Old tow-linen or modern fum tape, which is still better according to professionals?

The debate about which is better is tow or fum tape has been going on for a long time. I actively use both types of sealing material and know first-hand the advantages and disadvantages of flax and synthetic sealant. The use of each option depends on the thread, the system and its features.

Plumbing flax: cheap and cheerful

Linen, better known among people as tow, is considered a classic sole. It is this fiber that is traditionally used to seal metal threads. Its use, of course, requires certain knowledge, that is, an illiterate winding simply will not work. To do the job efficiently, I had to tinker a lot, there were mistakes and mistakes.

It is important to learn how to correctly determine the required amount of material; it should not be more or less. I did this by winding it on a pipe with a coupling; after 2-3 approaches you begin to feel this norm.

Advantages of tow for plumbing work

Flax has a number of advantages, for ordinary citizens they are as follows:

availability and low price, tow is much cheaper than its analogues, you can find it in any construction or plumbing store;
versatility, the material can be used in almost any connection, but it must be wound correctly, otherwise it will be of no use;
The ability of flax to increase in volume when wet allows you to quickly eliminate leaks, this is achieved due to the swelling of the material, it simply blocks the leaks.

Another significant advantage of flax, according to most plumbers, is mechanical resistance. Tow is the only material of its kind that can be used to orient plumbing fixtures. If the situation requires, then it is easy to turn back, without losing the tightness. Analogues are not able to do this.

Main disadvantages

I think that the main disadvantage of tow is that you have to use related materials for winding. This is necessary so that the flax does not rot during use, which often happens when water comes into contact with air.

There are a number of other negative aspects:

in some cases, the thread needs preparation, so you have to make special notches before work, which means you will need a file or a hacksaw; without notches, the flax simply slides along the thread and gets bunched up, that is, the productivity of the material is lost;
in brass and bronze connections, the winding must be done with extreme care and precision, the layer must be thin, it happened that due to a thick layer the thread broke and cracks formed;

For me personally, there is another drawback - it is inconvenient at work. Linen strands cling to clothes, stick to the impregnation, and do not look very presentable.

Working with tow requires a certain skill; when winding, we follow the following rules: we move strictly in the direction of the turns, leaving the ends outside the threads. Afterwards, be sure to tighten the material, clamp it with your finger, and only then screw the connection.

Fum tape: alternative or not?

Today, manufacturers are increasingly offering modern materials; they claim that working with new sealants is becoming easier and faster. These are marketing tricks.

Fum-tape refers to synthetic sealants, in the manufacture of which fluoroplastic film (PTFE) is used. The price of the reel depends on the quality of the material, as well as on the width and thickness of the tape. In each case it is selected separately, it all depends on the thread diameter.

Among the advantages, I highlight the following points:

It is much easier to work with fum tape on a plastic pipe;
it is convenient if winding connections with fine threads is required;
the material has an excellent level of elasticity and high tensile strength;
very simple installation that does not require any knowledge, skills or craftsmanship, I coped with the tape the first time;
allows you to quickly dismantle the connection and eliminate the leak;
the material, even after long-term use, is not observed to rot, fungus and other microorganisms do not appear on it;
fum tape can be used even in the most extreme conditions; it shows excellent results at high and low temperatures.

Another significant advantage, in my opinion, is the versatility of the fum tape; it is used on plastic and metal-plastic pipes. In addition, it is suitable for thin-walled fittings.

Fum tape also has disadvantages, I highlight the following:

It is difficult to determine when purchasing how high-quality the material is, since there is no way to know how it stretches, how quickly it breaks, I ended up with defects several times;
before winding, it is necessary to carefully inspect the thread, remove any existing notches, burrs, roughness, they simply tear the tape;
material under the influence of high temperatures, more than 260 degrees, releases toxins harmful to the body;
I think it is inappropriate to use tape with a large diameter (from 50 mm), this is due to the high consumption of material, since the maximum thickness of the tape does not exceed 0.14 mm;
amplitude temperature fluctuations often break the tightness of the connection; this process must be constantly monitored so as not to miss leaks;
due to the smooth surface, it is difficult to determine the required number of turns of the winding; if it is not enough, then it simply does not hold water; if there is excess, then the material breaks;
the presence of sharp edges often simply cut the sealant, which disrupts the overall uniformity and solidity of the seal.

In addition, from time to time I encounter troubles when the synthetic material loses its tightness due to a slight rotation of the reinforcement. It was necessary to carry out dismantling with additional work in the form of thoroughly cleaning the threads from the previous tape.

8 facts why tow is better than fum tape

My grandfather used tow to seal threads, but even today I willingly use this sealant where it is needed. Most modern materials, including fum tape, perform their functions much worse, unlike sanitary flax.

I have identified several obvious reasons why fum tape is inferior to the good old tow:

Plumbing flax is a natural product, it is absolutely safe, and today most people are chasing environmentally friendly materials; it perfectly fulfills its sealing properties.
Tow has excellent vibration resistance, while synthetic material has extremely low resistance.Any fluctuations can cause trouble in the form of an unexpected flood.
Fum tape is never used during installation with positioning, but it is mandatory when installing a valve or tap. The tow, in turn, lies perfectly and performs all the functions assigned to it.
Flax is absolutely not demanding on the quality of the thread or its cleanliness, so you can start winding without any preparatory work. With fum tape everything is much more complicated; I have to first inspect the work front for the absence and subsequent elimination of defects, and it’s hardly possible to do without them on old pipes.
With minimal experience working with flax, and almost every man owns it, the owners will never encounter a leak, even after many years of use. This is explained by the fact that the material simply swells when wet, due to which the threaded connection stops flowing.
Another advantage of sanitary flax over analogues is its excellent resistance to high temperatures. This means that it will not suddenly melt, deform, or burn out.
One of the important factors for many Russians when choosing a sealant, including for me, was the cost, so tow is an order of magnitude cheaper than the same fum tape.
Linen is a time-tested material; in my house there is a thread that was sealed more than 10 years ago, but it has not lost its properties and still provides protection to this day. Most analogues have appeared recently, so it is difficult to judge how long they will last.

As you can see, sanitary flax is rightfully considered one of the best sealants. It wins on many counts, including cost, excellent sealing, and long service life.Most experienced specialists will agree with my opinion; many mechanics give preference to this sealant rather than new products when packing threaded connections on water pipes.