Water Heater Gas Line -- Support Flange Into Side of Water Heater

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MI_DIY

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Hello Experts & Fellow DIY'ers,

I recently installed a 50 gal natural gas water heater in my house and everything is up and running. However my concern is that I am not up to code (Michigan), so I want to make the fix prior to any (future) re-sale, and most importantly prevent any potential issues. I have used the proper pipe sealant and checked for leaks.

New Set-up:
My water heater is in a basement utility room. I have 1/2" black pipe that extends straight down about 6ft from the ceiling (with a shut off and drip leg), then a yellow flex gas connector the last 4 inches or so into the unit. My shutoff valve is about halfway (3ft) from the ceiling. (Image Below)

My concern is that the black pipe is no longer tied directly into the water heater because I installed a flex line into the new unit. This allows for a fair amount of movement in the black pipe if it is bumped which is concerning.

Possible Solutions:
1. It was suggested to me to install a metal ceiling flange into the side of the water heater towards the bottom of the black pipe to prevent shifting. I was told there is about 3/4" to 1" of insulation between the metal exterior and the actual water tank. Is this to code and an acceptable practice?

2. Could I run a longer flex line from the shut off valve (w/ drip leg), and therefore only have about 3' of suspended pipe?

I realize a professional would just run black-pipe all the way into the unit but I was curious if there was an easier way that still allowed for a flex connector into the unit. I do like the idea of having a flex connector at the end, just in case something shifts (albeit unlikely) but as mentioned my first concern is safety and meeting code.

Thank you,


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Terry

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On the West coast we do a lot of flex connections, and earthquake strapping. All of the states are different though.
You can screw into the skin of the water heater, there is insulation behind that.
 

MI_DIY

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Thank you for the quick response, that is encouraging to know. I really enjoy this forum, lots of great information and insight on a variety of topics.

In Michigan we don't require straps or flex pipe, I just figured the flex pipe was cheap insurance and I thought it would make my install more straight forward.

To re-phrase my question:
Is it acceptable practice to have 6' of vertical 1/2" pipe unsupported? And if I do need a support, is a ceiling flange (standoff) fastened to the skin of the water heater acceptable?

I can only seem to find the horizontal support requirements, which I believe are 6', and I'm currently at that limit. The only support for the vertical pipe at the moment is from the Tee fitting that connects to the horizontal supply pipe at top.
 

MACPLUMB

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Or better yet Pull a Plumbing Permit and have it Inspected like us Plumbers do and as REQUIRED by Code
 

Master Plumber Mark

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Just go buy some plumbers holy strapping, you only need about 8 inches of it...

simply loop the strapping around the gas pipe and use some self tapping metal screws
and strap and secure the gas pipe to the side of the water heater....

I do this all the time just to keep the gas line from moving and I also strap the flex connector
to the side of the heater if I feel that their is too much play

the actual tank is about 3 inches in from the outer metal casing so unless you are a moron and
use 3 1/2 inch long metal screws you are not going to damage the heater.....lol
 
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