Bond It F4 Emergency Self-Fusing Silicone Tape

Mechanical: speedboat throttle connection still good 6 years later. Copper Pipe & Rubber Hose: 3 years later. Still strong! No leakage or bulges. I failed to winterize a house spigot and a garden hose. Frost/freezing did it's thing and blew the lines. The KEY to having a successful pipe/hose repair is two fold: A) Not exceed max PSI B) PROPERLY applying tape. PROPERLY APPLYING TAPE: Don't just wrap it tight one time and expect it to work or claim that IT failed. If you don't wrap as follows, then YOU failed to apply it correctly. Applying it correctly is the best way to contain high psi as opposed to connecting two parts together - which can vary the wrapping process greatly depending on the parts being joined. For splits/punctures in Hose and Pipe (+/- 3/4") do the following: Step #1: Begin wrapping on solid, clean hose about 6" to one side of the split/leak. STRETCH wrap it towards, over, and past the split/puncture area another 3 or 4 inches and stop. Step #2: VERY CRITICAL STEP - "DOUBLE BACK" over your first layer of tape towards where you began wrapping. Stop about 3 or 4 inches beyond the split/puncture. You now have TWO (2) tight layers over the split location that extend 3-4" on either side. Step #3: Reverse direction again. Moving toward, over and beyond the split/puncture location. Continue warping about 6" on clean, solid hose. You should now have THREE (3) full layers covering the puncture site - not counting the additional 50% coverage layers created by overlapping each rotation. Step #4: Double wrap the very last roration or two in order to help secure the final loose end from unraveling. Success depends on a tightly stretched pressure on each wrap, proper 50% overlap on each wrap, and following the Left/Right/Left steps above. For extensive psi's, temperatures, large diameter hose, long gaping splits, or spiral punctures consider widening your application site and doubling back additional times as necessary in order to contain the leak and restore proper function. The repair doesn't need to be from one continuous roll of tape. Layering is what matters. It can be applied wet or dry. There's "Emergency Tape" (cheap) and "Emergency Self Fusing SILICONE Tape" (quality). Their performance is like night and day. F-4 Silicone Tape is the the higher quality good stuff. I've used both. FiberFix Repair Wrap is another repair tape that's a good "cast or splint" like material. It can be applied OVER Self Fusing Tape for added stiffness.

I have used this tape for a variety of projects that it was probably overkill for using. For example, the bar grip for my kids’ trampoline that the 2 year old started to bite chunks of foam off. However, I wanted to give one example that I think was on the more extreme end of things. I was driving home after a day-long meeting and noticed something hanging down on my car. I bent over and saw it was the muffler strap, argh! I stopped at my mechanic and they were too busy until later in the week and the auto parts store wouldn’t have it in until the next day. I needed to be at work the next day, so not driving my car wasn’t an option. So, I decided to give this tape a chance to hold my muffler in place. It worked like a champ even with the hot temperature and vibration it was experiencing. I had to cut it off with a knife when I replaced the muffler strap 2 days later. It was not melted or pitted from road grit at all. I probably used half a roll to be on the safe side, which was 4-5 times around the muffler and frame. There is an art to using this tape correctly. It needs to be pulled and layered onto itself. You can touch it to any other materials and it won’t stick, but once it touches itself you aren’t getting it apart so beware. I am usually prepared to use extra tape than I think because it does get stuck to itself, especially when you are wrapping it in a tight space (like under a car). It’s expensive, but works better than duct tape for a lot of things.

I have used a few different brands of this type of tape over the years. I use it for a wide range of things. From electronics and wiring to waterproofing and sealing and even arts and crafts and I love it. This brand it quite sturdy and thick, stretches out and bonds exceptionally and does not peel back at the end over time like many other brands do. Its plastic backing it also actually stuck to it unlike many other brands I have used where it is just a loose layer that fall off easily when applying long strips or directly off the roll. Just remember, it attracts dust and particulate like a magnet attracts metal filings! And the cleaner it is the better it bonds, so clean your work area if possible and wash your hands before applying it. The one feature this brand has that brings it to the forefront though is the thin blue line going down the middle of it. This makes it a snap to line up and apply evenly, allowing you to get the most use out of every piece. Very handy. And if you do not want or need it you can simply put that side on the inside as the other side is blank. It is available in a bunch of colors, even clear, and the amount you get the price? VERY good deal for a very good product. Kudos to the manufacturer I would recommend this product without hesitation and will be purchasing it for as long as it is being made.

Note, I'm not using this product for any pipes are under any pressure. Please ensure you understand this context when considering this review. I have am using this product on my waste pipes on my RV/Trailer. Being exposed to the outside the adhesive on the pipe couplings started to dry out and leak. With a little alcohol to clean the pipes, I used it to wrap each of the adhesive points to prevent them drying out. Installation was very simple, but you do have to read the directions for optimal use. Because I was using this in a non-pressurized application, it was not necessary for me to stretch the product and wrap so tightly. Still, it was easy to apply. The product does adhere to itself meaning it does not require additional glues or the like. Lastly, it should be noted under demanding usages, it suggested you wrap the affected areas twice in one direction and then the other. Be mindful of this to ensure you have the appropriate amount of product for your repair. Overall, easy to use, works, and reasonably priced. I would recommend.

Works on anything. Used it on my power steering hose that was leaking profusely. I use it on electrical wire. Truly is self-fusing, and it couldn't care less about dirt or oils. Once finished, it's like you just made a whole, tight, and solid rubber coat/tube. The blue line helps wrap tightly. Stretches wonderfully. Great for mechanics and technicians. Really a 'dream' product. Waterproof. Sticky. Designed with functionality in mind! Expensive, yes... but not really for what it is.

I saw a video on YouTube about this tape. At first, I was no, no way. I bought it anyway. Well, I will say this stuff works. I used it on my 100-foot-long garden house. It had a bubble forming, so I wrapped this stuff around it, and it is still holding. Even with all the heat Illinois has been having, this is a garden house sitting out in the yard in the sun. Works great.

Did not work with double tight wrap of 2 hours of labor as per a YouTube video. Leaking like a pasta colander. Refill after refill of steering fluid. A shill? Paid endorsement? Who knows these days.

Self fusing tape is not sticky tape. You have to stretch it a lot so the wraps pull nice and tight and fuse to themselves. I use this type of tape for non-pressure waterproofing, smoothing out hose clamp wire & the like so it doesn't snag, building strain reliefs, and emergency (and temporary) pressure patches. I once patched a radiator line on a vehicle with silicone tape - expecting it to fail in minutes or an hour. Lasted around a month (I left it on to find out). Easily long enough to get by while I ordered the replacement part. But this stuff is not duct tape or gaffer tape. It has different uses than sticky tape.