Plumbers Putty

[YorkshireTyke]

I want to replace a couple of waste plugs in my bathroom as they are corroded and look ugly.

 

On Youtube the plumbers use Plumbers Putty, not sure if this is UK or USA plumbers or both. However, I can't see it online on Homepro and I did watch my builder fit the 2 vanity units and the waste plugs and I seem to remember him using silicone to stick and seal them, is silicone the accepted medium over here or what should I be using?

[sometimewoodworker]

1 hour ago, YorkshireTyke said:

On Youtube the plumbers use Plumbers Putty, not sure if this is UK or USA plumbers or both. However, I can't see it online on Homepro and I did watch my builder fit the 2 vanity units and the waste plugs and I seem to remember him using silicone to stick and seal them, is silicone the accepted medium over here or what should I be using?

Silicone is not the thing to use, just buy the plumbers putty/semi liquid pipe joint compound. It is easy to find once you know the magic words (probably American) and look in the correct places or use Lazada.

FWIW I virtually never use it and I don’t know if the can I bought from one if the big suppliers a few years ago is still liquid. NB I just checked and though it has volatile solvents, it is still useable.

 

Your plumber is as good as most Thai sparkies ???? 

Edited October 5, 2022 by sometimewoodworker

[YorkshireTyke]

1 hour ago, sometimewoodworker said:

Silicone is not the thing to use, just buy the plumbers putty/semi liquid pipe joint compound. It is easy to find once you know the magic words (probably American) and look in the correct places or use Lazada.

FWIW I virtually never use it and I don’t know if the can I bought from one if the big suppliers a few years ago is still liquid. NB I just checked and though it has volatile solvents, it is still useable.

 

Your plumber is as good as most Thai sparkies ???? 

I know the stuff you are talking about and I have a can here, SCG brand with a green lid.

 

But maybe you misunderstand where I intend using it? It is to put a layer of sealant in the basin before I press the strainer fitting on to it, to seal it water tight and hold it in place. I thought the liquid pipe joint compound could not be broke once sealed so how would I remove it if I want to replace it in the future?

 

I never said the guy who fitted was a plumber, he is a time served UK builder with his own business in the UK for over 20 years and worked on several housing compounds here and was very well thought of. And the fittings are still in place and not leaking, just corroded as poor quality fittings, so whatever he did he did an acceptable job. ????

[sometimewoodworker]

1 hour ago, YorkshireTyke said:

I know the stuff you are talking about and I have a can here, SCG brand with a green lid.

 

But maybe you misunderstand where I intend using it? It is to put a layer of sealant in the basin before I press the strainer fitting on to it, to seal it water tight and hold it in place. I thought the liquid pipe joint compound could not be broke once sealed so how would I remove it if I want to replace it in the future?

@YorkshireTyke Are you sure that it is the same product? All the SGC, and most other brands, use the green top for the solvent welding glue.

 

The pipe joint compound (that is the search term) is a non hardening one and is specifically designed (according to the label) for easy disassembly. The tops are all silver.

 

So it looks as if you’ve got the wrong product, as far as I can see all versions are imported, a can’t locate an SGC version.

Edited October 5, 2022 by sometimewoodworker

[transam]

Plumbers putty, hmmmmm, if you are talking about sealing the threads, you just need PTVE tape.....Just wrap it around the threads...

[CharlieH]

This may be of interest......

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/bosny-epoxy-putty-ab-b-236-i264144370.html?spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.19.34817b4c5eusVC

[sometimewoodworker]

7 minutes ago, transam said:

Plumbers putty, hmmmmm, if you are talking about sealing the threads, you just need PTVE tape.....Just wrap it around the threads...

The pipe joint compound is an alternative, though I also usually use the PTFE tape. The joint compound is better for bigger threads 

[sometimewoodworker]

2 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

This may be of interest......

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/bosny-epoxy-putty-ab-b-236-i264144370.html?spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.19.34817b4c5eusVC

Isn’t that guaranteed to be a hardening and setting material?

[HauptmannUK]

The non-setting jointing compounds (e.g. Hawk White) are for use on metal compression fittings and tapered thread fittings. Not seen them in TH but not really looked.

Other options are PTFE tape and liquid PTFE.  There are some good silicone sealants too.  In UK I always use PTFE tape on tapered threads and Fernox LS-X (silicone based) on everything else that needs sealing - although most times if you make the joint correctly you don't need anything. In Thailand only used PTFE tape on the plastic treads.

The epoxy putty linked above would make a permanent joint.

[Dan O]

I believe he's asking for the correct thing in plumbers putty.

 

Joint compound is for threads. He's talking about using it where the drain goes thru the sink basin bottom. To seal water from passing between the drain and the sink.

[HauptmannUK]

7 minutes ago, Dan O said:

I believe he's asking for the correct thing in plumbers putty.

 

Joint compound is for threads. He's talking about using it where the drain goes thru the sink basin bottom. To seal water from passing between the drain and the sink.

Ok. Got it now. For that I would use a thin layer of sanitary silicone sealant. You would still be able to disassemble it in future and peel the silicone off the parts. Old school plumbers may well use putty....  no idea where you'd get that in TH.

 

[IvorBiggun2]

Epoxy Putty

 

https://shopee.co.th/gonn-Plumbing-Moldable-Epoxy-Putty-Pipe-Sealant-Tile-Fix-Silicone-Mud-Water-Pipe-Repair-Glue-i.492768236.11620452579

[Pib]

1 hour ago, sometimewoodworker said:

Isn’t that guaranteed to be a hardening and setting material?

Yes...I have some of it....it pretty much the same as liquid epoxy.

[Pib]

8 minutes ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

Epoxy Putty

 

https://shopee.co.th/gonn-Plumbing-Moldable-Epoxy-Putty-Pipe-Sealant-Tile-Fix-Silicone-Mud-Water-Pipe-Repair-Glue-i.492768236.11620452579

That dries hard also...mostly for trying to permanently fixing leaks.  Or you can use it to fill holes in rest out metal.   No good as a plumber's putty where you do not want it to dry hard and may have to remove/replace the part later.

[phetphet]

If you are just talking about putting something on the rubber seal that goes under the plug hole fitting, I wouldn't bother. The rubber seal should  squash down and create the seal.

 

I suppose, to be safe you could apply a thin film of silicon sealant to be sure.

 

[Pib]

OP,

    I too haven't been able to find any plumber's putty in "small" size containers which a home owner would want for small/occasional plumbing; I've seen BIG containers of plumber's putty occasionally online like a builder would use.

 

    What I've used instead is a kind of silicone called Sanitary Sealant/Chaulk (sometimes called Silicone Adhesive Sealant) which does not dry hard/non-hardening....stays pliable.....anti-fugus...and usually comes in the color white.   It's different than the typical silicone that comes in the large tubes which is not as pliable when it dries as sanitary sealant.

 

     I typically use this type of Sanitary Sealant on jobs like you are talking about or sometimes sealing threaded PVC connections where silicone tape can quite do a good enough job.   I usually buy it at HomePro or similar hardware stores....it comes in a small tube of on a few ounces which is more than enough for small, occasional jobs around the house....and normally the packaging shows it's use in the bathroom, around bathroom and kitchen sinks, etc., and usually makes the point of a non-hardening cure state.   Usually costs Bt100 to Bt150.   As I write this I'm looking at the sanitary sealant I last bought at Mr DIY a few months ago....I've also bought similar at HomePro.  See image below.

Edited October 5, 2022 by Pib

[YorkshireTyke]

20 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

Silicone is not the thing to use, .

 

Your plumber is as good as most Thai sparkies ???? 

Fortunately my 'plumber' knew exactly what to do and what to use, unfortunately he's no longer with us. I do appreciate you trying to help but maybe in future you should do it without the sarcastic comments as they may come back to bite you..............

 

Thanks all posters, especially those who understood what I was trying to achieve. I know to use PFTE tape on screw thread joints but this is to seal the rubber gasket on the plug drain to the vanity basin, maybe I should have described that as the action required.

So a thin layer of sealant is what I shall use.

[Bill97]

Rubber gasket is enough,  no sealant needed.  Got 6 that way.

[sometimewoodworker]

55 minutes ago, YorkshireTyke said:

I do appreciate you trying to help but maybe in future you should do it without the sarcastic comments as they may come back to bite you..............

I have several times seen people who are well trained in their respective fields in one country be blindsided by the facts that what they have always used is not available in Thailand or it is available in a few places using different terms that they don’t know of.

 

The item you characterised as silicone is now obliviously not the silicone that is widely available and used here and is the wrong product. So unless you actually say exactly what is meant rather than a using a term that will be widely misinterpreted is it surprising that people, including myself, will assume that the user is as ignorant as is common with tradesmen (loose term) here.