White hairy material around towel heater pipe joint: asbestos?

[SamCurtis95]

I’m wondering weather this stringy stuff (see photos) around my towel heater’s pipe joints could be some kind of fiber/string with asbestos in it? They don’t really look like hemp to me, and I’m a bit worried about it! Thanks

 

[DXCross]

How recently has it been put in? It looks to me to be loctite...? As far as I know asbestos has never been used to seal threads? Someone a little older may be able to add additional info

 

[SamCurtis95]

How recently has it been put in? It looks to me to be loctite...? As far as I know asbestos has never been used to seal threads? Someone a little older may be able to add additional info

Thanks for your reply, I’d say 15-20 years ago maybe. I just wasn’t sure Loctite would have that hairy fibrous stuff fraying out of it?

 

[SimonG]

It's not on the pipe joints, its inside the heads.

 

[SamCurtis95]

It's not on the pipe joints, its inside the heads.

Any idea what it is?

 

[DXCross]

Fair point I only looked at the joints. They look loctited to me...

I personally haven’t ever seen or heard of asbestos being used inside rad valve Heads. That doesn’t mean they didnt just I’ve never seen them

if you separate loctite it is actually quite fiberous looking; see the attached photo

the fact it looks like loctite on the joints would suggest it most likely isn’t as I’d presume the valves have been replaced with the pipework. But if In doubt get it checked

 

[Ric2013]

Asbestos string was used in very old tap gland packings and very old pipe seal thread. In my experience, if you hold a cigarette lighter flame to it, it will glow red, but remove the flame and it seems to be undamaged. I don't think ANY alternative to asbestos is quite as good in that regard.

In my experience, putting a lighter to ceramic fibre will result in melting after a good few seconds of heat, and Loctite 55 will do the same, as, presumably, will other plastics.

More to the point, that valve head looks fairly modern, so unless someone had some very old stuff lying about, not sure why it would have asbestos in it.

 

[Chuck]

I’m wondering weather this stringy stuff (see photos) around my towel heater’s pipe joints could be some kind of fiber/string with asbestos in it? They don’t really look like hemp to me, and I’m a bit worried about it! Thanks

The only way to be sure is to get a sample tested by a proper lab. Bradley Enviromental charge £40 for up to four samples so get anything else you are worried about (old floor tiles, sofit boards, etc.) done at the same time. You might be able to reduce the cost by shopping around but check the credentials.

 

[Stigster]

It's not on the pipe joints, its inside the heads.

It's on both the head and the coupling as it comes through the wall.

 

[centralheatking]

It most probably will be hemp and boss white, as above set fire to it to see
centralheatking

 

[Stigster]

set fire to it to see
centralheatking

I love your ways mate!

I think that's the third time in about as many months your solution has been to set fire to something to gain further information and I love it.

 

[centralheatking]

I love your ways mate!

I think that's the third time in about as many months your solution has been to set fire to something to gain further information and I love it.

It gets worse, we are dealing with a pull extruded GRP solar thermal roofing and wall
cladding system it is BRe and BBA approved but I though I wanted to test it to destruction so we got a decent sample organised outside my workshop and we
pointed the oxy acetylene gun at it for 30 mins last Saturday morning, photo it and video as well, ace stuff it will not support combustion and keeps its integrity at
2020c for half an hour. We did a sample of plastic decking a few years ago ..wow
just on propane it went up fine style after 5 mins...so no plastic decking for a large pub chain..ciggys and leaves under it...whoosh. We use experts but final test is us
...have a great weekend ..centralheatking we also shoot shotguns at things or drive my defender over them its fun and proves things one way or another

 

[Danb]

I agree with Dx looks like locktite