Plumber's putty is a malleable, clay-like compound that creates a watertight seal by filling in the space under a flange to prevent water from seeping through.
2. Apply silicone caulk on the sink drain flange. When it comes to fixing leaks, silicone caulk is one of the best options because it's inexpensive, easy to use, and can be found in most hardware stores.
The key difference between the two is the material compound. Plumber's putty is soft sealing material and that means it won't harden over time, making it easy to disassemble or remove after several years. Silicone on the other hand, dries up and hardens over time, making it difficult to remove or work with again.
Using a high quality, waterproof sealant prevents water and debris from entering the gaps. If you want to avoid mould and water damage, sealing kitchen sinks (or bathroom sinks) is a must.
Plumber's putty is most often used to fix minor leaks in the bathroom and kitchen drains, as well other plumbing pipes. Normally though, this is a temporary fix that avoids replacement for a while. With time the fixture or piping will need to be replaced.
The rubber gasket should be sufficient to seal without putty.
Thread seal tape and pipe dope are both effective pipe sealants. However, many people prefer using thread seal tape since it is cleaner to work with than traditional grease or paste-like sealants. Plumber's putty is used to form a water tight seal between the sink and the faucet and between the sink and the drain.
Silicone sealant is the best type of caulk for kitchen use. Silicone is waterproof and non-toxic. It is flexible, durable and rarely cracks. It is capable of adhering to a wide variety of substrates, including metal, glass, porcelain and ceramic.
Epoxy putty: Epoxy putty is a two-part compound that can be mixed together to form a strong adhesive. It's ideal for sealing leaks in pipes and can be used on both metal and plastic pipes. Epoxy putty is also resistant to chemicals and can be used on surfaces that come into contact with water.
Silicone caulk is basically the same thing as plumbers putty, but it's designed to be used in a much wider variety of applications. This type of caulking is typically clear and flexible, meaning that you can easily see through it to check whether it's properly sealed.
Plumber's putty is moldable putty that can be worked into shapes once you warm it between your hands. It has a clay base with vegetable or mineral oils to help it stay malleable. It won't harden, shrink, dry out or crumble. This makes it perfect to seal plumbing fixtures, although it's not good on pipe threads.
Caulk is more durable than a plumber's putty because it's stronger and lasts longer. It also works better with older pipes because it doesn't rust as easily as a plumber's putty does.
Generally, the easiest and most effective sealant for leaking plastic pipes is a liquid pipe compound as they can create air-tight seals around a leak. In some cases, a silicone repair tape may be just as effective, provided the leak is small enough.
For a stainless or metal sink (such as those commonly found in kitchens), you'll want to use a silicone-based caulk. For a porcelain sink (more common in bathroom spaces), a latex-based caulk will be a better fit. When choosing caulk, it's also important to select a color that will best suit the space.
Both plumber's putty and silicone are sealing compounds designed to provide a water tight fit for pop up drains, sink strainers, undersides of fittings, showers and drains. Plumber's putty is more traditional while silicone caulking is a more modern product, but either one (in most cases) can get the job done.
There are several types of sealants are: Silicone based sealants. Urethane based sealants. Acrylic based sealants.
sealant, durability will likely play a big part in your decision. While silicone is more flexible and better for high-movement areas, caulk remains solid after being applied. This makes caulk an effective long-lasting choice for homeowners looking to patch up areas of their homes that don't typically see much movement.
In the old days, plumber's putty was used in many places where caulk is used today, but it's still the best option for many situations.
“Pipe Dope”
It usually comes with a small brush to apply the compound with. Like thread seal tape, there is a general use or universal variant of a pipe joint compound; but there are also types that can only be used for a specific type of pipe, such as metal or plastic.
Using PTFE tape for gas pipe sealer applications is common, but it is vital to select the right product for the job. Gas-rated PTFE thread seal tape is widely available, but it tends to be thicker and denser than standard PTFE tape for use in liquid plumbing environments.
The Flange of the basket strainer goes on the inside of the sink and the rubber washer/gasket, paper gasket, pressure cup and nut are under the sink. The rubber washer seals the sink from below, putty or caulk seal the flange to the sink from above.
-DO NOT attempt to use plumber's putty to join plastic pipes. This is a job for PVC primer. -DO NOT use plumber's putty on a porous matter such as granite or marble—the composition of the plumber's putty will stain these surfaces.