I have a new Delta faucet model 3555. The direction said to use silicone around drain. I have always used plumber putty. Can someone tell me why silicone and not putty. Thanks

Could be because of a plastic drain assembly and old school putty(contains oil) could damage the plastic. There's a stainfree putty available, that claims to be oil free and safe for plastic.

Or it's because Packy says so.

Steve thank you for your time. I'm one that likes to follow the instructions but I also like to understand why. This helps me to learn more about this subject. This is the first time I have used a forum. So thanks again.



Edited 2 times.

plastic drain assemblies are difficult to get 'killer' tight. sometimes the sink opening could have a slight odd shape to it. (actually most of the time with less expensive sinks) so the putty that is meant to fill the void must be compressed more than normal to fill the irregularaties. the plastic nut on the bottom will crack if you twist it too hard.
silicone being very soft and gooey will fill any voids and the nut does not need to be 'killer' tight. also wipe a little silicone onto the bottom of the sink opening right where the black rubber washer sets. tighten well and remove any excess silicone before it sets. you don't need to let the silicone set very long to use the drain. 10 minutes is plenty long..
packy has spoken...