gas valve turn off

[justQandA]

I want to turn off the gas valve in the picture
do i turn off from the top like a faucet?
all other valves in the house a very
clear where you can turn and they are easy to turn
seem like it stuck but I
dare not to apply too much pressure
thanks for any help in advance.

 

[Gary Swart]

It will turn either direction and it only takes 1/4 turn. When the turn bar is 90 degrees to the pipe, the valve is off. These valves are usually stiff because they are not frequently turned. Just put some grunt into it. They make special wrenches for them which are nothing more that a flat bar with a slot in the end to fit the valve, but a large adjustable (Crescent type) will do. It you are still unable to turn it off, call the gas company.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Hackney plumbing]

WOW maybe consider replacing that valve with one that you dont need a tool to shut off. But if you want to turn that one off you can loosen the nut on the bottom about two full turns and tap from the bottom up and this will loosen the valve so you can turn it easier. Really since it hasnt been serviced in a long time it really should be taken apart and lubed with gas valve grease. Thats why i suggested to just replace it along with that flex gas connector its not worth all that trouble to repair the one you have. Remember that gas work is not somthing you teach yourself and one mistake could be deadly for you and others. Whatever you do just becareful

 

[Ian Gills]

I would not touch that unless I was sure the gas supply could be isolated earlier down the line "just in case".

If your gas meter is old, the valve on that might be even worse than the one you are looking at here and even rusted shut.

And remember, while you are allowed to turn your gas off at the meter, the gas company must be called to turn it on again.

I'm even allowed to turn off Gary's gas at his meter, if I feel the need to.

 

[Hackney plumbing]

I would not touch that unless I was sure the gas supply could be isolated earlier down the line "just in case".

If your gas meter is old, the valve on that might be even worse than the one you are looking at here and even rusted shut.

And remember, while you are allowed to turn your gas off at the meter, the gas company must be called to turn it on again.

I'm even allowed to turn off Gary's gas at his meter, if I feel the need to.

I'm not required to call the gas co if I turn a meter off and back on,thats intresting that you do I agree that he should turn the source to do any service and test the entire system for leaks upon turning it back on.

 

[Ian Gills]

Wow........

 

[hj]

meter

Thee are some meters, I encountered one when I lived in Michigan, that "lock out" when turned off and only the gas company has the procedure to restore flow. That valve is "obsolete" and should be replaced. VERY FEW of them do NOT leak once the grease disappears.

 

[Hackney plumbing]

Thee are some meters, I encountered one when I lived in Michigan, that "lock out" when turned off and only the gas company has the procedure to restore flow. That valve is "obsolete" and should be replaced. VERY FEW of them do NOT leak once the grease disappears.

Holy Cow! I'm glad we dont hafta go through that but here on newer homes theres a master shut off valve on the customers side of the meter so we usually dont need to turn the providers valve off anyway. I use a gas detector and leak detection fluid on everything I touch. Pressure testing is also a great idea.

 

[Ian Gills]

theres a master shut off valve on the customers side of the meter

Just like in Hackney, London where the gas is done right and the power sensibly burried underground.

 

[Rich B]

Thee are some meters, I encountered one when I lived in Michigan, that "lock out" when turned off and only the gas company has the procedure to restore flow. That valve is "obsolete" and should be replaced. VERY FEW of them do NOT leak once the grease disappears.

HJ is correct. Once you turn those valves on and off they may leak. They are not code compliant. They use grease as a packing and that is all that seals them from leaking.

I have a number of them in my house and need to get rid of them this spring after the heating season is done.....

If you do turn it off and then back on check it for a leak with bubble solution....

 

[Doherty Plumbing]

They are not code compliant.

Plug valves aren't up to code down there? That's interesting!

Up here they are the first type of valve listed under "Manual shut-off valves".

6.18.1 BC Gas Code

A manual shut off valve shall be of the plug, ball, or eccentric type ...

It's interesting to see the differences in code!

 

[Rich B]

I had a gas hot water heater problem and had a plumber in to fix it. He replaced the control valve and informed me that the gas shutoff was not up to code here. He installed a ball valve and that is where I got the info on code for gas valves here.....

P.S. I could have replaced the heater for what he charged.....didn't want to mess with it at the time but won't let that happen again......

Replace gas control valve, install ball valve shutoff, and drain it down to remove sediment...........$589 including tax if I remember right........

I installed a Bradford White 30 gallon in another location and I believe it cost me about $350 to $400 from a supply house.......Maybe an hour and a half to replace it and load the old one in my pickup......

Everyone deserves to make a living but that bill seemed pretty high to me at the time. I paid and did not complain......

 

[Doherty Plumbing]

I had a gas hot water heater problem and had a plumber in to fix it. He replaced the control valve and informed me that the gas shutoff was not up to code here. He installed a ball valve and that is where I got the info on code for gas valves here.....

P.S. I could have replaced the heater for what he charged.....didn't want to mess with it at the time but won't let that happen again......

Replace gas control valve, install ball valve shutoff, and drain it down to remove sediment...........$589 including tax if I remember right........

I installed a Bradford White 30 gallon in another location and I believe it cost me about $350 to $400 from a supply house.......Maybe an hour and a half to replace it and load the old one in my pickup......

Everyone deserves to make a living but that bill seemed pretty high to me at the time. I paid and did not complain......

You're not only paying for what the plumber does per say but you're also paying for his skill and knowledge to the job right and professionally. Not everyone needs a plumber though because quite a few people are handy. Just like not everyone takes their car to the mechanic to change out a head lamp. But lots of people do too.

Owning and operating a plumbing business is quite expensive. Why would I buy all the equipment needed and acquire all the skills I have so I can go to someone's house and work for $20/hr?

Granted I wouldn't charge $589 to do the job you described but my operating costs may not be as high either. Going rate around here $75/hr for a ticketed plumbers time though. Seems higher from what I've read down in the states. Flat rates seem to be popular where as in these parts most companies charge by the hour.

 

[hj]

cost

Your experience is one reason why I seldom replace a gas thermostat valve unless it is a fairly new heater (which seldom happens), or a large one. For all other cases a new heater is the economical way to go. Many people replace their control valve and then have to replace the heater shortly afterwards when it starts to leak. No relationship between the two events except that the heater is old enough for both things to happen.