Anaerobic sealant for threaded fittings in plumbing

In any apartment there are many threaded connections in the gas supply, heating or water supply system, which must be completely tight. In the past, various sealants of plant or artificial origin have been used to achieve this. But recently, the latest sealing material has appeared on the market - anaerobic sealant for threaded joints. Let's find out what is the principle of its work and what are its advantages or disadvantages compared to traditional gaskets?

Operating principle

What is anaerobic sealant? This is a liquid polymer, due to the unique properties of which complete sealing of compounds is achieved without much effort. These substances were synthesized back in the 50s of the last century, but for a long time they were used only in military or space research. When anaerobic sealants appeared in the public domain, the townsfolk quickly appreciated the ease of use and the quality of the compounds obtained. Therefore, these materials quickly gained a substantial niche for their use in plumbing, water supply and gas supply.

The unique quality of anaerobic sealants is that their composition hardens only where it comes in contact with metal in the absence of air. In these places, a strong plastic is formed, which does not change its volume during crystallization.

In the liquid state, the composition completely fills the entire threaded gap, and the excess is easy to remove. They come in contact with air, so they remain liquid and do not freeze. Outside, they are easy to remove with a brush or rag, and inside the pipe they are simply washed off with water.

Anaerobic sealants are completely safe and environmentally friendly.

Varieties

Anaerobic formulations vary in the degree of strength they give to a threaded joint. Accordingly, the scope of their application is changing:

• For compounds that will quite often disassemble and not experience high loads, a low strength composition is suitable.
• If it is only planned to periodically analyze for the purpose of servicing, then you should use a sealant with average strength indicators.
• For systems with high pressure, shock and temperature loads, it is better to take adhesive sealant. What is anaerobic thread glue? This is also a polymer composition that hardens upon contact with metal without air, but with a stronger fixation of the joint. It is much more difficult to disassemble a compound sealed with this substance. Therefore, it is assumed that these elements will only be dismantled as a last resort.

Benefits of Anaerobic Sealants

Anaerobic formulations have many advantages over traditional sealants:

• Sealing does not require additional materials, just one composition is enough. If you use, for example, such a sealant as flax, then you will need to additionally look for more lead minium and drying oil.
• The composition in the liquid state completely fills the threaded gap and does not shrink, which after hardening ensures complete tightness. It is not prone to swelling, the excess composition is simply squeezed out during installation, which allows the use of these sealants when sealing joints from brittle materials.
• Anaerobic sealants can be used at high temperature ranges.

• Ease of use. It is not necessary, as when using flax or FUM tape, to carefully wind the sealant on the thread. Tightening is done by hand, without the use of keys, which guarantees the integrity of the seal and the elements of the connection.
• Profitability. Excess composition from the outer surface can be carefully collected and used to seal another area. After dismantling, carrying out the subsequent assembly of the connection, it is not necessary to remove the old layer of sealant, you can apply a fresh composition directly on top of it.
• Environmental friendliness. The material is completely safe for human health. Anaerobic sealants can be used in drinking water systems.

disadvantages

This material also has drawbacks, but very few:

• At temperatures below + 15 ° C, the solidification process is significantly slowed down. Additional heating of the compound may be required.
• The use of compounds with strong fixation significantly complicates the process of disassembling the assembly; additional devices may be required.
• To achieve maximum effect, the surface of the thread should be dry and fat free. A solvent can be used for this.
• It is not always possible to find anaerobic sealant with the right parameters in any hardware store. However, in reputable organizations there is usually a wide selection of such materials.

Application Rules

How to use anaerobic sealant? Very simple:

• Shake a tube with structure well several times.
• The composition is applied directly to the cleaned and prepared surface from the neck of the tube. Sometimes a special brush is included. The sealant should evenly cover the entire surface of the thread.
• Screw the connection by hand. To evenly distribute the composition, you can twist the fittings a little.
• Collect surplus protruding from outside the joint.

The whole process is presented more clearly in the video.

How long will anaerobic sealant dry? On each package, the manufacturer indicates the time during which the solution solidifies. But usually the sealant lasts 15 minutes to dry. Do not forget that at low temperatures this process slows down significantly.

The right choice of sealant

Anaerobic adhesives are currently produced by many manufacturers. In order not to get confused in the variety of assortment, you should trust in the first place the well-established products of well-known companies. When choosing a material, the operating parameters must be taken into account.

What are the operating parameters that you need to focus on when choosing a sealant? First of all, these are the features of the thread: size and material. You should also consider the temperature conditions and requirements for fixing the connection.

Loctite anaerobic sealants (Loktayt) are well established on the Russian market. This company produces various products, among which you can choose plumbing adhesive with the necessary parameters. Loktayt compositions are reliable, the price for them starts from 1700 rubles. per tube of 50 ml.

The products of the Russian company Region Specialtechno, known under the brand name Santekhmaster Gel, are also in great demand. Santehmaster anaerobic sealant is available in 15 ml tubes, the price is from 150 rubles. With a half-inch thread of this volume, 30 fittings are enough to process. Santekhmastergel is not afraid of aggressive environments, can be used to seal systems with gasoline, alcohol or antifreeze. It tolerates high pressure and temperature.

Of course, all the properties of the described compounds are unlikely to be useful to the owner when repairing an apartment. But when sealing a heating, gas or water supply system, anaerobic sealant can not only significantly facilitate the work, but also provide a high-quality long-term result.