How to Connect Gas Piping Lines

Utilise the correct fittings for a safe gas claw-upward

Introduction

Make gas line connections from steel or copper pipes to ranges and clothes dryers safe and secure by using the proper fittings and connections.

Tools Required

Materials Required

  • Fittings
  • Piping joint compound

Gas connections for your oven or dryer are really pretty simple — it's more often than not a affair of screwing stuff together. Only knowing which fittings to use where can be tricky, and using the wrong ones tin lead to a dangerous leak. This article will show yous how to safely connect a gas dryer hookup or gas range.

Kits containing a flexible stainless steel gas line and fittings are available at home centers and hardware stores. The kits usually have everything you lot'll demand, just in some cases, you may accept to buy a few more fittings. But before you start, check with your local building inspections department to see if y'all're allowed to do your ain gas dryer hookup.

We'll show you three common gas piping scenarios. We'll prove yous 1 way to make each connection, but at that place are other equally legitimate means using mutual plumbing parts. Don't be confused past the labels FIP and MIP; they simply correspond female pipe threads and male pipe threads, respectively. And when you buy the parts, don't hesitate to ask for help. Then screw all the gas line parts together to make sure they fit.

Projection step-by-footstep (3)

Pace one

State of affairs 1: Make Connections to Steel Gas Pipe

  • If your former appliance is connected with a steel gas pipe and you're installing a new appliance, buy a gas appliance connecting kit.
  • Replace the steel gas pipe with the flexible gas supply lines stainless steel tube.
    • Pro tip: You can't connect the flare plumbing equipment on the flexible gas line supply directly to a steel pipe thread. Y'all have to install the flare fitting that's included with the kit.
  • Coat all threaded pipe connections with pipe thread chemical compound before assembly.
  • If necessary, use a bushing to reduce the existing 3/4-inch female pipe thread to 1/2 inch.
  • Use a ninety-degree elbow at the stove to avoid kinking the gas tubing when y'all push the stove against the wall.
  • Before y'all replace an old valve, notice and turn off the main gas valve to the house.
    • Note: The main gas valve is usually located near where the gas line enters the house.
  • Supersede one-time-style gas valves (second photo below) with modern brawl valves that are labeled for use with gas.
  • Plough the gas back on when you're washed.
  • Remember to check all your gas appliances to run into if they have airplane pilot lights that need relighting.

Steel pipe connections Old valve

Step 2

Situation two: Connections to Soft Copper

Connections for flexible "soft" copper are fabricated by flaring the cease of the soft copper tubing with a special flaring tool and installing flare fittings that have a matching cone-shaped meeting surface. Common sizes of flare fittings are 3/8 inch, one/2 inch, and five/8 inch.

  • Match flare fittings to the outside diameter of the soft copper yous're connecting to.
    • Annotation: The photo beneath shows a soft copper line that's kinked and should be replaced. There are ii options:
  • Cut a new length of coiled soft copper, flare the ends and connect it with flare plumbing fixtures.
  • Or replace the damaged tubing with a flexible stainless connector as shown here.
  • If the flare plumbing fixtures on the flexible stainless gas line matches the size of the flare fitting on the existing gas valve, you can only screw it on.
  • If the fittings don't match, one solution is to supplant the valve with one that has a flare fitting on one side and a 1/two-inch female person pipage thread on the other side.
  • Use the adapter included with your hookup kit to connect the flexible gas line.
  • On the stove cease, utilise another flare-to-pipe-thread fitting.
    • Pro tip: Call back to apply piping thread compound or gas-rated Teflon tape to the threads on threaded connections before assembling them. Flare joints rely on a tight fit to seal and don't require additional sealant.

Soft copper connections Kinked copper

Step three

Reuse a Soft Copper Ringlet

Information technology's mutual for appliances to be continued with a coil of soft copper like the one shown here. The ends of the copper tubing will exist flared like the end of a trumpet. A leak-proof joint is formed by the perfect fit between the flared end of the tube and the cone-shaped plumbing equipment. If the soft copper tubing isn't kinked or damaged, you tin can reuse it to connect your new appliance.

  • For this dryer connection, we purchased a contumely elbow with a ane/2-inch flare fitting on ane side to friction match the ane/two-inch flare on the copper tubing, and a 3/viii-inch female person iron thread plumbing fixtures on the other to match the 3/8-inch pipe exiting the dorsum of the dryer.
    • Note: Your tubing may exist a dissimilar size and your appliance may have different threads. Buy fittings to match.
  • Coat threads with pipe thread chemical compound or gas-rated Teflon tape earlier assembling.
  • Marshal the copper tubing so the flare fits perfectly before threading on the flare nut.
  • Tighten the nut with an adaptable or open-end wrench.
  • Plow the gas back on and swab each joint with a solution of 2 tsp. dishwashing liquid to 1 cup h2o or with a commercially prepared leak testing solution.
  • Coat each connection and scout for bubbles to form.
  • If you encounter a bubble, turn off the gas and endeavor tightening the leaky connection.
  • If this doesn't piece of work, take it apart. Inspect flare connections for debris or damage.
  • Set leaky threaded connections by reapplying pipe joint compound or gas-rated Teflon tape and reassembling the plumbing fixtures.

Soft copper coil connections

Originally Published: Dec 26, 2020