[Desert Owner]

I bought a house and the gas was not yet completed to the home. The water heater is in and the water is connected to it but I need to connect it to the stub before the gas company comes and puts in the meter and turns on the gas. The gas flexible pipe is on the hot water. Do I just connect it to the stub with some thread tape and tighten down with a wrench or should a shut off valve be installed first?

[twinkiedooter]

The gas company is going to have to receive the proper paperwork from a plumber regarding the correct connection and pressure testing before they will come and put the meter in. This is for your and their protection that it be installed properly. Please do not try and hook this up yourself as the gas company will need the necessary pressure tests performed due to code.

[KISS]

The shutoff needs to be installed. There is a special pink teflon tape for gas lines. You need to tighten about 1.5 turns past finger tight. ONLY USE TAPE on tapered threads.

I believe that the flex lines are compression and therfore do not need tape. Tape will case them to leak.

A pressure test will likely have to be completed before the meter is set into place. The one place they particularly care about is the furnace. I'm not sure who signs off on this.

The gas piping has to be complete, nonetheless.

[massplumber2008]

Desert owner:

Everyone here brings up good points for you!

First and foremost is the fact that the gas company will not turn the gas on until it has been tested AND inspected.

A completed inspection will usually include a RED TAG or similar indicating that all work has been performed properly.

If there is not a shutoff in place to your water heater I have to assume that you have not had a final test and/or inspection so I would recommend that you call down to the local plumbing inspector's office and see what they have to say about this! Otherwise, look around for a tag indicating all is OK??

If approved somehow, you will need to install a shutoff with pink tape as KISS suggested or you can use a NON-TEFLON based pipe dope such as RECTORSEAL number 5 or similar.

Then connect the threaded fittings from the flexible connector with the same pipe dope or pink tape, but don't dope the compression nut/fitting as Kiss also indicated... can cause leaks! I know that seems contrary to common sense, but again, NO DOPE on the compression fittings, but DO dope the threaded adapters.

If not approved, you will need to find out what pressure you are required to test all this work at and for how long that test must hold, and then get back to us so we can explain how to test entire home without damaging the gas valves at your appliances!

Most likely, the inspector will not let you perform the test, but will require that a plumber pull a permit and perform the test and stand for inspection.

Let us all know what you think of all this...

Mark

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[twinkiedooter]

Up here in Ohio the gas companies will not connect the gasline or propane tank connection unless they have the paperwork faxed to them by the proper party. They're very funny here about gas anything. They actually have two tests results they need as well, not just one in some cases for gas lines.