Plumber's Teflon tape on steam tip?

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jgood
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#1: Post by jgood »

I have a 3 hole tip I like (male threaded tip) but I get a very slight leakage around the threads -- the gasket is fine but the mating of the steam wand and the tip is apparently imperfect. 2 gaskets will not fit. Other steam tips work fine on the wand. Should I put a small amount of plumber's Teflon tape around the threads to seal? Is that OK with the heat of the (uninsulated) wand?

bobkat
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#2: Post by bobkat »

"The minimum safe operating temperature for PTFE tapes is around -200 Celsius, while the upper limits of heat performance tend to be at around +260 Celsius."
This is what I read about teflon tape heat limitations when I Googled it.

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baldheadracing
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#3: Post by baldheadracing »

I've done it on vintage machines. Works fine. I've even seen new machines that come that way.
-"Good quality brings happiness as you use it" - Nobuho Miya, Kamasada

DaveC
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#4: Post by DaveC »

Or try an fkm o ring, another common feature on many machines

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guijan12
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#5: Post by guijan12 »

Yup, it shouldn't be a problem! :wink:
Regards,

Guido

GreavesManchu
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#6: Post by GreavesManchu »

I'd bet dried on milk will seal it within a short time. Even with a good wipe down after uses, there will be milk in the seam that will cook on.

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BaristaBoy E61
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#7: Post by BaristaBoy E61 »

guijan12 wrote:Yup, it shouldn't be a problem! :wink:
+1

Can't see what the harm can be except that any tape that winds up in the milk might be hard to see.
It's not likely to happen though.
"You didn't buy an Espresso Machine - You bought a Chemistry Set!"

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Paris92
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#8: Post by Paris92 »

I did a bunch of research about using bunched teflon tape to seal around the basket lip of a stovetop Moka Pot coffee maker to prevent steam leaks. The melting point is so high I felt OK about using it. And it worked.