I have a roll of Blue Monster teflon thread seal tape (I bought mine from Amazon) that I use on certain fittings and fixtures, and was double-checking that it can be used on drinking water lines. In the process, I learned that the same company makes a self-fusing compression seal tape as well, in 1″ and 2″ widths.
Blue Monster’s compression seal tape is designed to be used for stopping leaks while under pressure, which usually means emergency fixes that have to be done before or without turning off the water source. Blue Monster says their tape is ideal for emergency and long-term repairs.
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Layers of the tape fuse together after application, combining into a single mass. The idea is that it’ll hold until a proper repair can be done.
This special tape can bond to any type of rigid piping, such as galvanized and cast iron pipe, copper pipe and tubing, and “all types of plastics and rubber.”
The tape is stretched as it is applied – as tight as you can pull it – and as it’s self-fusing there are no adhesives to worry about.
- Seals leaks up to 150 PSI (water, air steam)
- Effective to 500°F
- Suitable for burial without jacketing
- Non-toxic
- Can also be used on irrigation pipe
It’s available in 1″ and 2″ widths. The 1″ tape is available in a value-priced package with 3 pieces of 12″ tape, and as a 12-foot roll. The 2″ tape is available in a 12-foot roll.
Pricing: ~$15 for the 1″ x 12″ 3-piece pack, ~$36-41 for the 1″ x 12′ roll, and ~$58-60 for the 2″ x 12′ roll
Buy Now(1″ x 12″ 3-piece pack via Amazon)
Buy Now(1″ x 12′ roll via Amazon)
Buy Now(2″ x 12′ roll via Amazon)
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Discussion
Self-fusing tape has been around for a while, and you have probable even seen it on TV infommercials.
In an older post, where we asked about vehicle emergency toolbox recommendations, a reader recommended Iron Grip silicone tape, currently priced at ~$9 via Amazon for a 1″ x 10′ roll.
The Blue Monster compression seal tape seems to have mixed reviews on Amazon, but part of that could be the nature of the product. Could the variability of usage scenarios be a factor, or perhaps user error?
Blue Monster’s tape is considerably pricier than other general purpose silicone tapes on the market, but I have to wonder if or how it’s different to justify the premium price. Perhaps it’s thicker?
Blue Monster says their tape was developed for professional plumbers.
If you’ve used this, what has your experience been like? Would you use this?
Jerry
Never used Blue Monster but have used 3M self fusing silicone tape in the past. Success is about surface prep and how tight you wrap it. If the surface is bad like a rusty steel pipe it will likely seep. Clean off any loose rust and if the pipe has any residue on it like excess flux on a copper pipe clean it off down to bare metal. Emory cloth works well for either. Then wrap the tape very tight stretching as much as you can to the point you think it is in danger of tearing Clean poles and tight wrapping is the secret.
Farid
Another thumbs up to the 3M. I’ve used it a few times at work and home and has worked great. Like you said, surface prep is the key to success.
I think Gorilla Glue now has a sismilar clear tape that I saw at the hardware store.
Mike
Looks like a blue version of F-4 tape…
Jon Brown
I would be interested in seeing how many plumbers/maintenance guys actually have occasion to use this product. I am a maintenance guy for the county I live in and I have had plenty of leaks from literally every material that has ever been made into pipe (including lead) and I have never used self fusing tape. I have known for a long time the stuff exists I just never saw the need. I would love to hear the stories behind people needing to use silicone tape and why they couldn’t pursue another fix.
Anthony
I’ve tried using it before, but if the setup isn’t perfect, the water finds a route out and it still leaks, albeit with less intensity. I’ve found a piece of rubber and a pipe clamp works everytime, provided the pipe is small enough to wrap a clamp around.
Flotsam
I have used this and it works as advertised on rigid pipes. The repair could in fact be permanent.
Where I have had issues with this is on flexible hose. I have always liked having something in the car to stop cooling system leaks until a hose or some other component is replaced. This is less than ideal for that. I haven’t been able to find it in a while something called “Hose Bandage” and it is a flexible cloth based tape but with an adhesive backing. I have used that for emergency repairs on small pin holes in hoses and even a cracked plastic fitting for a thermostat. Good stuff to have on hand in a car emergency kit.
Axeman
I used something similar five years ago, after a 3/4” line burst in one of my Apartment buildings. Unfortunately, the product failed immediately after I restored water pressure. The water pressure, which was around 60 PSI, literally water jetted a hole right through the layers of tape.
Unfortunately, the similar pipe sealing tape, which had made similar claims as this, was a last resort due to the burst pipe occurred after hours and lacking couplings to braze in replacement piping. The lesson learned from that event, is to always keep a couple of spare Shark Bite fittings with me, as a just in case. For the record though, I’m old school when it comes to plumbing, copper with brazed joints, is still the best material for plumbing because it’s naturally anti-bacterial (oligo dynamic effect), extremely durable, will outlast any plastic, and it’s made of no toxic chemicals.
Chris
When I was a wee dummy, I was playing darts in the basement. Completely missed the dartboard and got the dart stuck in a copper water line. Being said wee dummy, I wrapped the line in about an inch of blue painters tape. Never told anyone. Don’t remember how my father found out, but he wasn’t thrilled.
jason gloekler
Never used this product, but use Blue Monster thread tape and their grit sanding paper for copper fittings. My prefered choice for those. They seem to be higher quality and easier to use than other brands I have used for plumbing and general pipe repair/ maintenance.
The What?
The only way I could see using this is to temporarily slow down a leak while I haul ass to HD and get more copper or pex and sharkbite couplings or fittings. Of course I’m smart enough to shut the water off before I go anywhere. If you’re in a situation where you’re running new plumbing lines or fixtures, the water should be off anyways. That’s why it’s always a good thing to have extra couplings and fittings around instead of having to resort to self fusing tape which has never worked in my experiences of trying to patch a leak. I keep a bunch of extra plumbing fittings for such occasions. Sharkbites are the ideal thing to use cuz you can put em on wet or dry. Can’t do that with copper fittings. Plus it’s a lot less time consuming when such an occasion calls for a quick solution.
Steven
If this is your own residence and you have this product as “jic” sure, might be fun to use….but you could simply isolate the fixture(drain) or simply shut the water off….for free.
Would you honestly pay for a plumber to apply this as the repair?
Our service has fully adopted propress copper fittings for hwt change outs and repairs. Fast, effective and the smartest tool for permanent copper repairs. Wet or dry.
There is nothing in the plumbingverse that cannot be fixed or replaced. There is far too much liability and risk of property damage to offset “i have leak wrapped up in a bandage and Ill come back later”
Most really bad situations that cannot be easily contained, water supply before a water meter valve or a galvanized fitting thats eroding in wall on a lav trap arm… if surface prep, dry clean are prerequisites for this bandaid to work, it is not worth anyones time to grab a temp fix or a permanent fix.
Water is the most damaging of all home services. Shut water off immediately, refrain from using _____fixture until fixed. Both of those will only cost you some inconvenience and allow drain/pipe to dry out for the RIGHT repair.
Chesty Puller
Waste of money. Fix the issue the right way the first time, or pay someone to do it for you. Gimmicks don’t work, never have/never will.
R
I make a cuff out of polyurethane hose and use it with a hose clamp to seal leaks. It’s cheap and easy.
Paul
I’ve used a similar brand and the rubber version that they used to sell on mining equipment. It generally either works or it doesn’t and it’s usually pretty obvious why. Sharp edges, rough or non-smooth surfaces, etc. The infomercial always shows a straight pipe with no edges that is clearly under around 1 PSI that you can pretty much stop the flow with your hand. That’s perfect. Under less than perfect conditions, YMMV.
Silicone tape IS F-4 tape (from the aerospace industry). There is an electrical grade which is tested to 35,000 V although UL requires the roll to state “600 V maximum” to be Listed as electrical tape while not providing any spec for tape that goes above that limit. The rest is plumbing grade. Either way it stretches to 300-400% on most of it. If it gets near a sharp edge, it splits and peels right open which is another reason a lot of temporary repair and even some permanent joints fail. There are versions with reinforcement threads like Kevlar mixed into it that keep it from splitting but it kills the stretch factor..
BUT as mentioned for plumbing (and electrical) surface prep is key. Also despite what the infomercials show, have you ever tried to actually stop even a 30-40 PSI leak, never mind 150 PSI, while it is leaking? IF you can somehow get it wrapped on there tightly with several wraps while the water magically stops on it’s own long enough to do this, it can work. But in the real world, good luck! If you can shut the water off, give it a day to cure, then put pressure to it, it will work fine.
You can get F-4 in multiple colors. It’s silicone rubber…pretty easy to color it. None of it is milspec any longer because the F-4 spec has been obsoleted by the DoD.
I keep a roll now all the time on the truck with electrical work although it’s the 3M brand electrical version. It’s part of a hand termination kit for 1000+ V cables.
Plumber3719
I have been in the plumbing field for the last 15 years and I think we all look down on anything like this product I’m like you when you said why not just fix the problem correctly
Christopher Ryan
I’ve tried Flex Tape on a pinhole leak on a copper pipe. It was no match. I couldn’t turn my main valve completely off. My house is old and many gate valves are stuck hard tight open and can’t close them. Even after shutting the main valve to the house there was still enough pressure hard enough to fight through the flex tape. I ended up calling a plumber.
Skye A Cohen
I think it’s marketing to say it’s made for plumbers. Plumbers are not in the business of easy fixes that might not work, they repipe if a pipe fails, that’s how they feed their families and it is their trade
SaturnFire
I have used The 3M version on a drain line and it is still holding today. not a single drip…8 years. and counting. But the key is to make it as tight as possible.