Brazing VS Soldering copper gas pipes

I have installed a Gas stove and had to run pipe to the kitchen.

I tapped into the existing copper pipe with a copper T. Ran copper to Black pipe which is what comes out of the floor in the Kitchen for the Gas Stove to hookup to.

The copper fittings that I put in were soldered using standard plumbing solder.

There have been no leaks and this has been in place a couple of months now, but I've read somewhere that soldering is only for water and not gas.

What are the problems with soldering for gas pipes? Is this setup dangerous?

Reply to
sawtooth
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I've soldered, brazed and done some light welding - but I've never worked on home gas lines other than working with threaded pipe.

If I were in your situation, I'd begin by phoning my local zoning folks and asking them about code requirements and zoning rules. These folks can be extremely useful when seeking advise. Just recently I talked with them and got good advise before I purchased my framing nailer which uses clipped-head nails. (zoning varies with respect to accepting clipped-head nails).

Obviously, brazing is stronger and not much more difficult.

Reply to
Gideon

Copper *is* permitted in some parts of the country for gas lines.

But soldered (or brazed) joints are not allowed. Only flare-fitting connections should be used and only soft copper tubing. The reasoning is that soldered joints can be difficult to make leak-free (and leaks don't show like they do with water) and the joint may break if the pipe is subjected to bending/vibration, etc.

Jim

Reply to
Speedy Jim

Most areas wont even allow copper or soldered lines for gas. Gas causes copper to flake inside and that plugs up controls. Also, flames and gas arent a real good combination either. Bubba

Reply to
Bubba

Bubba wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Then there are problems with leaky joints;bad news for gas,water is not such a hazard.

Reply to
Jim Yanik

NEVER allowed to be soft soldiered. There is a provision to allow for brazing but you must use a special rod, which I have never been able to find in over 20 years.

ONLY flare nuts with copper are allowed, compression isn't allowed either.

You are sitting on a bomb just waiting to go off. Fossil fuel gas attacks copper and causes flaking which can cause a gas valve to stick open. Also, since it flakes it attacks the copper itself which means that it attacks the copper that was soldiered, which means the joint constanly get weaker by the second until the joint fails. With a flare it is less likely to have such a major leak since it is a mechanical joint, not dependant on a joint like being 'glued' together.

Change it out, use Stainless steel. Better yet, since you dont know the codes I would stick to painting and call a plumber to put it in correctly

Reply to
geoman

We'll watch for you on the news. Set up a camera outside so we can watch the big bang. Eric

Reply to
Eric

Did you live in a place where you have to pull a permit and have an inspection?

If so, and you didn't, keep in mind that your insurance is void if you get a gas leak.

Reply to
TCS

Your local may or may not allow copper pipes; it depends on what additives they put in the gas. Mine allows thick walled copper.

No place allows soldering. Some locals allow only flare, some allow flare or compression. I don't know why; if solder is good enough for high pressure water it ought to work for low pressure gas, but maybe solder just isn't stable with gas.

Check with your town; they don't have code requirements for fun.

Reply to
toller

Never heard of any that permit compression fitting for gas.

Reply to
George

That for real? About 6 years ago, I had a big underground gas tank installed by the local gas company and they used copper throughout. Of course, the lawn guy then promptly ran into the house feed and never told me. Learned about that one went I went out back and smelled gas... That installation was an accident waiting to happen...

Reply to
Astro

Propane and copper...........Yes Natural gas and copper......No

Reply to
Bubba

I've seen copper used for propane. But on NG systems, the furnaces I've worked on have had aluminum tubing from the gas valve to the pilot.

Speaking for myself, I prefer black iron. If you have black iron and copper in the cellar, it is very easy to tell w hich is the water, and which is the NG.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Hi, Is that legal? I am afraid not. Tony

Reply to
Tony Hwang

Bingo! That was an LPG install.

Reply to
Astro

Whats the point? If you got black pipe coming out the floor, all you need is a $10 gas flex pipe made for gas. You probably spent half that amount just on the copper pipe and all the soldering, etc. Now you are living in danger, because you were too cheap to spend $5 more to do it right.

Reply to
private

Many locations here in Georgia use copper for NG, use double flare fittings. Mostly black pipe to a point then depending on device, Flex to furnace/water heater, Copper to fireplaces, outside grills, etc.

I will be moving my outside grill soon, I will check to see what the inside of the copper looks like as I am curious to the issues with flaking I am hearing about copper and NG.

Nayone have any links to sites that can expain all these issues ?

Reply to
MC

I think the reason low temp solder would not be allowed is that the heat from a "minor" fire could open gas pipe joints and you'd immediately have a major fire.

bill

Reply to
bill a

I worked with a tech for a while that had done HVAC work in SE Minnesota. He was telling me that some cities he worked in allowed copper for natural gas. To the point that it was common practice to run hard copper and bazed fittings, burried in the wall! Seemed pretty crazy to me, but he assured me it passed code in that area! Greg

Reply to
Greg O

Ive seen a ton of it. I also like that gate valve they installed on them for a shut off. As soon as you turn it, the stem moves and it starts leaking. I guess they didnt know any better back then. Bubba

Reply to
Bubba

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