Gas pipe tie in

[Peter B.]

Our home has all of the gas pipe run in black pipe with threaded connection. We are in need of bringing in a gas drop to an unused up stairs closet that we want to turn into a second laundry room.

There is a gas line that runs in the wall in the very closet where the new laundry room is to be located. What is the best way to tap into the existing gas line?

I can get a pipe cutter on it to cut the pipe and thread it, but I can't think of any fitting that I could use to make up the new connection except a union and as I recall, unions are not allowed to be concealed inside walls.

Any suggestions?

TIA - Pete

[I-zheet M'drurz]

Don't conceal it! Take out a nice chunk of drywall around the location, paint the inside of the cavity and trim it out with molding (something like a chair rail) if you want to get really anal about it, but (assuming this isn't a gigantic closet) it's likely to be partially or totally buried behind the dryer, no?

[RB]

Don't conceal the union. Place an access panel in the wall at the location of the union. Make sure you use a ground union appropriate for gas.

RB

Peter B. wrote:

[HeatMan]

I almost hate to ask this question, but why are you suggesting a "ground union?"

[pray4surf]

We had to re-route a gasline to accommodate a skylight shaft. The problem with simply cutting into the existing pipe is reconnecting the two back together. A special union was used that had reversed threads at one end so that tightening one end would not loosen the other...

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Our method left the union exposed in the attic, this may still be a code violation???

Rick

-- Computer recommends - Hard drinking calypso poet

[RB]

I'd never use any other type of union for gas in pipe. You can buy them from every plumbing fitting manufacturer that I know of. The two mating surfaces of the union are ground to one another to ensure a gas tight fit. The two halves should be kept as a pair and not interchanged with those from other ground unions. This is the easiest way to join two pipes in the situation described. Some jurisdictions will permit it, others will require the use of male and female threaded nipples and couplings. The use of male and female thread nipples is a more difficult solution if not required.

I don't have a copy of the UPC handy but I believe that the use of ground unions is addressed in it in section 1210 or near there. They only permit it in specific locations though.

RB

HeatMan wrote:

[HeatMan]

We call them unions, not ground unions

The only union worth anything....

[Micro*]

The plumber that cut into the gas line to add a drop for my gas range used a "lefty-righty" coupling to hook it back together. Probably not a DIY job.

-- "Shut up and keep diggen" Jerry

[cornytheclown]

A union in the attic area is not a code violation and in some jurisdictions you can put a union in an enclosed wall if you center punch the union to prevent it from vibrating loose and some jurisdictions may not even require that. I would recommend not putting any connections inside a wall....or if you must do so find a way to use as few fittings as possible. Normally the main piping will be in an attic or crawlspace, if coming from the attic inside a wall you will normally just have an elbow to turn out to the appliance, when coming from beneath the floor I always stubbed up in the room and not in the wall as the appliance will conceal the piping.

[RB]

The problem with that is that there are also unions that are not ground. When I'm specifying a design I try to be specific. My E&O insurance carrier prefers it that way. So do I, as fewer mistakes are made by the trades that may not recognize the difference, even though there is one.

RB

HeatMan wrote:

[HeatMan]

Gimme a break. You really don't have a clue, do you?

What do you do for a living? Pretend you know answers to things you have no clue about?

[CBhvac]

He is probably Chris Youngs old boss man...LOL!!!

[HeatMan]

Yeah, and you notice he never answered?