When putting on teflon gasket on Elektra Microcasa a Leva, do I need a sealant?

#1: Post by **andpgud** » October 1st, 2016, 9:02 pm

When putting on teflon gasket on MCAL do I need a sealant?

#2: Post by **pizzaman383** » October 1st, 2016, 10:30 pm

#3: Post by **drgary** » October 2nd, 2016, 12:26 am

I like to add a bit of DOW 111 to create a better seal.

#4: Post by **OldNuc** » October 2nd, 2016, 10:50 am

If there is any possibility of gasket extrusion under pressure then any lubricant is a bad idea. Gasket ejection is a scalding event if steam is involved. Teflon does cold flow which is an inherent problem as well.

#5: Post by **drgary** » October 2nd, 2016, 12:24 pm

Rich, if the OP wants to add a heat break gasket, that would mean if it starts to leak you would have a bit of bubbling in that area, wouldn't it? Nothing catastrophic. (Longer screws should be used to accommodate the extra width.) Maybe you can comment on whether lubricant makes such a seal a bit more leak resistant. If so, you wouldn't need to tighten the group to boiler bolts quite as much. Adding lubricant became a habit after following Orphan Espresso instructions on gasket installation.

#6: Post by **OldNuc** » October 2nd, 2016, 12:38 pm

Generally speaking you should get a clue when you pull the lever. The other point is teflon does not require any lube as it is slicker than snot all by itself. Having one blow out at 15psi borders on incredible but strange things happen when there is no idea of how hard and how thick a DIY gasket has been added. It is something to consider when adding things like this when something like the resin impregnated cloth or paper material is better choice for that purpose and will require an o-ring or sealant to be leak tight.

#7: Post by **drgary** » October 2nd, 2016, 12:42 pm

OldNuc wrote:The other point is teflon does not require any lube as it is slicker than snot all by itself.

OK. I'm outvoted here and am convinced!

October 2nd, 2016, 3:28 pm

When I made my heat break, I used 5mm thick Teflon (because that's the thickness of the scrap piece at a local supplier). I made the centre hole just big enough for (only) the dipper tube and changed to stainless steel cap screws and washers in hopes of reducing heat transfer. I re-torqued the cap screws after a few hours of use. As the (plated) boiler mounting surface was slightly uneven, I put a very little bit of food-rated RTV Silicone in the groove that normally holds/contains an O-ring. I was/am concerned about cold flow with such a thick piece of Teflon, but no issues after a year...

#9: Post by **OldNuc** » October 2nd, 2016, 5:01 pm

It is a slow process and it all depends on exactly which teflon you have. Soft teflon is the worst. If it is hard enough to machiine in a lathe then it will not be a problem.

October 3rd, 2016, 12:57 am

I used thin sheets of food grade silicone to sandwich my thicker teflon heat break. Works perfectly after more tgan a few yrs.