Sanitary flax (tow): what is it, advantages, disadvantages

How to use sanitary flax (tow) correctly?

Among the huge variety of sealing materials, sanitary linen is considered the most popular and effective among many others. Its advantages include low cost, durability and ease of use.

Sanitary flax - it is tow, does not rot for a long time and has another important advantage. Even if the threaded connection begins to flow after winding, flax has an excellent swelling property, so the flow may stop shortly.

At the same time, no matter how great the advantages of plumbing flax, you need to know how to handle it correctly. Below, in this article of the construction site remstroisovet.ru, you will learn how to properly wind flax on threads (tow), how to lubricate it from damage during operation, as well as other secrets.

Linseed tow: features

Sanitary tow is a fibrous material that is used to seal threads. It is a completely natural product obtained from the primary processing of homogeneous, thin, long-fiber flax, which is extracted from the stem of the plant.

The scope of tow is very wide. Depending on the production technology, it can be tape, construction, jute and plumbing. Construction tow is a reliable way to isolate almost any connection. Fully combed short flax fibers are used for its production, and it is supplied in bales. This material is intended for construction work on sealing seams, laying and insulating log cabins. Being natural, linen is especially valued among those who build wooden houses. If construction tow is supplied in rolls of a certain width, then it is called tape. Linen tow tape is a material for caulking up to 1 cm thick. It is used for sealing seams and voids in log cabins, for laying crowns.

What is used for reeling? The classic version is good old flax (it is also called tow or hemp), fum tape, anaerobic sealants and Tangit polyamide thread.

There has been a debate about what is better to use for many years, but no definite answer has been found. The fact is that the material is selected depending on the type of work and can be interchangeable and supplemented.

Let's talk about the advantages of flax for plumbing work:

the main "plus" of linseed tow is that its price is cheaper than any other material;
it is used sparingly;
its thin fibers are highly durable;
with proper winding, it is suitable for any type of work with any connections, including for sealing cast iron and ceramic pipes;
flax can swell, absorbing possible moisture, thereby hermetically blocking the path to leakage;
high mechanical stability of the material allows you to fit the plumbing: without loss of hermetic properties, you can unscrew the connection by half a turn or a full turn.

The disadvantages of tow include the following aspects:

since flax is an organic substance, it tends to rot under the influence of moisture and air that enter it, for example, during preventive examinations. For this, tow is always accompanied by additional material that prevents putrefactive processes (sealing paste, grease, oil paint, lithol and others);
preparation of the thread is often required;
too thick layer of material can lead to cracking of joints, especially from bronze and brass;
this is a seal that requires knowledge of the rules of winding. On a whim, nothing good will come of it;
accompanying materials in combination with linen can make disassembly difficult, for example, oil paint and silicone can make disassembly impossible;
flax is not suitable for use where the temperature reaches 90 ° C. In such places, it "welded" over time and loses its sealing properties;
if we are dealing with steel, then non-observance of the winding technology can even lead to corrosion of the thread.

Which is better: flax or fum tape?

Special requirements are imposed on the materials used for organizing hot water supply. They also apply to the means used for reeling. Due to the high temperature of the liquid in the pipes, the rewinding must have high tightness and resistance to temperature effects. Linen meets these requirements, while fum tape is not the best material. When bonded, it splits into multiple fibers, sealing voids and preventing water leakage. The high temperatures inherent in hot water piping and heating systems cause the fibers to shrink. This increases the risk of leakage.

As for other characteristics, it should be noted that linseed 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: flax or fum tape, since each material is suitable for different tasks.

How to choose linen?

The main thing is to pay attention to the quality of tow before buying it: flax should be sold, not tightly tied with a pigtail or a bay, be light in color, not have impurities, debris and lumps. There is also a tow, laid in the form of a skein of thread, from whose middle you can pull out a ready-made strand. The latter option is somewhat more expensive than the others. Be sure to pay attention that the tow is not too coarse and does not have an unpleasant odor.

In addition to flax, we purchase additional material. These can be “Multipack”, “Unipak” or “Greenpasta” sealing pastes, which serve to ensure that the tow does not deteriorate, does not burn out under the influence of temperatures and can be dismantled. The contents of the tube "Unipaka" is a light gray non-drying mass based on paraffin oil with an admixture of natural minerals.

If flax is not treated with anything, the tightness of the joint will be short-lived. In addition, the use of a paste allows for a slight adjustment of the twisting force.

It is strongly not recommended to use silicone sealant in contact with metal, as it contains acetic acid, which accelerates the oxidation process and, consequently, corrosion of the metal. Use neutral sealants. Suitable for various automotive, or designed to eliminate leaks of water, oil and other liquids.

Varieties

In relation to the field of application, the material is divided into two types. One option is used for plumbing purposes, and the other for caulking techniques. The total consumption of the product in these options of work is different, therefore, the product is found on sale in the form of various forms of packaging.

Tow tow for caulking is sold in rolls or bales of different sizes. The type for plumbing is sold in small coils. The price of the material is usually low, but it differs among sellers in terms of the presence of impregnation with special solutions and overall quality.

How to wind tow on a new thread?

Before starting work, let's prepare the turns. Today, many manufacturers produce threaded fittings with a notch, that is, specially designed for winding flax.The fact is that along the smooth thread during installation, the flax will slide off, knocking into a clump, and the sealing process will be disrupted.

In order for the fibers to have something to cling to, there must be jags on the coils. They can be applied with a file, a file, a metal hacksaw, using pliers or a plumbing wrench, grabbing the thread and applying serifs with light pressure. The main thing is to achieve a slight roughness on the turns.
Now we separate one strand from the flax braid. Try to grab enough fibers so that the winding is neither too thin nor too thick. It is believed that its thickness should be like one, maximum two matches. If you notice lumps, small villi in the strand, they need to be removed.
How to apply is an individual matter. Someone twists flax into a bundle, someone braids it into a weak pigtail, someone puts it loose, as it is, a strand.
The procedure for applying additional material can also be different: you can lubricate the thread with it, wrap it with fibers, and then apply another layer; you can soak the fibers of the tow in advance, and then wind them up. Both options are correct. Someone recommends winding the strands along the thread, someone is against it, there is no single rule here.
We pinch the end of the strand with a finger outside the turns, making the first turn crosswise to secure the tow.
Then, as tightly as possible, without making gaps, loop to loop, we wind the flax. Such a nuance: if you connect, for example, a steel sleeve and an iron pipe, then an excess of flax will simply be squeezed out of the fitting, due to its power. Brass joints, especially of modern production, will simply burst from strong pressure.
We take a small amount of plumbing paste or other sealing material and distribute it around the wound flax with rotational movements. We try to keep the work neat.
We glue the other end closer to the edge of the thread with an accompanying material.
Before tightening, be sure to check if the pipe hole is clogged with flax.
We twist with moderate effort. If the nut goes too easily, it means that little flax was put in. If the winding is done correctly, the linen should not come out and it should be clean around the connection.

Advice: for gas compounds, it is not recommended to use organic tow in combination with silicone, since these materials are destroyed under the influence of gas. The use of fum tape will be most appropriate here.

Disadvantages, negative points

Despite the large number of advantages, the natural sealant is not devoid of disadvantages. They are especially evident when the technology of installation and repair is violated. After short-term operation, rust may form at the joints, which makes it difficult to dismantle structures during subsequent repairs. In view of this, it is recommended to regularly inspect the connections for the appearance of leaks, and take measures to eliminate damage.

The material is very sensitive to the quality of work, therefore it is recommended to use it only by experienced craftsmen.

The attractive physical properties are offset by the low chemical sensitivity of the material. So, flax fibers will collapse under the influence of antifreezes if they are part of the mixture passing through the connected communications.

There is an opinion that the material is sensitive to high pressure in pipes and at values exceeding 8 atmospheres, it can reduce the quality of the seal. Nevertheless, the use of plumbing flax for connecting pipes has not lost its popularity.

How to wind tow on ecoplastic products?

Similar to brass threads, plastic also tends to burst. Therefore, the main thing is not to overdo it. Connect both fittings by counting the number of turns before winding. Then wrap the flax evenly, coat it with additional material, and connect the fittings.If there were 5 "idle" revolutions, then make about 4.5 revolutions - you do not need to reach the end. Note: In this case, it is preferable to use investment paste instead of sealant.

If you feel very tight when tightening, disassemble and wind less tow.

How to work with an old fitting?

If the package leaks or it is required to dismantle the connection for other reasons, after unscrewing, inspect the thread. At the “mother's” we go through the turns with the edge of a knife or an awl, removing all the accumulated debris.

We also pick out the contents of the "father" with a knife, cutting off the remains of the tow together with the sealing substance. We clean the turns with a metal brush until shine appears. With its tough lint, it removes dirt, rust and sealant residues in the most inaccessible places. If the used thread is damaged, it will be useful to drive it out on the “father” with a threading tool, and on the “mother” to correct it with the tip of a knife.

Further, the packing process continues according to the indicated scheme.