Rusty pitted gas line in house....

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HarleySilo

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Water dripped on it for years, should I be concerned?

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Randyj

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I'd put some soapy water on it to see if you need to drop what you're doing and fix it NOW... or give yourself a day or two to get to it.
 

Markts30

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I think there is no question that you have to get that section replaced ASAP.
A water leak is annoying a gas leak is dangerous...
 

HarleySilo

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O.K. will check with soapy water.

That line is branched off the main gas line. It runs to the laudry room intended for a gas cloths dryer. There is a T fitting where the line begins, it runs straight, one solid length of pipe for 10-12 feet, than there is a 90 angle fitting and it goes up through the wall

At this time we don't need the gas line to run to the laundry room. Could I just unscrew the length of pipe and put a plug in the main T? I obviously can't cut the pipe with gas in it. Obviously I would cut the gas line off at the meter.

What would a professional do? Would the evacuate the line with a non-cobustable(sp) gas before commencing work?:confused:
 

wondering21

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This site has been so helpful to us, so I asked my husband about your question because he works for the Gas Co.

He said, "replacing the pipe is a must and yes shut the gas off before. Just a bit of advice when replacing the pipe, install an isolation valve and use coated pipe to help reduce the chances of corrosion."

Hope this can help. We've appreciated the help from this site.
 

wondering21

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Abandoning line

It should be totally fine to abandon the line if you don't want to use it. My husband said, "Shut the gas off at the meter. Make sure there is no source of ignition. Electrical box, smoking, starting up cars, etc. You can bleed the line out from the T outside at the meter, so the gas doesn't bleed into an enclosed area. This may take a couple minutes because you are bleeding the whole house. (This means you will have to have all pilots relit-call the Gas Co. and schedule them to come out and relight unless you know what you're doing). looks like there is no union, so cut that piece about 12 inches from the T if there is room to hacksaw it, (at this point all the gas should be out of the system and shouldn't be blowing when you open up the pipe). Take that piece out and put a plug in the T. Turn the gas back on and soap it to make sure there are no leaks in your plug.
 

hj

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pipe

Turn the meter off and by the time you get back into the house the pressure will be gone. You do not have to wait two minutes, nor purge it with an inert gas. If you ever reinstall the pipe, you can use either black or galvanized, (not the coated pipe), because galvanized will not rust like that, and I hope you repaired the water leak so black pipe shouldn't either.
 

HarleySilo

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Thanks for the suggestions!

Yes I repaired the water leak a couple months ago, the water leak dripping on my work bench is what prompted me to discover the rusty gas line.

My problem is that the line is located behind a stud wall, covered with peg board, with a built in work bench in front of it.

In the master plan for my basement the work bench was going to get rebuilt, so I need to re-think my plan....

here's a pic...

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Jimbo

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If you just wait a little longer, the explosion will take take of getting the pegboard out of the way!
 

HarleySilo

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hahah, the boots, and who knows what lurking behind the pegboard are the reason for my procrastination.

Actually tonight I'm demoing part of the workbench for access.....
 

TMB9862

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harleysilo said:
hahah, the boots, and who knows what lurking behind the pegboard are the reason for my procrastination.

Actually tonight I'm demoing part of the workbench for access.....
I recognized the bench from jeepforum.com. Anything new and interesting back there?
 

HarleySilo

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Nothing new or interesting, I think that was the last "great find". I have the spur hanging on the work bench now.

I fixed the rusty pitted gas line yesterday. Eliminated the stub up to our current laundry room, and continued the run out into the garage to relocate one of those "hang on the wall" gas heaters that a previous homeowner had put in a weird location in our garage. That heater was also feed gas by about a 40' run of flex copper 3/8".....

You can see in this pic where it t'd into the main 1 inch,
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and you can see how I continued the run out into the garage...
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No I'm not superman, but I did bend that over my thigh....
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Wall thickness!!!! one spot was thin for sure....

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