Hey guys! Today we ran into a little problem when the plumbers arrived. They notified us we had a small gas leak, so we got straight to work in figuring out where it was and fixing it! Enjoy the video!
I keep finding horrendous gas leaks in my bathroom, every time I take a bath. Bubbles everywhere! Sorry. It was too good to "pass" up! Keep up the great work, boys. I love this channel.
I had a helluva time dealing with gas leaks when I started the complete renovation of my 1892 home. Finally figured out the flaring tool I had bought had a defect in it. 3rd time around I was good to go😁
Thanks so much for this video! What I found especially helpful is the rate of change that you shared for the pressure readings. This gives me hope that I will find my leak(s).
Excellent video to show the extensive step-by-step procedure to detect where is leak source is and confirmed by 15 psi - 1-hour holding duration after the final fix. Good Job!
Nice vid! One observation, if you had started with 15 psi, perhaps you wouldn't have to cut open all the walls? Also, I would use an electronic gas detector to check areas for gas leak; even area with no pipe joints, when you still had gas available. (Understand you're using air and not gas.)
I have worked in the refinery industry for 40 plus years as a jack of all trades. As a pipe fitter I have laid hundreds of feet and you never put pipe dope on the face of a hard pipe union. That will cause a problem with the seal, not prevent one, Give me a break! I have ran pipe from 1/8 inch tubbing to 102 inch ID, big enough to walk through. Please don't put pipe dope on the union face! Think about what it will do. Just make sure the union is facing the right direction with the flow of the line. Never, Never, Never put pipe sealer on the union face, I'm telling you the truth!
I’ve always doped unions for a better seal and never had an issue. It’s not as smooth if a surface as a flare fitting or compression fitting is so I’ve always found it to work better. You don’t have to crank on it just to get it to seal
@@3nertia pipe dope is plumbing slang for pipe thread sealant. I just put a little bit on the surface and it seems to make a better seal. If you don’t use it, you have to really crank on them to get them to seal.
Thank you for sharing this video! Currently planning to rent to own a home that has a gas leak and i wanted to see if i could fix it myself, Thank you for sharing!
Well done! I did my own gas plumbing (gasp! It’s ok, I’m an engineer) and I pumped it up to 50 psi for one week. Suffice it to say, I sleep well at nite!
Was sure hoping to see you guys use a sniffer. I have a tiny leak (about 1lb every 4-5 hrs) and have been advised to pressurize with gas and use a sniffer. Thanks for the vid though
Retired 40 year veteran union plumber. I was taught as an apprentice to always wire brush the faces and threads of unions, and then apply a thin layer of pipe dope. To this day...I personally have never had a leak on threaded joint.🤷♂️
please correct me if i am wrong. when you're tightening the union aren't you supposed to hold the nut with the external threads? you're turning the big center nut ok, but you're holding wrench should be on the other side. thanks.
Thx Mark. Yes you're correct about the wrench placement. IIRC, I think that the half of the union that I had the wrench on started to loosen when I tightened the centered nut. Didn't want another leak.
All that work , I feel your pain guys has happened to me , inspector shows up , drops the psi in pipe a few pounds, looks at everything , about 10 mins later checks gauge again , ok no pressure drop good to go signs off and that's it , now Time to do repairs 🤦
Only a dummy would use a thread protector as a coupling. I explained this to various contractors over the years. I was in Batesville Ms. in 87 building a can plant and all the couplings in a 2 " water line was leaking. I had the night shift supervisors responsibility and no one on the day shift knew what was going on. They turned the problem over to me and I literally had to draw them a picture as to what a coupling looked like in side the threads. I showed them the thread protector and they began to better understand what the leaks were all about. Some people, I sware I don't see how they get by as a skilled craftsman. Good video'! Make sure the nose of the union is going with the flow of the gas! It matters! Never put pipe dope on the face of any union. Put it on the coupling threads only! If a hard pipe union is facing the wrong direction it will have problems in the future!
How would you go about finding a very small leak in a piping system where the pressure drops 1psi over 30-60min but soap at the joints does not reveal any bubbles? is there another leak detection approach?
I understand this comment is old BUT. You should NOT be using soap to check for leaks. Use a dedicated solution such as was shown. Soap will corrode the pipe if you don't remove it post leak check. Dedicated leak checker will also give you much better bubbles. Also, like the video, check at a higher pressure.
Jesus i hope who ever piped the gas in that house was a novice because imagine an experienced plumber using a thread protector as a coupling! That was wild, and the pipe dope on the union 😭 the last straw was no safety plates.. that is just messed up man.
I suspect a gas leak around gas cooktop. Gas fitter has tested the hose, regulator and connection points, no leak. But I can smell the gas sometimes. Gas fitter is very expensive here, I can't afford to let them wait for an hour to see whether psi is holding or changing. Can gas leak intermittent? My gas meter reading changes a bit (1-2 grids) overnight ( around 8hrs), but I don't always smell the gas, sometimes smell comes in the morning,sometimes comes in the afternoon or evening. Very frustrating. Any suggestions or advice?
Important note I did hear mentioned, make sure you are not connected to any appliances! Once you go over 5psi, you risk compromising the gas valve on your appliances!
I'm just guessing here but I would assume they can purge it through the test valve down to 0 psi and then the gas will flow in when the utility turns it back on. Firing up each appliance at the end of the pipe run for a minute should clear any ambient air out of the lines, sort of like opening a tap after the water has been shut off.
If you have a leak then you have a leak You should never put a gas line up to 100 PSI there's no reason to ever go above 15 psi unless you have some specific industrial situation that requires that level
Just a small critique. When you opened the union, you did not make it clear that you had turned the main gas line off. Some do it yourselfer may open the union without turning off the gas first.
I need help. Neighbor spraying huge amount of Febreeze ( cover- up sprays) and then insecticide. Please this is serious, not a joke. The real estate company said they can’t do anything be it’s a he said she said situation. I need to find a gadget or something to show proof of the seriousness of what she is doing.
Gas lines are seldom more that 6 inches of water column that is equivalent to two tenths of one PSI ...Testing at 15 PSI is way overkill. If you pass that test , you are good to go.
On the west coast they’re strapped to the structure in the garage (think earthquake). In the north they’re in the basement (won’t freeze). Southeastern US up in the attic. Most people think that’s odd because of water damage from a leak. They’re supposed to be in a pan with a drain line to the outside. I’ve never seen one that wasn’t plus I can’t remember one time where an attic water heater leaked and caused significant damage. Overflowing AC units cause way more damage here. My mom’s house has the water heater in a closet. Tremendous waste of space. Can’t wait to move that in the attic 😂👍