~ Rusted Galvanized Gas Pipe Replacement ~

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Irish620

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Jul 3, 2018
12
Temecula
Hello All,

The natural gas line, for the heater, coming up from the ground has rusted out and is leaking gas. I have shut off the T line that feeds this leg and exposed the pipe only to find there is no threaded 90 elbow for me to easily replace this short distance. I'm not sure how things are supposed to be done but it would make sense to me that a 90 elbow would make future repairs much easier.

Any suggestions on how to fix this? Do I keep digging until I expose a connection point and run new pipe from there? Or can I cut right below the rusted area and use a hand threading die on the exposed pipe?

I am very handy, as I am a woodworker by trade, but I don't have much experience with threading pipe, nor do I own a die for 1 1/2 pipe. I don't mind buying tools but I don't really have a need for a die that big!

Please, any advice would be appreciated!

Thanks

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That looks like a gas company supplied riser pipe.Some gas companies only take responsibility up to and including the meter and some go all the way to the appliance. You need to call your supplier and ask them. Somewhere along the line there is a threaded connection. If that is a building above it that I see in the back ground then it will, at least with my luck, be right under the center of it.
 
I would dig until you find the joint. Then dig enough to get a couple wrenches around it and separate that last pice. I'm not sure how long the run is but if it was me I would dig up the whole run and replace with poly pipe and proper risers. Looks like a fun project tbh. Here's the run I did last year. Dug it 4 feet deep by hand so I could drop the electrical and gas in the same trench.
 
This run won't ever rot
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Thanks everyone for your advice. I went to my local supply house and they have riser pipes with a compression fitting on the end. So, I will dig back a little further and hopefully find the connection point. I'm guessing it connects to a poly line since it is wrapped with a tracer wire. Once I get things exposed I will post some pictures and perhaps you guys can help me finish this thing off. I forgot to take a picture at the supply store but its something similar to the picture below:
.View attachment 85350
Oh and the SoCal Gas guy did help me out by transitioning all my pool heater line to 1.5" but he can't touch the appliance end of the pool heater line. I asked him but it was outside of his allowed scope of work for the gas company. He did still hook me up on the meter side though.
 
In general, gas line that is buried has to be welded pipe, no joints. Depends on where that pipe is headed, but I vote that you call a gas company and have them cut the end off, weld on the new stub, and/or replace the entire line depending on how it looks as you dig further.
 

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It's a pretty far run to replace the line, probably about ~85' total, there is another 25' not pictured. I'm not gone tear up the pavers and grass if I don't have to. The integrity of the buried line should be fine. Gas company here in SoCal will not touch anything coming off their meter that isn't the main feed from the street. So, my plan is to replace the riser and have the utility company check the line for leaks, pressure test if need be. Somebody must of damaged the original pipe pretty bad for it to rust out like this, lucky me!

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Ok my friends,

I have exposed the 1 1/2 I.D. yellow Performance Pipe. I think this is Underground Gas Polyethylene Piping? It's solid like PVC, not flex pipe. Anyway, I'm not sure how they got the PE pipe to connect with the galvanized riser or if it matters because I think the plumbing supply store has a compression fitting. How will the PE and Steel pipe connect? I'll also have to see what lengths the riser are available in and I guess that will determine if I will need to have a small transitional piece of PE pipe with coupling. Tight space to cut PE pipe, small hacksaw I'm thinking or maybe my multitool?

Does it sound like I'm on the right path? Advice?

Thanks for all your help gentlemen!


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Irish620 said:
Ok my friends,

I have exposed the 1 1/2 I.D. yellow Performance Pipe. I think this is Underground Gas Polyethylene Piping? It's solid like PVC, not flex pipe. Anyway, I'm not sure how they got the PE pipe to connect with the galvanized riser or if it matters because I think the plumbing supply store has a compression fitting. How will the PE and Steel pipe connect? I'll also have to see what lengths the riser are available in and I guess that will determine if I will need to have a small transitional piece of PE pipe with coupling. Tight space to cut PE pipe, small hacksaw I'm thinking or maybe my multitool?

Does it sound like I'm on the right path? Advice?

Thanks for all your help gentlemen!
Click to expand...

I *think* what they use for the transition from PE to steel is an anodeless riser. If you google that you should see what I'm talking about.
 
If you do this yourself, you need a very clean straight cut. You'll also need to dig more of that out around it. You will also need to pressure test it.

You should consider hiring a gas company to fix this.
 
I went to the supply house and came home with a riser with a compression fitting on the end. See below. I am actually going to re-work the 3/4 pipe leading to the heater first so I don't end up needing a odd ball size pipe when I connect to the riser. That way my slop room is taken up in the PE cut. Then I'll use my multi tool and cut the PE right behind the coupling (removing it) leaving 3.25'' of exposed PE pipe for the compression fitting. I'll sand the PE cut to remove burrs and clean with soap and water. The supply house guy seemed very knowledgable and said this was a pretty straight forward job. Apparently you need a special tool and license to fuse the PE together with a coupling like mine is in the picture, so most people go with the compression fitting.

Once I am happy with everything I will have SoCal gas pressure test the line.

This job doesn't seem to bad, should I be intimidated? Am I under estimating something?

View attachment 85648
 
Find out who manufacturers it and check to see about installation procedure. That yellow pipe needs to be cut straight and cleaned properly, so measure twice before doing any cutting. You will have to pressure test once your done
 
The product my local plumbing supply sold me was made by honeywell. It is made of steel, flexible, and just slips right on to the PE pipe. Just like a shark bite fitting for a water line. You just cut the end of the PE pipe square, and use a chamfer tool to smooth out the cut and the riser just slides right on. It was the easiest thing ever.

In the Pic I used the top one.

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Irish620 said:
I went to the supply house and came home with a riser with a compression fitting on the end. See below. I am actually going to re-work the 3/4 pipe leading to the heater first so I don't end up needing a odd ball size pipe when I connect to the riser. That way my slop room is taken up in the PE cut. Then I'll use my multi tool and cut the PE right behind the coupling (removing it) leaving 3.25'' of exposed PE pipe for the compression fitting. I'll sand the PE cut to remove burrs and clean with soap and water. The supply house guy seemed very knowledgable and said this was a pretty straight forward job. Apparently you need a special tool and license to fuse the PE together with a coupling like mine is in the picture, so most people go with the compression fitting.

Once I am happy with everything I will have SoCal gas pressure test the line.

This job doesn't seem to bad, should I be intimidated? Am I under estimating something?

View attachment 85648
Click to expand...

So you have the correct tool need to champher the cut edge on the PE for this fitting so you get the correct depth when you insert it?
 

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