Seized Gas Lines Make Me Nervous
Hi all – I’m in the middle of a DIY basement remodel and came across some gas piping behind the paneling I ripped down. There is a main pipe that runs down the wall and then splits. The right channel I’m not yet concerned with, and want to leave as-is. That runs outside, through the yard, and to a heater in the garage. The left channel runs to a space heater in the basement (see second pic).
I’m hoping someone can confirm that the left channel is turned off! I am 99.9% certain it is, but don’t want to surprise myself because the handles are seized and I’m anxious about torquing on them too hard.
If you look at the second pic, it shows the connection of the gas line to the heater. I don’t think I’ll be able to disconnect there due to access issues, but believe I can disconnect at the joint you see in the lower left of the first picture.
I will cap and tape/dope at that joint once I break loose, but am just hoping someone can confirm that the gas is indeed off. Stupid question, and I’d probably thank myself if the house did blow, but I don’t need the hassle of looking for a place to live right now!
Replies
well my money is on it being off.i have never seen a valve that was on with the handle crosswise. my rule for what its worth: handle inline,its on ,crosswise its off. larry
hand me the chainsaw, i need to trim the casing just a hair.
Yeah, handle parallel to pipe == on. Handle right angles to pipe == off.
(I've used a piece of pipe as a persuader before. Gives you much better feel/control than a wrench.)
To work safely on this, shut it off out side at the meter.
Make your repairs and turn the gas back on.
Leak test with soapy water, or you can buy the spray on leak test stuff.
Edited 7/20/2007 8:31 am ET by McPlumb
I'm voting with McPlumb - shut the gas completely off so that if you break something you don't get in serious trouble.
If you're abandoning the line(s), break the connection as far back as possible and remove the old piping. If you can't remove it, tag it so the next person knows it's dead.
If you're repairing the old piping, the shutoff valve(s) will need to be repaired or replaced and you'll be shutting the gas off anyway.
From my experience it's not unusual for such valves to be very stiff, requiring a "persuader" to move. This doesn't mean they're bad.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
What the other guys said - looking at the picture, the left one is off the right one is on. As long as you're working on it you might as well do things right. Turn the gas off at the meter and replace both valves with a gas ball valve. Then check for leaks w/soapy water after you've turned the gas back on. The newer ball valves don't seize like the old ones. The ones you have in there now have a propensity to leak due to their design and don't meet the current national gas code.
Dan -
My 30 odd years of experience with piping systems carrying everything from potable water to radioactive waste to superheated, high pressure, steam says that if you have to use a "persuader", you have a problem with the valve that should be fixed. - lol
Hey - thank you all very much. I will turn off the gas at the main line and try to remember all my pilot lights (just kidding!). I'll also move the cap back a ways and change the currently open valve to a ball valve. Might as well do it while I've got everything apart.
If I turn off at the meter, is it true I need the gas company to come out to turn me back on?
Thank you,
andy
Not unless they have a rule to the contrary. You may be required to have the work inspected by the gas co or a building inspector before turning it back on.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
I don't want to be picky, but I see three problems with your existing hook-up; A: Valves can not be concealed, B: Unions have to be visible, and you can't use bushings on gas lines, this may not pertain to your local code. If you think about it, what good is a valve behind a wall? Your call, but be careful, shut the gas off before you do anything. Lots of luck.
"If all else fails, read the directions"
Thanks Shacko. I'm definitely not hiding these. Will cover with an access door.
These walls have been full of surprises. I drilled into an open electrical junction a couple days ago. This place is a deathtrap. With all the inspections this place requires it's amazing I get anything done.
Glad I'm helping."May the force be with you"
Shacko's right. Those pracices aren't up to code. On those valves, on the backside of the valves is there a small bolt? Those valves have have a taper on them and the bolt on the backside pulls it tight. If you loosen the bolt on the back and tap on it the tapered part will loosen.
Thanks popawheelie. I'll clean it up and also check out the bolt issue - that could be the problem. Access is going to be tough, I get the feeling they assembled the union and valves before install to the wall and then patched it all together with the bushings.
I wonder what I'll find tomorrow!