expand. The lubricant/sealant reduces friction. The connection can cool and the installer then find that the pipe didn't thread all of the way into the fitting or in some instances find that the fitting cracked or split if the connection is made too quickly or if lubricant isn't used.
I'm just saying that there is a little more to it and by saying that you tightened it less and no leaks could translate into "The silicone made the seal, not the threads, and you're gonna have another leak."
 
Caduceus said:
The reason why I think there may be an installation error is because the tape is an aid to the connection but is not necessary all of the time. The sealed connection comes from the threads and thread sealant works primarily as a lubricant and secondarily as a sealant. When connecting threaded IPS tapered pipe and fittings, there is friction and as a result there is heat. The metals start to expand. The lubricant/sealant reduces friction. The connection can cool and the installer then find that the pipe didn't thread all of the way into the fitting or in some instances find that the fitting cracked or split if the connection is made too quickly or if lubricant isn't used.
I'm just saying that there is a little more to it and by saying that you tightened it less and no leaks could translate into "The silicone made the seal, not the threads, and you're gonna have another leak."
Click to expand...

Could you explain what you mean? I've never had brass NPT threads "seal" without some sort of sealant, like tape. I was under the impression that the pipe thread will ALWAYS have some gaps at the threads, which is why some sort of sealant is mandatory to avoid leaks.

I see where the problem is. I was using brass NPT, not iron/steel IPS. Sorry for any confusion.
 
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Just re-read what I wrote with a clean slate and no preconceived ideas of how threaded connections seal. Also, this diagram may help.

fitting-npt-tapered-pipe-into-nps-parallel-female-coupling.jpg
 
You wouldn't happen to be trying to fit an IPS(NPT) into an NPS(straight thread) would you? If so, you would end up with the scenario pictured above on the far right and have an incomplete seal. There is also no way to tell what your level of experience is with plumbing.
 
I hate i let me say it again i HATE ! plumbers teflon tape

I have been plumbing for over 30 years and I do not use it, I use pipe dope, exclusively.

tape causes leaks,

thats my grumpy ass opinion, take it or leave it,

also,,,how are you threading your pipe ? what die are you using ? how did you set the teeth on the die ?

how many threads are you threading ? all of these things make a difference
 
frodo said:
I hate i let me say it again i HATE ! plumbers teflon tape

I have been plumbing for over 30 years and I do not use it, I use pipe dope, exclusively.

tape causes leaks,

thats my grumpy ass opinion, take it or leave it,

also,,,how are you threading your pipe ? what die are you using ? how did you set the teeth on the die ?

how many threads are you threading ? all of these things make a difference
Click to expand...
But, seriously...how do you feel about teflon tape?:rolleyes:
 
frodo said:
I hate i let me say it again i HATE ! plumbers teflon tape

I have been plumbing for over 30 years and I do not use it, I use pipe dope, exclusively.

tape causes leaks,
Click to expand...
That's what I thought.
thats my grumpy ass opinion, take it or leave it,

also,,,how are you threading your pipe ? what die are you using ? how did you set the teeth on the die ?

how many threads are you threading ? all of these things make a difference
Click to expand...

You can see it all in the link. Contains specific product specs.
 
 
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I just want to add that I use 2" and larger threaded pipe daily with almost no issues ever. I use Dope only most of the time and Rectorseal 5 when I need to. It's all about getting it tight enough on the bigger pipes.
 
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