What Teflon Tape To Use On Gas Pipe

The best Teflon tape for gas pipe fittings is yellow. Yellow Teflon tape is designed specifically for gas pipes and connecting gas lines. This type of tape is technically known as gas-rated Teflon tape. It’s designed for all types of gas lines, including natural gas, propane, and butane.

If you ever need to hook up a stove or dryer, you’ll have to work with gas pipe and some fittings. Connecting a fitting to a gas pipe requires some Teflon tape to make a tight seal. Teflon tape comes in a variety of colors to indicate what material it’s designed to be used on. Yellow is the color for gas pipes and fittings.

You should use a sealant on the threads whenever you screw any two plumbing pipes or fittings together. This is true for both water and gas piping. If you don’t, your pipes will leak through the threading. This is because threads aren’t actually that tight. If they were, you’d never be able to screw them together. A sealant like Teflon tape gums up the tiny spaces between threads, preventing leaks.

Ahead we’ll discuss what Teflon tape to use on gas pipe as well as how and when to use it. It’s important not only to know what color Teflon tape to use on gas pipe but also how to properly apply it so you don’t end up with a gas leak.

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Teflon Plumbers Tape

The American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) dictates that all threaded pipe joints should use a pipe sealant. Teflon tape is the most common pipe sealant. It’s used on all types of threaded pipe connections and comes in a variety of colors, each meant for a different purpose.

Teflon tape is known generically as PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) tape or simply “plumbing tape.” Teflon is a brand name, not the actual name of the tape. Plumbing tape is easy to use and has a few key benefits.

It lubricates threaded joints as they’re being connected, making it a little easier to thread pipes and fittings together.
Plumbing tape creates a tight seal that prevents leaks.
Plumbing tape is color coded to let you know what type of material its used for.
Yellow Teflon tape is used for gas piping.

Plumbers tape comes in various grades, which are also color coded. Your choice of tape will depend on the function, size, type, and composition of the pipe fittings you’re using. Yellow Teflon tape is designed specifically for gas pipes, including natural gas, propane, and butane.

Plumbers Tape Color

Plumbers tape comes in different colors. The tape’s color signifies what it’s designed to be used for. Yellow Teflon tape is designed for use on gas pipes and fittings. It’s suitable for natural gas, propane, and butane gas lines.

The colors and their uses are as follows:

White tape has a single-density thickness and is intended for water pipes 3/8 of an inch or less. This is by far the most common plumbers tape used. Pretty much any time you make a threaded plumbing connection, you’ll be using white tape to wrap the threads.
Red tape has a triple density thickness. It’s for bigger pipes one-half inch to 2 inches in diameter. Red tape is designed for pipes with larger joints, such as water distribution pipes. This is used mainly for nonresidential jobs or supply lines outside of the home.
Yellow tape has a double density thickness. It’s designed for gas and other fuel lines.
Green tape is designed for pipes carrying oxygen. It’s grease and oil-free. We don’t use green tape in residential work very much, but it’s worth noting that it’s an option.

These tape colors are for use in the U.S. only. If you’re reading this from another country, you should double-check your tape colors recommended usage.

Yellow Tape Uses

Yellow plumbers tape is designed for use on gas pipe and other fuel lines. Don’t use it on water pipes or any other type of pipe connection. If you use yellow tape on anything other than gas lines it could eventually degrade, break down, and fail.

Yellow Teflon Tape is also known as gas pipe tape, gas-rated tape, gas thread tape, or fuel pipe tape. But no matter what you call it, the tape is always yellow, and the package will clearly state that it’s for gas lines and connections.

Yellow Teflon Tape is specifically designed to work on all gas line types, including butane, propane, and natural gas. It has a double-density thickness which makes it perfect for the pressures of a gas line.

Where To Use Yellow Tape

Yellow gas-rated plumbers’ tape should only be used on the threads of a gas pipe or fitting. That’s why it’s commonly referred to as thread tape. Don’t use the tape on compression connections or anything other than pipe threads.

You should never use thread tape on the female end of the connection, which is the grooved side. Thread tape should always be wrapped tightly around the thread. When you thread the pipe into the grooves, the tape lubricates and seals tiny gaps as the pipe tightens.

Make sure you turn off the gas when working on gas lines.

If you have to turn the gas off at the meter, make sure you light all your pilots when you’re done. This includes the stove, gas fireplace units, hot water heaters, furnaces, some AC equipment, etc. Anything with a pilot light will go out once the main gas line is shut off.

Testing For leaks

After you’re done applying the tape, connecting your gas lines, and turning the gas back on, mix a little dish soap with water in a spray bottle. Then shake the bottle to mix the soap and water. You’ll know it’s mixed when bubbles form.

Spray the soapy solution onto all your new gas fittings with the gas turned on. If you see any bubbles form, it means you have a gas leak. Using soapy water to find leaks is more reliable than smelling for gas because the area can smell like gas, whether there’s a leak or not.

If you find a leak, immediately turn off the gas and tighten the gas fittings a bit more. Then turn the gas back on and test the fitting again. If the solution is still bubbling, turn off the gas, disconnect the fitting, and check the fitting for dirt, debris, or damage.

Clean the fitting thoroughly, and reapply the yellow tape. Repeat the testing process again until you don’t see any bubbles.

If you can’t properly connect the gas lines and fittings, I recommend hiring a professional to do the work for you.

What Happens If I Use The Wrong Tape?

Many people ask what would happen if they use the wrong tape. And the answer is a potential disaster.

If you use the wrong tape on gas pipe fittings, the tape can degrade over time, causing gas vapors to escape from the fitting.

White Plumber’s Teflon is thinner than yellow gas-rated tape. Leaking gas pipes and fittings are dangerous and can cause an explosion or fire.
Red tape is thicker than yellow and can gum up on the threads, which won’t create a good seal. It may seem fine when you install it, but gas could leak over time, which could also cause an explosion or fire.
Green tape has a similar potential result to white and red. A bad seal which potentially results in a leak and possible explosion or fire.

Stay on the safe side and do the job right by using only yellow gas-rated plumbers’ tape on all your threaded gas connections and fittings.