Running gas line to HW heater

I posted a few days ago on relocating my HW heater to make more living space in my basement. I purchased a Kenmore (AO Smith) HW heater on Friday and today I started piping the gas. It was a lot easier for me to come off the Tee for my furnace than to use the existing gas line, which will eventually be capped off and enclosed in the wall. You can't see it in these pics, but the old gas drop is actually more to the right of the old HW heater. Plus this also let me keep the old HW heater runnning while I work on the new one. Here are some pics:

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Is there anything wrong doing it like this?

Reply to
Mikepier
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? "Mikepier" wrote

I'm not sure about capping a gas pipe in a wall. I'd be afraid to do that and get a gas buildup in there.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

The other problem is that you should have a licensed plumber check your work for code compliance or you will have a problem when it comes time to sell the house. I'd be concerned that you have a large enough supply to run both the furnace and HW heater at the same time.

Reply to
Robert Neville

I looks like mine is hooked up and lots of other ones I've seen. The only odd thing that might cause someone to look twice at it is the extra long stub extending down just before the gas heater. Normally that stub is about 6" long.

Reply to
trader4

I extended it down to the floor so the pipe can be supported rather than hang. I can always shorten later.

Reply to
Mikepier

There is a Tee at that point that continues on to feed my gas stove and dryer. The only way to eliminate that Tee is to disconnect everything from the kitchen on back, which is a lot of pipe and fittings. So a cap or plug is the easiest solution. It would not be buried entirely in the wall. I actually have to drop the ceiling a little at that point due to the other pipes, so I could put in an access door to get to it.

Reply to
Mikepier

Should not be a problem since that is what I had originally. The pipe running across the ceiling is 1", then there is a 1"X3/4"X3/4" Tee. One 3/4" drop comes by the furnace (which then Tee's to 1/2" to feed the furnace). The other 3/4" went on to feed the old HW heater/dryer/ stove. What I did was add another 3/4" tee by the furnace drop. Plus I am eliminating the old HW heater. So I'm not changing the size of pipe or adding on something else. The volume of gas stays the same.

Reply to
Mikepier

Uniform Mechanical Code 805.1 An angle greater than 45 degrees from the vertical is considered a horizontal run. The total horizontal run of a vent plus the length of horizontal vent connector shall not exceed 75 percent of the vertical height of the vent.

Reply to
Molly Brown

I'm assuming you are talking about the flue pipe? What issues do you see? The new HW heater is close to the chimney, about 11'' away, and 6" down to the flue connector on the HW heater

Reply to
Mikepier

I don't think anyone knows what she's talking about either. That vent run, in terms of pitch, connection, etc looks like mine and dozens of others I've seen. Only thing that is different is whatever that rectangular looking gizmo is on the vent near the heater.

Reply to
trader4

How old is that old water heater? The reason I'm asking is that there's no draft hood on it. They have been required for some time and that heater doesn't look ancient.

R
Reply to
RicodJour

There might be. Without seeing what feeds what I can't give an honest opinion.

Normally a 3/4" line feeds two 1/2" lines because there is a limit to how much gas can flow through a given pipe size. By feeding both units from a single line you may starve one or both units when they cycle on at the same time.

The size of the pipe each unit needs is determined by the BTU input rating of the device AND the length of the total pipe run.

You may want to gather more information and compare what you have and what you need to the specs contained on this page:

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Reply to
Colbyt

Proper support of gas piping is done with pipe hangers, NOT by extending sections down to the floor to prop it up...

~~ Evan

Reply to
Evan

? "Evan" wrote

Mostly, but if it is not possible to use a hanger, it is allowed to use a floor support. Given that a ceiling or joist can be 16' above a gas line while the floor is 10" below, sometimes it just makes sense to put a cradle in place.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

RicodJour wrote: ...

...

"Required" by whom/where/what?

I just put in a replacement two months ago...

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Reply to
dpb

Ed Pawlowski wrote: ...

However, the line in question is against a concrete wall where a single hanger at the el where it heads to the heater would be the cat's meow...

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Reply to
dpb

Me/your house/yep. ;)

At first I thought you were joking, but on second reading I can see you're not. The draft hood comes standard already attached to the WH around here. Yours doesn't?

My CodeCheck has the applicable requirements listed this way in the Water Heaters section: Draft hood/barometric damper in the same space as WH IRC [1802.1, 2407.3] UBC {510.12.5} Only 1 draft hood IRC [2426.5] UBC {510.12.3} Secure vent connector to draft hood & vent with screws or other approved means IRC [2427.10.7] UBC {510.10.7}

And some more on it:

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R

Reply to
RicodJour

Yes, but the inspector can also red tag it and then he's going to be hurting.

Reply to
Robert Neville

I don't know, but it looks odd to me. My basement is similar to yours, with the gas supply running up near the joists. Similar furnace and HW tank placement too. The difference is the drops to the furnace and HW tank. Can't see the original drop to your old tank.

On mine that's a straight drop from the reducer so the pipe runs a few inches off the tank, parallel. There's a couple 90's, nipples and a union at the bottom to bring it to the front HW tank gas connection.

For the furnace the reducer it faced horizontal, and maybe a foot of pipe brings it over about a foot near the joists, then a 90 drops it straight down with alongside the furnace. There's a 90 level with the furnace gas feed to bring it in. So the big difference is there are no gas pipes to trip over and break down low, and none in the way.

Good thing too, since my furnace access panel faces the wall. I know if I were re-piping any gas I would keep as much pipe near the joists as possible. Since you're closing that in and have no need to get back there, you're probably ok. I really don't like that unsupported 90 in the corner. There are scenarios where an oaf falls down back there on his ass and the pair of pliers in his back pocket snags it. Maybe you can't imagine those scenarios, but I can (-:

On the subject of gas feeds, here's how mine works. It's circa 1959, and was code then. Near the furnace the main line (1 1/4" I think) reduces to 3/4" for the furnace drop and straight on. That's the first hit. The furnace drop is further reduced to 1/2" at the furnace.

Next the 3/4" has a reduced 1/2" drop to the HW tank. A bit further there's a full 3/4" tee feeding up to the kitchen. After that there's a reduced 1/2" run and drop to the dryer.

What's this tell me? Not too much. Full volume reduced to 3/4" at the furnace, which takes a 1/2" feed. Maybe the original furnace took more.

1/2" to HW tank and dryer. It works. 3/4" to kitchen stove? That's a bit puzzling. Only thing I can figure is the gas company engineers' wives actually cooked back in the day, so they wanted to stay on the right side of them with consistent oven temps.

--Vic

Reply to
Vic Smith

It would be the cat's scream if someone stepped on that horizontal pip though. A support under the nipple would save it.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

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