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111 votes

How can I repair this gas leak on my new range? Teflon tape isn't working

Stop, turn off the gas, ventilate the house, and hire a pro. If you applied teflon tape to a flare fitting, you are NOT the person to be installing your gas range. You fundamentally don't understand ...
Ecnerwal's user avatar
  • 200k
54 votes
Accepted

How to convince plumber that there is a gas leak?

The other answers here are good from a technical point of view about how to verify a leak, but to answer the question of "how to convince a plumber", I'll second a comment by @manassehkatz: ...
TylerW's user avatar
  • 1,173
39 votes
Accepted

How to (safely) permanently turn off natural gas?

I would not take the pipes out because of the demo cost and the fact that having them available may increase the value of the home for resale. Call the gas utility and have the service turned off and ...
Ed Beal's user avatar
  • 102k
38 votes

Can I safely connect barely reachable flex gas pipe?

I would heartily suggest hiring a professional. Where I live what you are doing is actually illegal. Your territory may have different laws, but guessing with gas is never a good idea. It goes bang! ...
Tetsujin's user avatar
  • 10.5k
36 votes

Do Gas Ovens have actual fires?

TL;DR Danger! It sounds like it is only partially burning. it can be normal to smell gas when the oven starts. Smelling it for more than a minute is an indication of a leak of some sort. If the smell ...
manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact's user avatar
33 votes
Accepted

Is it possible for a gas fired boiler to consume more energy when heating intermitently versus having heating at all times?

Your dad is likely right (as usual? :-)). With modern equipment, slow but steady wins the race. I assume we're talking about a modern high efficiency condensing gas boiler. If that's not the case and ...
TooTea's user avatar
  • 2,303
29 votes
Accepted

Disconnecting a gas stove (New Zealand)

With a little more research and a better photo of the floor connection, it turns out that the floor connection had the mark “BS669”, which means its a bayoneted valve that auto-seals on disconnection. ...
Moo's user avatar
  • 676
25 votes

How can I repair this gas leak on my new range? Teflon tape isn't working

Repeating the comments : Do NOT use any pipe dope or tape on flare connections . They are metal to metal seals and anything on the metal sealing surface can cause a leak. Pipe threads (tapered) ...
blacksmith37's user avatar
  • 8,271
24 votes

Why do gas water heater exhausts have an air gap before the chimney?

The actual amount of combustion air - i.e., air flowing past the burner to provide oxygen and leave with less oxygen but more CO2 and possibly other combustion byproducts - is very little. The gap ...
manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact's user avatar
23 votes
Accepted

Do Gas Ovens have actual fires?

Yes, gas ovens light a flame to produce heat. The other answers saying to get this looked at are absolutely correct. Here's a visual demonstration with my own oven, viewed from the under-oven broiler ...
TylerW's user avatar
  • 1,173
22 votes

Should I replace two 75-gallon (gas) water heaters in series with a tankless heater?

We live in the Midwest in a large home that was built 20 years ago. At the time, we installed two 75-gallon gas water heaters, and the plumber did this in series, not parallel That is the correct way ...
Harper - Reinstate Monica's user avatar
21 votes

Do Gas Ovens have actual fires?

In a properly working gas oven, you will definitely see a pattern of blue flame all along the perimeter of the burner, plus an orange-red glow from the electric igniter. These are very distinct. If ...
CCTO's user avatar
  • 1,010
20 votes
Accepted

Does my furnace suck air from outside?

I think some of the answers here are confusing because they don't really address that your furnace has two different air intake/outlets. One is for the combustion system. Air is pulled in from ...
le3th4x0rbot's user avatar
20 votes

Propane stove/oven soot/carbon smell

This sounds very likely a "gas" stove which has not had a propane conversion. Propane is run at a higher pressure than natural gas so all burner orifices must be down sized. Often stoves ...
Kyle's user avatar
  • 4,523
20 votes

How can I verify that a gas clothes dryer only needs a belt repair?

As part of a house purchase? Make your offer on the house assuming you'll need to buy a new dryer, and this one is total junque that will need to be hauled away. It adds negative value in the current ...
Ecnerwal's user avatar
  • 200k
18 votes
Accepted

Is it safe to transport a gas water heater lying down?

I recently purchased a direct-vent water heater, and after consulting the salesperson I learned that certain markings on the carton indicate which sides are acceptable for transport. Every unit will ...
isherwood's user avatar
  • 129k
17 votes

How to convince plumber that there is a gas leak?

You have to use a lot of liquid detector and large leaks can blow right through without making bubbles; however, typically a leak this large would be easily detected by the Mark-I human sensors you ...
Jimmy Fix-it's user avatar
  • 35.1k
16 votes

Does my furnace suck air from outside?

The answer is that it should have a fresh air source! This is an absolute for gas furnaces. Some systems use the “leaks throughout the house” to get the air. The filter in the furnace is for dust to ...
Ed Beal's user avatar
  • 102k
16 votes

How to convince plumber that there is a gas leak?

Try to fan the area with fresh air to the point the detector detects nothing then immediately use the detector to zero in on the area where the gas begins to appear. Try using saran wrap to isolate ...
jay613's user avatar
  • 34.2k
16 votes

Should I replace two 75-gallon (gas) water heaters in series with a tankless heater?

Option (0) would appear to be to "address this" by fixing the defective installation, without replacing anything major, since it's very likely an installation problem or a simple part ...
Ecnerwal's user avatar
  • 200k
13 votes

Is there really any difference between yellow and white PTFE tape?

The colors mean something, but the meaning has changed over the years so some info may be old. The CURRENT standard is: White = single density tape and is ONLY good for small fittings up to 3/8 in. ...
JRaef's user avatar
  • 14.8k
13 votes
Accepted

Why do gas water heater exhausts have an air gap before the chimney?

This is a draft diverter. If the heater was connected directly to the chimney, the hot flue gas would rise, creating draft in the heater. While that is a good thing, the amount of draft would depend ...
Level River St's user avatar
13 votes

Can I safely connect barely reachable flex gas pipe?

If the pipework broke there, who's to say what its condition is like further inside the wall? That apart, you're asking what to do. That means you're not qualified or experienced. O.k. There's a way ...
Tim's user avatar
  • 5,198
13 votes

Is it safe to transport a gas water heater lying down?

A water heater can be transported laying on its side, as long as it's not violently bounced or rattled. I would keep it in any packaging if possible until it's being installed. I called a plumber ...
RMDman's user avatar
  • 24.9k
12 votes

Why do gas water heater exhausts have an air gap before the chimney?

manassehkatz covered a lot, but the simple answer is constant air flow The draft will change in the chimney as exhaust vents towards it – especially when going from cold air to hot. A draft hood is ...
Machavity's user avatar
  • 23.9k
12 votes

What kind of gas shut off valve is this and how do you use it?

Looks like a plain old adjustable open end wrench (or an open end wrench of the correct size) will operate it. Wrench on the square bit of the red part, turn the whole red part, probably 90 degrees. A ...
Ecnerwal's user avatar
  • 200k
12 votes

Doping threaded gas pipes -- which threads are the "last" threads?

It's been awhile since I worked with gas pipe, but my understanding was that your area marked as (1) are the last 2 threads. The reason is so there is no ribbon or tape hanging off the threads that ...
RMDman's user avatar
  • 24.9k
11 votes

Can I safely connect barely reachable flex gas pipe?

I hate working with gas - and would strongly recommend getting a pro to fix it. The pipe does not look in good shape either - I suspect the "proper" fix will be to replace the last piece of ...
Criggie's user avatar
  • 9,996
10 votes

Does a gas pressure test lose pressure without leaks?

1/10th PSI (1:50 change) might well be temperature-related (the compressor heats air as it compresses it, and that cools down to room temperature when in the pipe) but simply waiting longer should ...
Ecnerwal's user avatar
  • 200k
10 votes
Accepted

What is a safe procedure for removing natural gas pipe after full service disconnect (meter removed, house intake capped)?

Any pressure in the pipes disappeared instantly when the meter was removed. Disconnected gas piping poses no special hazards, it can be removed and disposed of just like any other steel piping. Any ...
kreemoweet's user avatar
  • 2,518

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