Gas pipe tightening question from a newbie

[Bob F]

If you can find a Schrader valve to pipe fitting, a bicycle or car tire pump would do fine.

Bob

[Bob F]

Also, if you do use tape, be careful that you don't overlap the end of the pipe with it. Shreads of tape can plug up jets in burners.

Bob

[lwasserm]

There's almost some religious wars with the tape vs dope thing, really either is fine. Don't get the wrong impression from what some of the other posters have said here; pipe dope or pipe tape serves as a lubricant to allow the pipe threads to be turned together properly. The threaded end of iron pipe is also tapered, that's why it gets so much harder to turn the further it is tightened. It is indeed the threads that seal the pipe joint, but you can't count on a sound, non leaking joint without _both_ using dope or tape, _and_ torquing the pipe threads adequately.

If you do decide to use pipe tape, make sure you get some that is rated for gas. It is usually yellow instead of white, and if your work is being inspected that's what the inspector will likely check for.

[George]

Locating unions only at equipment is also a a requirement of our local gas provider.

[Craven Morehead]

Dope vs tape.

Both work fine IF applied properly. The difference is that dope can just be slathered on until it fills the threads, more or less. As you assemble & tighten, it moves around to fill voids.

Tape must be applied using enough turns to acheive a tight seal and "...how much is that?" you may ask. Two turns...maybe four turns...maybe ?? The answer comes with experience and experience is what you don't have much of, yet. This is why dope is better for you, for now.

Now, for 1" pipe you gonna need some bigger wrenches and some muscle. I'm thinkin 20" ones. They'll also be OK for the smaller pipes. Don't be too concerned about too tight. Pipe can take quite a bit of torque. You've never seen a skinny plumber.

[Robert Allison]

That is incorrect. Teflon tape that is designed for gas lines can be used, but it is not the best choice for the job. Pipe dope is best for a couple of reasons. Teflon tape has a tendency to shred into the pipe and becomes stuck in orifices which can cause failures in gas appliances. Teflon tape does not seal as such, but actually makes tightening the fitting easier due to the lubricating properties of teflon. The actual seal is from the pipe threads tightening against each other.

Pipe dope is your best bet, and a large pipe wrench.

Try this: take a piece of pipe and an old fitting. Using large pipe wrenches, tighten the two together until something breaks. You will find that this is not easy to do, if you can do it at all. It is easier with the smaller sizes of course, but still not too easy. Point is, it is VERY HARD to overtighten a fitting. The major problem is getting the fitting oriented correctly.

Having run miles of threaded pipe in my lifetime, I tighten the hell out of everything and rarely have leaks. You can test with the gas pressure itself. It is better to use an air test, but there are a lot of things to do to perform an air pressure test correctly.

[Bob F]

But then again, it's required for the inspection where I live.

Bob

[Robert Allison]

Yes, if it is being inspected it must be air tested. But in that case, the inspector will also require a licensed installer. This guy is doing this himself.

[Smarty]

I now have a totally finished gas line installation and no signs of leaks anywhere. I purchased (at the recommendation of this newsgroup) a gas leak detector and also did bubble testing and all seems to be working superbly. Using long 20 inch wrenches and the right joint dope seemed to do the job without any issues.

I want to thank you very kind and extremely helpful folks for all of your assistance.

Smarty

[Bob F]

I did it myself, and the inspector didn't have any problems with it. In fact, he was my best source of info on how to do it and how to test it properly.

Bob

[fyou2]

replying to Eric in North TX, fyou2 wrote: The pros dont use unions because it is against code to use unions on gas pipe. 2 you should always undersize the wrench because u can over tighten the pipe and stretch out the fitting. Unless you are working with 3 inch pipe or bigger there is never a need for a 4 inch pipe. If there is a leak you can use a left/right nipple and coupling to use as a breaking point. Also you cant use tape on a gas thread except for the yellow tape because all other stuff is flamable. Also it is only going to be about a pound of pressure in the line so dope or rectorseal or permabond is more than enough

[trader_4]

Better tell that to my gas company. There are unions at the meter.

Who could argue with that logic? Plus, you see many folks there on Home Moaners Hub working with 3"+ gas pipe?

If there is a leak you can use a

I thought the only difference was that yellow tape was thicker than white. And I don't see how flammability is an issue anyway.

[itsjoannotjoann]

Don't you just love these dopes from HomeMoanersHub who jump right into TEN YEAR OLD THREADS and answer just like the original poster is still hanging around waiting on them to show up with a solution?

[dpb]

Not to mention their "advice" is generally as this one just nonsense, anyway...

[ItsJoanNotJoann]

Yep. Makes you wonder if those folks on that ridiculous site can even screw in a light bulb correctly.

[Tekkie®]

trader_4 posted for all of us...

+1

[Tekkie®]

Uncle Monster posted for all of us...

on gas pipe.

nd the sad lonely gerbils? _(?)_/¯

They don't care about you but the gerbils are their members. All they have to do is teach them how to type.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Yes, so the meter can be replaced or at the dryer after the valve. You won't find them on the main runs though, just couplings or larger pipe may be welded.

[Sam E]

[snip]

And the ones here who REPEATEDLY complain about that (although a limited amount of that gerbil stuff is interesting).