running your own gas pipe...

[Jake]

Anyone here done gas plumbing? Is it something that is safe to DIY?

I am looking to pipe in an LP range for a buddy, and from what I can tell, it looks pretty simple.

Pipe dope, instead of teflon tape. Pipe straps every 8' (for 3/4" pipe) Outside termination can't be any closer than 6" from the ground. To thread, I read somewhere you go as tight as you can by hand, then wrench it 1 full turn, much tighter can distort the pipe, since they are tapered threads.

spray the joints with soapy water after charging the line with 15psi of air and check for bubbles..., and a WOG rated valve(means water oil and gas?)

It looks pretty simple, but I don;t want to blow myself up either. I can't justifying paying some guy $100 an hour to do something that has 3 elbows.


Am I nuts? (for thinking about doign it myself, not for all the other reasons that are obvious in my character.) Am I missing anything important?

[boilerman]

Originally Posted by Jake

Anyone here done gas plumbing? Is it something that is safe to DIY?

I am looking to pipe in an LP range for a buddy, and from what I can tell, it looks pretty simple.

Pipe dope, instead of teflon tape. Pipe straps every 8' (for 3/4" pipe) Outside termination can't be any closer than 6" from the ground. To thread, I read somewhere you go as tight as you can by hand, then wrench it 1 full turn, much tighter can distort the pipe, since they are tapered threads.

spray the joints with soapy water after charging the line with 15psi of air and check for bubbles..., and a WOG rated valve(means water oil and gas?)

It looks pretty simple, but I don;t want to blow myself up either. I can't justifying paying some guy $100 an hour to do something that has 3 elbows.


Am I nuts? (for thinking about doign it myself, not for all the other reasons that are obvious in my character.) Am I missing anything important?

unless your a moron i think you'll be ok...don't forget your dirt legs

[sbi1]

Are you plumbing it into an existing gas system, or a small tank just for the range? It sounds like you've got the piping pretty well figured out, the only thing that I would do different is that when you pressurize the line, leave a pressure guage on it. Let it sit for 15 min., if there is no drop in pressure, no leaks. One caution on pressure testing-leave the cutoff at the range closed. Most appliances are not rated for more than 2 psi, so a 15 psi pressure test can damage them. I don't know what the permit or inspection requirements are in your part of the country, so you may want to check on that locally. Around here, a lot of gas piping is done without permits even when they are required.

[bgott]

There is a gas rated teflon tape available, it's the yellow stuff. Don't use galvanized, use black iron pipe. I run a pipe support every 4', I believe I read in my plumbing book ( out on loan, so I can't verify) that 4' is code in a lot of places.

[standles]

At least in my neck of the woods...

You can do it yourself as it is no big deal as long as you PSI check with compressed air.

HOWEVER....

The local NG gas company will not hook up service (and it is a fineable offense if you hook it up yourself) unless a certified plumber did the work or you have one sign off on it. The signing off on I tried but most would not as it transfers liability to them if they certify it and it turns up bad.



You mileage may vary of course.



Now if it is propane then you probably could since the NG company is not involved.


Steven

[Jake]

Thanks, I feel better about attemptins this, and since I am only mildly retarded... I suspect it will go well. It is propane, so I am the only one who's inspection it has to pass.

[Dr_Stan]

All good advice, especially about the black iron V galvanized. Galvanized should never be used on a gas, pneumatic, or hydraulic system. The zinc flakes off and gets into the components such as the regulators. Not a good thing. Also do not use copper, it becomes brittle over time.

One can also use flex stainless that is designed specifically for gas.

[stseely]

The dirt leg is really called a drip leg, maybe they are different in other parts of the country. A residential gas line only has about a half a pound of pressure. When I used to do plumbing you have a 30 pond gauge on the line and it had to hold for 15 minutes. They make you use a 30 pound gauge because the graduations are smaller and it is easier to see a pressure drop than say using a 100 pound gauge.

The stainless flex is really great to work with, it can save so much time, but it is alot more expensive.

[bgott]

Stainless flex is the only way to go for connections to the appliance. I don't think you can even buy the brass flex anymore. I have had to replace 6 or 8 brass flew lines over the last few years due to corrosion eating holes and causing gas leaks. I just automatically swap the brass out when I find it anymore.

[moe1942]

Gas pressure here is 4 1/2 to 5 oz or 5-7 inches of water. No more than about .25 psi. And you have to use galvanized pipe.