So FED UP with Propane. Advice Please

Personally I'd find a new propane supplier. There is most definitely a difference between the two tapes. The last gentleman that posted is exactly correct in that the difference is in thickness and in some places I read they state chemical makeup is slightly different too. For me personally I can understand the propane suppliers logic but it's just not true. It reminds me of too many old timers that have been cutting corners for too long and have gotten sloppy. White tape is not rated for gas lines for a reason.

My problem with the supplier is simply that he didn't fully explain it to you. It is conceivable that for a small diameter pipe white tape is fine, but that's not how it's supposed to be done and I would have a major problem with a professional that did that.

For example, when I just installed a new water heater in my trailer I went into the local (Ace) hardware store. Old water heaters have the propane pipe fitting on the back whereas the new ones have it on the front. So you actually have to modify your brass propane lines to make it reach the new inlet. There is a really nice old timer in there that has a boat and is the only one with any knowledge of RV/Marine repairs. I told him what I was doing and he told me flat out that to do it right I needed to buy the piping and all the tools to flare it and make my fittings. BUT, he then also said if I wanted to save some money and time I should just buy gas line typically used for connecting a range oven or gas dryer.

The point is he told me the right way, gave me some options, and let me make an informed decision. Your propane supplier didn't do that which is why I would have a problem.

here's another link just for support on the differences between the lines. Difference between white and yellow teflon tapes.

I've been known to use tape and paste on the same joint:B

Found this quote on another Forum but don't know the source:
"There are two US standards for determining the quality of any PTFE tape. MIL-T-27730A (an obsolete military specification still commonly used in industry in the US) requires a minimum thickness of 3.5 mils and a minimum PTFE purity of 99%. The second standard, A-A-58092, is a commercial grade which maintains the thickness requirement of MIL-T-27730A and adds a minimum density of 1.2 g/cc. Relevant standards may vary between industries; tape for gas fittings (to UK gas regulations) is required to be thicker than that for water. Although PTFE itself is suitable for use with high-pressure oxygen, the grade of tape must also be known to be free from grease.

Thread seal tape is most commonly found in the color white and is used in plumbing applications, but it is also available in various colors. White PTFE is single density, yellow is double density and pink is triple density. It is often used to correspond to color coded pipelines (US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand: yellow for natural gas, green for oxygen, etc.). These color-codes for thread sealing tape were introduced by Bill Bentley of Unasco Pty Ltd in the 1970s. In the UK, tape is used from coloured reels, e.g. yellow reels for gas, green for potable water.

White – used on NPT threads up to 3/8 inch
Yellow – used on NPT threads 1/2 inch to 2 inch, often labeled "gas tape"
Pink – used on NPT threads 1/2 inch to 2 inch
Green – oil-free PTFE used on oxygen lines and some specific medical gasses
Copper – contains copper granules and is certified as a thread lubricant but not a sealer
In Europe the BSI standard-7786:2006 specifies various grades and quality standards of PTFE thread sealing tape."

Wayne Dohnal wrote:
About the yellow tape, my propane supplier did some work for me a few months ago, and used white tape on 3/4" pipe. Armed with what I've read on this forum I jumped all over him for not using the yellow tape. His response is that they use the yellow tape on larger pipes but it's too thick for the small pipes and it's the same stuff anyway. Just passing on what the propane company does, I personally know nothing about the materials the different tapes are made of.

He is wrong. You want the yellow tape. Better yet, don't use teflon tape at all and use Rectorseal #5.

If batt voltage drops below 10.5 v the blower is runing too slow and therefore will not allow the sail valve to open and shuts the gas off. Had this happen on a hunting trip.

I have read white and yellow are the same except thickness. IDK for sure but that is what I have read.

:E

Wayne Dohnal wrote:
About the yellow tape, my propane supplier did some work for me a few months ago, and used white tape on 3/4" pipe. Armed with what I've read on this forum I jumped all over him for not using the yellow tape. His response is that they use the yellow tape on larger pipes but it's too thick for the small pipes and it's the same stuff anyway. Just passing on what the propane company does, I personally know nothing about the materials the different tapes are made of.

About the yellow tape, my propane supplier did some work for me a few months ago, and used white tape on 3/4" pipe. Armed with what I've read on this forum I jumped all over him for not using the yellow tape. His response is that they use the yellow tape on larger pipes but it's too thick for the small pipes and it's the same stuff anyway. Just passing on what the propane company does, I personally know nothing about the materials the different tapes are made of.

And yes the yellow teflon tape is for gas/lp. It's also a good idea to make sure you use the proper pipe sealant too if changing the lines themselves.

I ended up replacing a long section of the black iron pipe and removing the inline regulator. Come to find out that the regulator was probably installed due to an after market appliance. However I replaced the entire water heater too and have been smooth sailing ever since. New water heater is more efficient, use way less propane, and I have no leak anywhere.

IDK

but when woking with lp, butane or natural gas
one must use the YELLOW teflon tape on gas fittings, Not the white !!