Properly tighten black steel gas piping

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Drew Toddsby

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Not to rain on your parade, but one week ago today a house in my home town of Omaha blew up due to a gas leak. 30-year-old housing inspector lost her life.

As an avid DYI'er, I have to say that if I were you, I would listen hard to the good folks here who are suggesting hiring a pro.
It's unfortunate how much mis-information is spread online. Sadly people die everyday. If gas scares you, you might want to choose a life far from electricity as well. You are 3x more likely to die in an electrical fire. Might want to stop driving while your at it as well as that makes you 10x more likely to die in a collision. Those are the facts of life. Live in fear of those realities or embrace that life is dangerous and seize the day for tomorrow we die.
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Dj2

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Drew, you are getting off the subject. And it looks like you use the internet for "information" too much.
By now you have all the correct information how to do your gas line addition, time to move on.
 

Reach4

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Not to rain on your parade, but one week ago today a house in my home town of Omaha blew up due to a gas leak. 30-year-old housing inspector lost her life.
That was people removing a gas dryer without properly shutting off the valve that fed the flex connector.
 

Drew Toddsby

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Getting back on topic, big thanks to all the non PSAers who contributed knowledge and experience to help me finish my project!! New dryer is working great on the new gas connection!! I was able to remove a coupling (seen in the red circle) from the attic portion of the leg and replace with a ground joint union while keeping to code. I attached and tightened starting at the bottom of the pipe at the 90 bend in the garage and working my way up to the tee then to the union. This allowed me to fully tighten each piece all the way up to the union nut. Checked with gas leak detection fluid and everything is tight and leak free! I did have to open the outlet to the water heater in the garage to purge the line of air before reconnection to the water heater and re-lighting the pilot. My next gas project will involve extending the line for a gas stove, and I now feel more prepared for that endeavor! I'm about to get really good at patching drywall! ;)

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I also got to cut sheet metal for the straight vent for the first time. Lots of great learning moments in this process.
 

Bluebinky

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As an avid DIYer, I'd like to point out a few things.

First, while DIY can save a boatload of money, it is a very long-term investment. It is not uncommon for a project to go completely wrong resulting in the need to tear everything out and start over. This can result in a project costing much more than hiring a pro to begin with, not to mention a major loss of time. The trick is to know when to just hire someone. Leave the pride behind and pay them what they deserve.
Second, without experience, you don't know what you don't know. Formal training (or being an apprentice) is a huge shortcut. Start with things that are not terribly dangerous, like planting shrubs and irrigation, and gradually work up to things like electrical and gas over the (many) years. By the time you get to gas piping (if ever) you really should not have many questions.
Third, using statistics to justify things is almost always absurd. I'm sure the aviation forum guys will gladly help with building and airplane out of riveted together pop cans and a tired old VW air cooled motor. After all, "flying is the safest form of transportation"...
 

Drew Toddsby

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Check you local code. I would suggest a drip leg at the dryer valve (others may not?).

Not a pro BTW...
Per gas code a sediment trap is not required on a gas dryer. California may have an additional requirement for it though ( not here in Texas)
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Bluebinky

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I am hardly a troll. Other than pointing out that a drip leg (not to be confused with a sediment trap) might be a good idea and/or a code requirement, I have made no criticism of your work. To me, it looks like you did OK. Like many others, I personally would have avoided the union by tearing everything out and starting over.

I happen to also live in Texas part time. Pretty much the same code as CA. The code is a minimum, not a gold standard.

Boldly going where no one has gone before is very commendable. Boldly going where you have never gone before is also commendable. But using statistics to justify working on gas piping when you are still learning about the basics like unions, is like really, really, silly...
 

DonL

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Hire who you want, spend your money how you want. This post isn't helpful to the discussion.

Well OK. I do my own work too. That does not mean I know it all.

I have my work inspected by someone to make sure my work is done properly, If it is required.

You can quote rules all day long. That means you can use Google, But does Not mean that you know what you are doing.

Feel free to report me to Terry for posting info that is not helpful to your discussion.

Nobody on this forum wants anyone to get hurt.

Did you do a gas leak test on your system ?
 
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Flapper

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First, while DIY can save a boatload of money, it is a very long-term investment. It is not uncommon for a project to go completely wrong resulting in the need to tear everything out and start over. This can result in a project costing much more than hiring a pro to begin with, not to mention a major loss of time. The trick is to know when to just hire someone. Leave the pride behind and pay them what they deserve.

But when you do it yourself, you earn something very valuable: experience. The first few times may not go very well but you soon become good at it. So what if you spend more money than hiring a pro; you earn experience and in the future you can do a good job without a pro. If you hire a pro, you earn little or no experience so next time, you hire a pro again? You gotta start somewhere.
 

Flapper

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Well OK. I do my own work too. That does not mean I know it all.

I have my work inspected by someone to make sure my work is done properly, If it is required.

You can quote rules all day long. That means you can use Google, But does Not mean that you know what you are doing.
That's where forums like these come in; when you have a project that you are not 100% sure how to do, it is a good idea to do it with the forum who will provide guidance. Like he did. If he didn't ask for help, who knows what he'd do?
And now that he has some experience, he can do better on the next gas project.

He tested all his joints for leaks; everything's good; I think he did a good job.
 

SteveW

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As an avid DIYer, I'd like to point out a few things.

First, while DIY can save a boatload of money, it is a very long-term investment. It is not uncommon for a project to go completely wrong resulting in the need to tear everything out and start over. This can result in a project costing much more than hiring a pro to begin with, not to mention a major loss of time. The trick is to know when to just hire someone. Leave the pride behind and pay them what they deserve.
Second, without experience, you don't know what you don't know. Formal training (or being an apprentice) is a huge shortcut. Start with things that are not terribly dangerous, like planting shrubs and irrigation, and gradually work up to things like electrical and gas over the (many) years. By the time you get to gas piping (if ever) you really should not have many questions.
Third, using statistics to justify things is almost always absurd. I'm sure the aviation forum guys will gladly help with building and airplane out of riveted together pop cans and a tired old VW air cooled motor. After all, "flying is the safest form of transportation"...

Amen.
 

DonL

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DonL is our resident rocket scientist. He worked on those things that go into outerspace. The Space Shuttle.

Let me tell you, I have seen how things can blow up. Even if you think you know what you are doing. :eek:

I do not want someone to get hurt with my help.

In the day I played with gas, But I do not light farts anymore.

Thanks for the great site Terry. ;)
 

SteveW

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Let me tell you, I have seen how things can blow up. Even if you think you know what you are doing. :eek:

I do not want someone to get hurt with my help.

In the day I played with gas, But I do not light farts anymore.

Thanks for the great site Terry. ;)

Don,
We can always count on you for comments from a voice of reason, said with a lighthearted touch! You bring some much needed civility and humor to this site and I am grateful for your contributions.
 

Dj2

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Drew

This question was asked before, but unless I overlooked, I didn't see an answer:

Did you performed a 24 hour gas leak test?
 

Flapper

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It would also be a good idea to check for leaks again a while later like a few weeks later. And maybe check regularly like once or twice a year.
 
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