How do I know if I need plumber’s putty for my kitchen faucet?

Knowing when to use a plumber’s putty is crucial. Plumber’s putty isn’t always a great choice for making a perfect seal for all situations.

If you don’t know when to use plumber’s putty, don’t worry. We are here to answer your question.

When should you use plumber’s putty?

You want to install a new kitchen faucet but you are ambiguous whether you should use plumber’s putty, silicone, caulk, or some other type of sealing material.

Plumber’s putty can make a perfect watertight seal which can solve your draining problem. But plumber’s putty should never be used for plastic, marble, or granite materials because these materials could be damaged by the oil in the putty.

Comparing plumber’s putty to silicon, putty doesn’t dry out quickly so it’s quite possible to readjust it if an impeccable watertight seal isn’t created. On the contrary, silicon dries out quickly and if the draining problem isn’t solved then it doesn’t offer much ease to remove it. You can use putty with all types of kitchen faucets like one-handle, two-handle, pullout, pulldown, and butler, etc.

When shouldn’t you use plumber’s putty?

Plumber’s putty could be a great choice in most of the situations. But you shouldn’t use it where the adhesive strength is required. It must not be used for visible areas. Threaded metals like iron, steel, copper, and brass need Teflon tape or pipe joint compound to make a fine seal.

Furthermore, when two plastic pipes are supposed to be fused, PVC cement should be applied instead. One more thing that you must keep in mind is that you should never use putty that is dried out. Putty ought to be flexible and easy to role.

Advantages of Plumber’s putty:

Putty isn’t much of an adhesive so it’s quite easy to readjust it if the perfect seal isn’t obtained at the first attempt.

It is easy to apply and remove. You can even apply this without the assistance of a plumber. It doesn’t dry out rapidly and remains soft for a long period. It may take years even for the already applied putty to dry.

It is similar to clay and it could be rolled into any shape easily without using any plumbing tool.

Disadvantages of Plumber’s putty:

Putty can’t be applied to all of the surfaces. Putty, if applied to materials like marble, plastic, or other porous surfaces, can damage outer surfaces because of the oil present in it.

It doesn’t provide adhesive strength so it shouldn’t be used at the places where adhesive strength is required.

It is not suggested to use in the visible areas demanding a watertight seal.

Conclusion

Plumber’s putty can be used to create a watertight seal but it is not a decent option for all the situations. It must only be used for suitable and unexposed surfaces.