Plumbing flax - advice from professionals. Thread sealing with flax

The question of how to wind flax on a thread arises for many people, just as often you have to face the problem of choosing between fum-tape and flax. Each option is preferred for different situations. However, in some cases they can be interchangeable.

Advantages

It is a standard seal for it can also be found under the name tow. It has many advantages, among which are the following:

Resistance to mechanical impact. This material is the best option for sealing sanitary fittings. When using it, it becomes possible to adjust while maintaining tightness.
In the process of getting wet, flax increases its volume. That is, you can not worry if a small leak occurs after the connection is completed, as it will be repaired on its own. The material begins to swell from exposure to moisture and thus blocks the leak.
Versatility. Proper winding allows use for various types of connections.
Low cost. Compared to other seals, this option is much cheaper. The main thing is to choose a high-quality winding, it should be light, realized in the form of a bay or a pigtail, while there should be no lumps and inclusions.

Peculiarities

Despite the existing advantages, it was not without some points that complicate the application:

Care must be taken when working with bronze and brass, as the threads may be damaged when winding a thick layer.
The thread must be carefully prepared before use. Today, fittings with threads designed for linen winding are on the market. They can be identified by special notches. In their absence, you can use pliers or a file. The notches prevent the linen from knocking down and slipping.
Before winding flax on a thread, it must be treated with suitable compounds - it can be oil-based paint, silicone, sealant or grease. Since this winding is an organic material, it is subject to the development of putrefactive processes in contact with water and air. The latter annually finds itself in heating and water supply systems during preventive maintenance or repair. Special compositions prevent the destruction of the material.

Means for processing

Some special compounds can make it difficult to remove connections that are necessary when a leak occurs, when new elements are connected, or during the replacement of some parts. Paint and silicone contribute to the bonding of elements and, as a result, the difficulty of separation, in some cases it becomes impossible. In the absence of accompanying agents or illiterate winding on steel parts, similar problems appear, caused by the occurrence of corrosion damage on the connection.

Linen tow should be wound only in accordance with established rules. To begin with, it is processed with a suitable tool, and a thread is also prepared for it. The winding direction should follow the threads. Further, the remaining part is taken out of its limits and pulled, at this time the connection is wound and tightened. How much flax to wind on a thread? This can be determined by the tightness of the fitting winding on it.

Which is better: linen or fum-tape?

Special requirements are imposed on the materials used for organizing hot water supply. They also apply to the means used for winding. Due to the high temperature of the liquid in the pipes, the winding must have high tightness and resistance to temperature effects. Linen meets these requirements, while fum tape is not the best material. When connected, it is divided into many fibers that seal voids and prevent water leakage. High temperatures, which are characteristic of hot water pipes and heating systems, lead to shrinkage of the fibers. This increases the risk of leakage.

As for other characteristics, it should be noted that linen tow is cheaper than fum tape, even if the material is used for processing. If in small jobs the difference is not so noticeable, then with active use you can get significant savings. But at the same time, the tape speeds up the work. Thus, it is impossible to say unequivocally which is better: linen or fum tape, since each material is suitable for different tasks.

Combination of two materials

In some cases, a combination of linen and fum tape is used to obtain a better connection. Two options are possible: linen is covered with several turns of tape, or both materials are wound in turn. Despite the effectiveness, this method has not gained popularity due to the peculiarities of the winding conditions.

Preparatory work

Before the connection is prepared. This is necessary to prevent the material from knocking or sliding off a flat surface. If the flax is not kept in place, then the degree of sealing will be extremely low. To fix the fibers, special notches are applied to the turns. They can be cut with a hacksaw, file or needle file. In the absence of such tools, you can use pliers and, holding the thread as tightly as possible, squeeze it - you should get small notches around the circle of turns. Also, as mentioned earlier, you can purchase fittings that are specially made for plumbing tow.

How to wind flax on a thread: instructions

The fibers are separated in small strands. It is worth noting the need for careful selection of the thickness of the strands, since the winding should have an average thickness. If lumps or foreign elements are found, they must be removed. Plumbers use various options, for example, winding with a loose strand or woven into a pigtail. This is necessary to simplify the work, while the quality of the connection remains unchanged.

Next, sanitary flax, pre-treated with a special compound, is wound onto the thread. You can also first apply the composition to the surface, then wind the material, and distribute an additional layer on top. The efficiency of both options is on the same level.

Regardless of the method used, the tow is wound in accordance with the direction of the thread. The first turn should act as a lock: for this it is superimposed with a cross, at this time one side of the strand should be clamped by hand. The sealing of the thread with flax should be as tight as possible, and there should be no gaps between the turns. Then the strand is brought to the edge of the thread and glued with a suitable material.

Everyday life quite often forces a person to carry out minor repairs, during which winding is required. It can be a radiator, as well as plumbing. Every home master must learn how to properly apply tow, as this will come in handy sooner or later. can be made of metal, plastic, metal-plastic or nylon, each type of material has adapters for connecting other pipes. Such connections will be discussed below.

For reference

Quite often, home craftsmen have to decide how to wind flax on a tap thread. If you want to hermetically connect the elements of the water supply and pipes, then do the work called packing. If it is necessary to pack two pipes at a right angle using a coupling, it is best to cut a thread at their ends. The coupling will have an internal thread and external turns. Twisting them will not be enough; for a proper connection, the threads should be sealed.

Description of linen tow

Before flax is wound on a thread, you should become more familiar with what the flax fiber material is, which is used to seal the thread. The product is natural, it is made from the primary processing of fine, uniform and long-staple flax. The area of use of linen tow is very wide. Depending on the manufacturing technology, the material is tape, plumbing, jute or construction. In the latter case, we are talking about insulation, which is able to provide reliable tightness of almost any connection. For its manufacture, fully combed fibers are used, which are supplied in bales. Such material is used for construction work on sealing joints, warming the log house and laying wooden elements. It is natural, it is especially appreciated among those who build wooden houses. If construction tow is supplied in rolls, then it is called tape. This material is also used for caulking seams in log cabins and laying crowns. The advantage of using linen for its cost. The material is much cheaper compared to any other. It is consumed economically, the fibers, although thin, have high strength. If wound correctly, they can be used for any type of work where any connections are used. It can be ceramic and cast iron pipes.

Additional Benefits

Before winding flax around the thread, you should know that it swells, absorbing moisture. This allows you to increase the tightness, because the leak has no way. The mechanical stability of the material is quite high, it is this characteristic that allows fitting sanitary ware, while the hermetic properties are not lost, the connections can be unscrewed by a full turn or half a turn.

Disadvantages of using linen

If you are thinking about how to wind flax on a thread, you should first familiarize yourself with all the disadvantages of this material. The substance in the base is organic, so it can rot when exposed to air and moisture. They can get inside during preventive examinations. For this, tow is accompanied by additional material that can prevent decay processes. It can be oil paint, sealing paste, lithol or grease.

In some cases, it is necessary to prepare the thread before winding, and if the material is laid too thick, this can cause damage to the joints, which is especially true for brass and bronze. If you are faced with the question of how to wind flax on a thread, you must remember that the described seal requires knowledge of winding rules from the master. Associated materials in combination with flax can make disassembly much more difficult, this applies to silicone or oil paint. Sometimes such additions make the installation process impossible. Flax is not suitable for use, where the temperature can reach 90 ° C. In such places, the material is welded and loses its sealing qualities. If you work with steel, then be sure to follow the winding technology. Otherwise, the thread may be corroded.

Winding flax on a new thread

Before winding flax on a thread, if it is new, then coils should be prepared. Many manufacturers today produce fittings that are already threaded, but the latter have notches that are intended for winding flax. The fact is that on a smooth thread the material can slip off, it is bundled, which leads to a violation of the seal. In order for the fibers to be able to catch on, the turns must be notched. If necessary, you can apply them with a needle file, a hacksaw or a file. Some craftsmen use a plumbing key or pliers: the thread should be grasped, and then serifs should be applied with light pressure.

The main thing in this work is to achieve roughness on the turns. Before the flax is wound on the thread, it is necessary to separate one strand from the whole pigtail. It is important to capture so many fibers that the winding is not very thin, but it should not be thick either. Experts advise using a linen thickness that corresponds to two or one match. If there are lumps in the strand, then they must be removed, as well as small villi.

Work methodology

You can apply tow using your own technology, some experts twist it into a bundle, someone braids it into a weak pigtail, while others lay it in the form of a loose thread. The order of applying additional material can also be different. In some cases, you can lubricate the thread by wrapping it with fibers, and then apply another layer. Sometimes the fibers are pre-impregnated and then prepared. Both options are considered correct. If you are thinking about how to wind flax on a thread - clockwise or counterclockwise - then you can listen to the recommendations of experts, some of them wind strands along the thread, others act on the contrary. In this case, the end of the strand should be clamped with a finger outside the turns, the first turn should form a cross, this will fix the material. Gaps should not be left, you need to lay one turn to another. If you are making a connection, then excess material will be squeezed out of the fitting, this is true if you are working with an iron pipe and a steel sleeve. Brass connections, which is important for those that are made using modern technologies, burst from strong pressure.

Around the wound linen, it is necessary to apply plumbing paste or any other sealing material, while the movements must be rotational. The work must be as accurate as possible. The second end should be glued closer to the edge of the thread, and before tightening, you need to check if the pipe hole has been filled with sealing material. Now you know, you can see the photos of these works in the article. However, from them you will not be able to understand that it is necessary to twist the elements with moderate effort. If the nut goes easily, then little flax was put. Winding will be correct if the material does not come out and the surfaces around the joint remain clean. It is not recommended to use organic tow for gas connections, this is due to the fact that under the influence of gas it and silicone, which is used additionally, are destroyed. The use of fum tape is most appropriate here.

Linen winding on ecoplastic products

If you are thinking about how to wind flax on thread by thread, then you can use the technology that is used in the case of working on ecoplastic products. This material, like brass, can burst. The main thing is not to overdo it. Before starting work, both fittings should be connected, count the number of revolutions. Flax is wound evenly, its surface is smeared with additional material, only after that fittings can be connected. If you counted 5 turns in idle, then after winding the tape, it is best to make about 4.5 turns, while you do not need to reach the end. In this case, it is more expedient to use packaging paste instead of sealant.

Conclusion

Quite often, home craftsmen are wondering how to wind flax on a pipe thread. In this case, the connection should be dismantled by inspecting the thread. You need to walk along the turns with the tip of a knife or an awl, this method will allow you to get rid of accumulated debris. With a metal brush, before winding the tape, it is necessary to clean the coils until you see a shine.

Combed flax has long enjoyed a well-deserved reputation as one of the best sealants in plumbing work. This type of compactor is the long fibers of the plant, obtained in the process of combing ragged flax stems. Depending on the length of the fibers and their purity, all the material used is divided into grades. Technical characteristics of sanitary flax depend on its grade and must comply with GOST 10330-76.

Probably everyone knows about how to use plumbing linen. This is a very simple material that does not require special training of the master. However, an incorrectly made connection will not be tight enough. Therefore, you need to know some tricks, how to wind sanitary flax to avoid leaks and not redo the work several times.

GOST 10330-76 regulates the process of production, processing, and sorting of flax used as a seal.

Depending on the quality, all flax is divided into numbers from 8 to 24. The higher its number, the lower the content of fires and weed impurities in its composition.
Putrefactive odor and foreign impurities in the mass of fibers are not allowed.
Permissible moisture content of the material - no more than 12%.
The temperature of use of sanitary flax is up to 120 degrees. In the case of using some special types of pastes - up to 140 degrees Celsius.

Linen fibers are formed into skeins of various weights and sizes.

Features of the use of flax

Threaded connections of pipelines and connected plumbing equipment are places with a potential risk of depressurization and subsequent leakage. Therefore, during installation, such areas are subjected to additional sealing using various materials, such as fum-tape, sealing threads, various sealing pastes and sealants. However, there is no material more reliable, moreover, time-tested and more than one generation of plumbers than plumbing linen, or the popular name - plumbing tow.

When using flax, you need to know the features of its use:

tow is a very cheap sealant, much cheaper than any other sealing material. However, when buying it, pay attention to the quality. Good varietal flax is sold in the form of braids or coils, light in appearance, without foreign inclusions.
linen swells when in contact with water. At the same time, its volume increases, blocking any leaks and leaks.
due to high mechanical resistance, plumbing tow allows you to orient taps, couplings and other elements without loss of tightness. You can tighten the threaded connection until it stops, and then unscrew it half a turn or a turn along the thread without fear of weakening the contact point.
sealing the connections of pressure water pipelines with this material makes it possible to firmly fix the connected elements due to the possibility of increased tightening forces.

Threaded connection with seal made of sanitary flax

However, when using sanitary flax, you should also know some precautions.

When joining copper or brass parts, maximum care is required. Too thick winding can lead to cracking of the part and the appearance of a leak.
It should be remembered that some materials for processing sanitary flax before use will make it difficult to dismantle the connections. The same problem can occur in the joints of steel parts, where improper work using tow leads to rust in the threaded connections.
Tow is an organic material that rots when exposed to moisture and air. Therefore, when using it as a sealing material, it requires impregnation with special agents (solid oil, lithol, special pastes and sealants, as well as oil paint).

Water repellents for tow

Due to the resistance of the fibers, sanitary flax cannot be destroyed when twisting plumbing fittings. Thin, long linen fibers are collected in the depths of the threaded channels and, when the parts are connected, they completely fill all the gaps and the slightest leaks. With further use, the fibers closest to the wet area swell, thereby blocking the path for moisture to move out. Connections sealed with sanitary flax are able to withstand temperatures up to 150 degrees Celsius.

The method of winding flax on a thread

Before starting work on winding sanitary flax on a threaded connection, it is necessary to carry out some preparatory work.

The threaded part is prepared for winding flax

Thread preparation

If you decide to seal the connected parts of your water supply in this way, you must first prepare the thread itself. The fact is that flax wound on a regular thread will bunch up with a screwed nut. In the threaded connection itself, it will practically not remain. The work will be done poorly, and such a connection is doomed to leak in the very near future. In order for the flax fibers to be fixed on the threads, it is necessary to make notches on them. Notches on threaded turns can be made with any available tool - a chisel, a sharp screwdriver, a file, or, if the place of work allows, even a hacksaw. The notches are made longitudinally, across the threads on the pipe. The main thing is that the notches have sharp, not smooth edges.

You should also be aware that the top of the thread on the pipe must be rounded. Inch threads of pipe connections are cut in this way, with a 55-degree angle at the top. If this requirement is not met, then a 60-degree thread will break the winding. Manufacturers of spurs, fittings, taps and other elements carry out threads taking into account all these requirements, in addition, they apply the necessary notches at the production stage. Such products can be considered fully prepared for winding tow.

How to wind

First, we separate a small strand from the entire mass of tow. No need to choose a very thick beam, try to immediately take the optimal amount of material. The winding should not be very thin, such a connection will be loose. However, too thick a layer of flax will bunch up when tightening the nut, which will also lead to marriage.

If there are lumps or other impurities in the strand, they must be removed. Then you can either twist the strand or weave a pigtail out of it. You can completely fluff the bundle of material before winding. When winding flax on a thread, there are some tricks:

If you twist or weave a pigtail, you can apply the selected sealant to it before use (special sealing paste, lithol, paint, etc.). Or use the tow as is, then the sealant is applied simply to the thread. In the process of work, you will choose the most suitable option for you. This will not affect the final result.
It is necessary to wind sanitary flax in the direction opposite to the direction of the threads. For example, with a left thread, flax fibers are wound clockwise, and with a right thread, vice versa.
You need to start work from the point where the thread exits. The strand is taken in the right hand (the instruction is given for right-handers) and applied to the pipe. With the thumb of the left hand, press the edge of the fibers to the place where the thread enters the pipe. Then, with the first turn of the tow, they try to wind the end of the strand to the pipe, making the so-called “lock”. Then, coil to coil, flax is wound on the threaded part. This should be done without gaps between the fibers, as tight as possible, moving towards the start of the thread. Closer to the edge of the pipe, the thickness of the wound tow must be reduced. So the nut will more easily go onto the threaded part.
When the winding is completed, the excess tow is separated, its tip is glued with sealant, and then the winding is smoothed flush with the thread.

This is how the correct winding of flax should look like

The ideal option can be considered the case when the maximum force applied to the nut falls on the last 2-3 turns of the thread, and when fully tightened, part of the turns remains outside. If the nut is screwed on by hand, then the winding is made too thin. It is necessary either to add tow on top of it, or to do everything again.

When screwing on the nut, make sure that the tow does not stray to the edge. In some cases, it is better to redo the work.

After carrying out the installation work, the plumbing tow sticking out from under the nuts can be cut or smoothed at the junction. After completion of the installation work, the connections made of ferrous metals must be painted over to protect against corrosion.

Sanitary linen, when used correctly, can provide the most hermetic connection of any elements of water pipes for cold and hot water, regardless of their internal pressure and temperature. However, the work should be carried out carefully, and at the slightest suspicion of a marriage, it should be completely redone. This will give you confidence in the durability and reliability of the connections.

Video about packing a threaded connection using sanitary flax

Linen plumbing is a fiber of natural origin from plants of the flax family, used to increase the reliability of the threaded connection. Flax has found its application in plumbing, as its fibers are very strong, fit tightly with each other, and do not tear during prolonged use. Over time, the fibers of sanitary flax swell from constant humidity, which prevents the flow of liquid at the joints. Flax contains silica, which protects the material from decay. The maximum temperature at which flax can be used reaches 150°C in water systems and in heating systems, and can be used in steam systems.

Sanitary linen is an environmentally friendly product made from thin long fibers of flax, a special combed one, which is obtained from the flax stem. The production of sanitary flax must comply with regulatory documents, it is necessary to test the material for strength.

Linen fiber is wound on a threaded connection as tightly as possible, evenly along the entire length in a clockwise direction. Next, the flax is covered with a special sealing material, and after a few minutes, the connection of the equipment can be completed.

Depending on its quality, sanitary flax fiber is assigned a number, the most purchased ones are No. 8-No. 10.

Sealing material is a sealant for flax . Its use is necessary to ensure perfect tightness of the joints; the use of a sealant will allow, after several operational years, to easily disconnect parts of the pipes. When choosing hermetic pastes, it is necessary to calculate to what values the temperature in the pipes will increase. Since with the wrong choice, the sealant under the action of high temperatures will collapse.

Advantages of using sanitary flax:

Low cost, sanitary flax is cheaper than any other material for this use. High-quality linen has light shades, it is sold laid in a pigtail, it should not have lumps. The price of sanitary flax depends on the quantity purchased, for example, a package of 50 grams will cost about 50 rubles.

Universal material, as it is suitable for any kind of connection.
Has mechanical resistance to friction
Environmentally friendly material

The disadvantages of sanitary flax appear only in rare cases: with improper installation of the entire system, incorrect laying of fibers, incorrect calculation.

Sanitary flax is widely used in pipelines for various purposes for sealing threaded joints. This is the most popular seal used in industrial and domestic pipelines.

The main reason for such a widespread use of sanitary flax is the reliability, low cost and availability of the material. For the production of sanitary flax, flax fiber is used longer than for the production of tow (No. 8.10). For sanitary purposes, flax number 12-14-16 is used. The quality of flax fiber is higher, the higher its number.

Flax is grown in the fields in the Tver and Smolensk regions. After mowing flax, it is left in the field, where, under the influence of the sun and natural moisture, microorganisms destroy the stem of the plant and only the fibers remain. The fibers are then dried in special machines and combed in carding machines. During these procedures, long fibers are selected from short ones. Short fibers are used for the production of ropes and threads, long fibers for sanitary flax.

Due to the strength of the fiber, flax does not collapse when twisting the connecting fittings. Long and thin fibers of sanitary flax fill the recesses of the thread and tightly connect them together. In the process of application, when wet, flax swells and fills the free space of the plumbing unit, thereby ensuring 100% tightness of the pipeline. To enhance the natural bactericidal activity of flax, to prevent its decay and fading, after winding the flax on the thread, you can apply a thin layer of sealing paste.

Sanitary flax is suitable for use in steam systems and pipelines with fluid temperatures up to 160°C. Sanitary flax is an environmentally friendly and safe product.

GOST 1030-70