Hi .. i have recently purchased an old house and noticed that when i open the gas valve, a lot of rust comes out of the pipe .. non of the gas appliances have been installed yet (they are on order) .. I opened the valve for the stove more than 20 times throughout the day (about 10 sec each time) .. and the rust doesn’t seem to get any less .. Does this have anything to do with the fact that the has been vacant for more than 2 years and no one has used it? is it normal? should i keep running it until the dust stops or is it time for new pipes? .. i have never heard anyone changing gas pipes inside the house .. any suggestions?
Gas pipe question!
- Thread starter Switchex
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Jimbo
Plumber
Well, I don't know why you keep opening the valve! But the dust is a bad sign. This could be a problem for orifices and gas control valves. At a minimum, it seems like you should install drip legs at each appliance if they are not already there.
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Lakee911
I&C Engineer (mostly WWTP)
How does rust come out? Is it wet or dry?
Drip legs should be installed before the take off of each appliance, and most appliances have a filter of some sort which is good to not clog small orfices, but the filter may have to be cleaned periodically.
Jason
Drip legs should be installed before the take off of each appliance, and most appliances have a filter of some sort which is good to not clog small orfices, but the filter may have to be cleaned periodically.
Jason
The dust (more like rust .. it is dark brown in color) comes out dry .. where is this copming form? i kept opening the value hoping it was just some rust build up inside the pipe .. but doesn't see like it wants to go away ... i am sure if i just connect ot to my brand new gas stove, it would get blocked in a coupe of hours .. sounds like i need a pro to look at this one! what is a drip leg?
Sorry, can u tell me what a drip leg is? Also, do u know if all appliances have a filter? In this case i will be installing a brand new gas oven and a water heater .. Would they have a filter and would they stop the rust particles ?.. Could i be damaging my appliances? Is there a need to replace the pipes?.... thanks again/
Gary Swart
In the Trades
A drip leg is a pipe nipple perhaps 6" long in a tee. The nipple (drip leg) is pointed down and is capped. The appliance is connected to the side of the tee which is pointed up. The drip leg will catch any moisture or debris that passes through the line before it reaches the appliance. Asking this question would indicate you have no knowledge of gas fitting. Suggest you at least get a good reference book or professional inspection before you just assume everything is OK. Mistakes with gas can be fatal.
hj
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rust
Well, in the first place when you open the valve you are getting the maximum flow and velocity. Your gas stove, or whatever, will never let the gas flow that rapidly. If it does your gas pipes are too small and you would have to relight all the pilots everytime you used the stove because there would not be enough gas to run everything.
Well, in the first place when you open the valve you are getting the maximum flow and velocity. Your gas stove, or whatever, will never let the gas flow that rapidly. If it does your gas pipes are too small and you would have to relight all the pilots everytime you used the stove because there would not be enough gas to run everything.
Thanks all for replies .. yes, i will have a professional look at the pipes and connections .. gas is the one thing i don't want to mess around with .. i just want to get as much info as possible so when i call around i know what they are talking about it .. thanks all.
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