Gas Line Install: It Pays to Call Around

[John Shuk]

Only a foolish man does DIY with something like gas, been in the business for over thiry years nows and have seen far to many times a DIY'r has done a improper job, and some of them were darn right dangerous.

Does pay to shop around and get referrals though.

Al

Sorry, but paying 1k for 15 feet of black pipe seems a lot more foolish to me. However, I am a person who respects the process and tend to get qualified advice when I do things. Lots of DIY stuff that I have seen is pretty scary though.

[Allen Willits]

Sorry, but paying 1k for 15 feet of black pipe seems a lot more foolish to me. However, I am a person who respects the process and tend to get qualified advice when I do things. Lots of DIY stuff that I have seen is pretty scary though.

I'd suggest if your being charged 1k for 15' of pipe I'd look elsewhere for a pipefitter, that seems a bit excessive.

I'm not debating on what people charge, I've seen plumbers charge over $400 to replace a thermocouple on a water heater, something where I work we'd get about $100 T&M for, like everything else it's buyer beware.

What I am referring to is people who are not sure of what needs to be done in gas piping and try anyway.

Copper pipe and flare fittings minus the flare, or using the wrong tool for the flare, garden hose for gas pipe, hooking the gas pipe up to the drain on a water heater, no vent for exhaust, wrong size vent, pipe, wrong pressure, no regulator when needed, not to mention various code requirements missed, the list goes on...

If ya have to ask, at least maybe think about it for a bit.imho

[Mike Cutler]

Pat

You did the right thing hiring someone. The peace of mind is worth the additional cost.
I have 30+ years of experience with high and low pressure gas systems, combustible and non combustable, and fluid hydraulic systems up to 25,000psi, so I understand what Al is saying.
Even with all of that background, I was still hesitant to run my own propane system.
There is a bit more to it than just screwing pipe together.

[Phil Thien]

Even with all of that background, I was still hesitant to run my own propane system.

There is a bit more to it than just screwing pipe together.

Can you elaborate?

Not to be argumentative or anything, but I think sometimes we have a tendency to make everything seem like brain surgery.

[ray hampton]

If the pipe are lay in a ditch 3 or 4 feet deep, then I would do the
digging and lay the pipe myself, having the work inspect is the most important part of the job, SINCE I can not smell the GAS , a more
capable person will finish the job

[Bill Cunningham]

I installed a new gas furnace & Heatpump a couple of years ago. I had gas in my business next door, but the house was on oil at the time. The shop gas heater was installed by a gas fitter who was also a customer and we worked it out in trade. The furnace was installed by the heating company I bought it from, and the standard price for running black iron among all the contarctors I called was a flat rate of $10.00 per foot. I got 25' with the purchase, but had to run 100' from the meter on the 'other' side of my shop, up the outside wall, across the ceiling inside the shop, down the other outside wall, under ground 6' to the house, the to the 25 feet that came with the furnace. At the same time, I had them put a tee in before it went through the wall into the crawlspace under the house so I could connect the fireplace in the future. I also had them put in another tee about 10' into the crawlspace, facing the back wall for a future BBQ line. The cost for all 100' and extra fittings was 1k + 300 for the two underground transition pipes. I've always done my own water, but I would never endanger the neighborhood by doing my own gas work!

[Dan Mages]

Only a foolish man does DIY with something like gas, been in the business for over thiry years nows and have seen far to many times a DIY'r has done a improper job, and some of them were darn right dangerous.

Does pay to shop around and get referrals though.

Al

Are you saying that a home owner should not fix a leaking flexible brass gas line with duct tape? Duct tape worked quite well fixing the leak on the laundry tub's drain trap. When the inspector saw that on my house in IL, he immediately turned off the gas to the cook top and chuckled in disbelief.

[Mike Cutler]

Can you elaborate?

Not to be argumentative or anything, but I think sometimes we have a tendency to make everything seem like brain surgery.

Phil

CV flow rates for single and two stage high and low pressure regulators depending on total number of appliances and BTU's.
Requirements, position and orientation of excess flow checks.
Pipe sizing for length of run, number of devices and total BTU's of each device.
Code compliance for transitions through walls and floors.
Correctly sized main, and branch lines and their associated fittings to mitigate pressure drops.
Code compliance for tank placement.
Code requirements for material specs depending on local requirements. Different from state to state.
Ability to perform pressure drop tests properly, not leak checks.
Vent requirements for each device, and code compliant installation of vents. These can be tough to understand.
Just a few off the top of my head.

[Al Willits]

Are you saying that a home owner should not fix a leaking flexible brass gas line with duct tape? Duct tape worked quite well fixing the leak on the laundry tub's drain trap. When the inspector saw that on my house in IL, he immediately turned off the gas to the cook top and chuckled in disbelief.

Not sure...duct tape is the DIY first line of repair...

Good post Mike, you've done this before...

btw Natural gas can lose it odorant smell if it's run though the ground, especially sandy soil, so for running gas lines underground I'd be hesitant to use smell as a leak detector.

Al

[John Shuk]

What I am referring to is people who are not sure of what needs to be done in gas piping and try anyway.

You are absolutely right there. Ya gotta be smart enough to understand that you might need advice.

[Roger Bullock]

When I was building spec homes a few years back, my next door neighbor was a propane dealer. Out of respect, I rented their tank and had them install the gas lines. On installation day one older gentleman on his crew spent the whole time walking around the job talking and telling stories to anyone he could get to stop working to listen to him. He did no work on the gas line at all. I found out later from one of my carpenters that he was the dad of the owner that was retired (not from the propane business) and was bored at home and needed a little spending cash to support his hunting and other hobbies. When I received the bill, his hours and with full technician pay was included. So in reality I paid him full price plus the hours he kept my carpenters from working. From then on I used my plumber to install all my gas lines.