Heard a plumber say pipe dope is better than Teflon tape for shower arms - starting to think he's right

I was at the hardware store last weekend and overheard an older plumber telling a guy that Teflon tape is for amateurs on shower heads. He said pipe dope seals better and won't leak after 6 months of use. I've always used tape and had to redo a shower arm last year after it dripped. Is there really a clear winner between tape and dope for shower connections?

2 comments

2 Comments

paul_owens2518d ago

Start by thinking about the expansion and contraction difference. Copper shower arms and plastic shower heads expand at different rates when hot water runs through them. Teflon tape can't really move with that shifting, so it just shears off over time. Pipe dope stays a little flexible, so it actually squishes and holds the gap closed as things heat up and cool down.

finleycooper18d ago

Oh man, that actually makes a ton of sense. I've had that exact problem before with a shower head leaking after a year, and I just assumed I did a bad job wrapping the tape. @paul_owens25 you nailed it with that expansion explanation. It's funny how something simple like temperature changes can mess with a fix that seems so basic. I'm definitely switching to pipe dope next time I have to deal with a plastic shower head.