Re-routing gas pipes

[59 wagon man]

when i lived in NY everything was black pipe indoors. outdoors it was galv or black pipe painted. In Fl it is the opposite . mostly galv is used for new installs
a pretty commen saying i've heard down here is "who gives a **** how they did it in NY this is florida" translated means it only matters what is accepted in your city . check your local codes before you listen to anyone who is hundreds of miles from you

 

[Frank The Plumber]

Be sure you read that code and understand it. If you are using a material that is not generally used in another's area you may want to be certain that you are fully understanding of the techniques and practices in that area.
If you are using galvanized piping on gas in Florida you may be using different methods to keep debris from your devices, you may have different devices entirely.

The really unfortunate thing about our society in particular is that our voter base sets the bar as far as code quality. If you get enough people in your area that think they do not want to spend money on quality materials and practices, your code degenerates.
On the other hand, just because there is a minimum code does not mean that you personally have to install only to the minimum. You can exceed the codes quality standard. I would always recommend that you fully understand the code in your area and consult with the code enforcement people but there is generally nothing wrong with doing a job better than minimum standard.

 

[Zeke]

Natural gas is different in different parts of the country. Here, we can't use any copper flex or soft lines. Too much sulfur.

 

[ibedayank]

Rick...whats been said is why i said go with a pro..
And i wouldn't trust the smucks at lowes to tread a gas pipe when they can't read a tapemeasure right

 

[nissan_crawler]

Rick...whats been said is why i said go with a pro..
And i wouldn't trust the smucks at lowes to tread a gas pipe when they can't read a tapemeasure right

I don't have any issued doing mine myself and checking for leaks (I did consult a licensed pro first, though), but I do agree with the lowes thing.

They have some of the shittiest pipe and fittings I have ever seen in my life. Threads that are cut off center, so one wall of the pipe is thin, porous fittings that look like a mig weld with no gas, etc. half of them you can't get more than one thread together before they tighten...

I fought leak after leak after leak on some Lowe black pipe for an air line. After spending a week messing with it, I finally junked it all, went to a plumbing supply, spent 4 hours putting it together, and had zero leaks the first try. Guess what pipe I used when I did my gas line?

 

[sberry]

Everyone assumes that a "pro" does it right too. I can show a job where a lic bonded insured plumber apparently didn't know squat or even rudimentary code about running a waste and vent line. If it isn't leaking this job is no more dangerous than any other. Leaving it because its already there doesn't make it safe either, obviously the last guy wasn't a star. Remember, half the guys in a trade are only average and 1/4 of them are on the bottom of the barrel, they barely squeak by.
I see guys in the trades for decades that can't seem to pass inspection on the first try. Most inspectors know them and then there are the best. I was on job a while back, called for an inspection on a footer, the guy asks,,, who is doing it? I said Steve K, he says, go ahead, I will be there next week to sign off.

 

[darkk]

Use a wonderful product called *TRACK PIPE* It's a vinyl coated stainless steel and is easily formed to make corners etc. You can buy it in varying lengths. Nice stuff to work with...

 

[motoidiot]

Wow.
I'm away from my computer over the weekend and come back to find that you've all been busy!

First, thank you all for taking the time to reply. Good, bad, and ugly.
Second, the more I read about this (here and elsewhere) and the more I look at the goofy collection of pipe in my garage, the more inclined I am to let a pro handle this one. I do have confidence that I could do the job, I am a meticulous sort, but of all the things I hope to do myself in my garage, and my new home this is one that I can let go.

Thank you also for the suggestions on space utilization. I have a lot of ideas for the garage space and eventually will be able to share them here with diagrams and photos. Right now my biggest problem is sorting out the order that makes best sense.

There's more I'd like to say, but it's been a long week and I'm ready to sign off from the computer.

Thanks again for all of the input. Really.

Happy Mothers day all.

 

[mrobins297aaa]

Nothing in the code here that says you can't use galvanized pipe, the gas company here uses galvanized on every single new gas meter that I see installed. I think there was a problem with the coating flaking in the distant past but not anymore.

Some local codes may still not allow it.

In my area a permit will run 125$ and the customer will have to sit home all day waiting for the inspector, I don't know many contractors that are going to pull a permit to reroute a gas line a few feet.

I think the other reason that you couldn't use galv pipe on gas years ago was all the water pipe was galv and so they were worried about some one cutting into a gas line when they thought they were cutting a water pipe since it would have all looked the same. Nobody would make that mistake would they.......lol I remember hearing that same thing about flaking off also.

 

[HoosierBuddy]

I think the other reason that you couldn't use galv pipe on gas years ago was all the water pipe was galv and so they were worried about some one cutting into a gas line when they thought they were cutting a water pipe since it would have all looked the same. Nobody would make that mistake would they.......lol I remember hearing that same thing about flaking off also.

No,

Frank is right. The reason is the consideration of the zinc coating breaking down or flaking and ending up getting sucked into a gas valve or pilot orifice, causing an appliance issue.

My understanding on black steel pipe is the "coating" is actually just the oxydation left over from the steel forming procedure. When the red hot steel hits the air, that black film forms.

Regarding the issue of mistaking the lines...I do know of a spot nearby where the local water company tapped the sewer main for a new water customer's service line. **** happens....sometimes quite literally.

Phil

 

[Roddy73]

Go to a pawn shop and buy some used hand threading tools and do it the old fashioned way!

Chicks like muscles and it'll give you a manlier hankshake!

 

[Grinder Bill]

The pictures are a bit far away, but lets see...

No hangers on the incoming gas line
No hangers on the 'new' fireplace gas line
Is the fireplace gas line straped to the heater/AC discharge duct?
No hangers/straps on the gas line to the dryer
Dryer gas line kinda wonky
The feed to the heater goes tee/******/coupler/******/valve/flex...
Sched 80 tee and elbow to dryer...?
No debris leg&cap at bottom of vertical run to water heater

To me these are warning signs that whomever did the install didn't know what they were doing... WTF else did they screw up?

Lets see...

Unsecured and improper electrical supply to furnace
Unsecured ground at gas line
Fireplace gasline wall penetration unsealed(?)

How's the roof penetration for the water heater flue? Proper installation...?
How is the gas dryer vented??
Now I'm worried about the fireplace...

I'd hire a pro.

 

[motoidiot]

The pictures are a bit far away, but lets see...

No hangers on the incoming gas line
No hangers on the 'new' fireplace gas line
Is the fireplace gas line straped to the heater/AC discharge duct?
No hangers/straps on the gas line to the dryer
Dryer gas line kinda wonky
The feed to the heater goes tee/******/coupler/******/valve/flex...
Sched 80 tee and elbow to dryer...?
No debris leg&cap at bottom of vertical run to water heater

To me these are warning signs that whomever did the install didn't know what they were doing... WTF else did they screw up?

Lets see...

Unsecured and improper electrical supply to furnace
Unsecured ground at gas line
Fireplace gasline wall penetration unsealed(?)

How's the roof penetration for the water heater flue? Proper installation...?
How is the gas dryer vented??
Now I'm worried about the fireplace...

I'd hire a pro.

Thanks Grinder Bill,

You've outlined a lot of the reasons I'm going to hire this one out. The more I look at the whole assembly the less pleased I am and I'd rather have it fixed right the first time. Hopefully a pro will notice things I might miss that ought to be rectified.

Best,

Mike

 

[motoidiot]

Go to a pawn shop and buy some used hand threading tools and do it the old fashioned way!

Chicks like muscles and it'll give you a manlier hankshake!

Actually, in talking to my Dad this weekend it turns out that he still has all of my Grand Fathers old pipe threading equipment. Perhaps when I do my air lines I'll get a chance to try it out.
BTW... great looking bob in your avatar photo!

 

[slickgt1]

Ok my $0.02.

If you are competent DIYer, you can do this. You can rent the pipe cutting/threading tools as well. Use pro-dope. I forget which one my plumber recommends. I have a plumber friend who really hooks me up. So I used him for my garage. But I had a lot more pipes to move, redo, fix, cut and add to make my garage look better and bring it to code. I had unions and valves (wrong valves too at some odd/illegal locations).

Now as far as pressure testing the gas, what pressure do you guys have? Here in NYC, I can literally plug a pipe with my finger and hold it without anything leaking out.

NOW do not try this at home. But this guy turns on the gas after doing everything, lights the furnace, the stove, and lets it burn low while he checks for leaks. I almost **** myself when he pulled out a torch lighter and checked every fitting with a flame. This was after the soap water test (that I wanted to do), but he found one leak that way that the soap test failed. The crazy thing is that all the connections he did, were not leaking, the union at the meter was though. It lit like a little lighter would. He blew it out, took the union apart, and fixed it.

A pro has confidence that I do not, to do all he did, in 1 day. He really did a lot. 3 apartments gas ran through the garage. I reused a lot of the pipe, and still trashed about 60' -70' as it was galvanized, which is **** according to him. It was a lot. I can't imagine trying to do all that myself.