Charlie, what’s your basis for believing this? You’re not contending that the line material itself is porous, are you? Must be around fittings?
Given modern sealants and sniffers, there shouldn’t be any leakage with work done right to cap a gas line…
I was addressing Charlie’s claim about capping gas service in the home, not leaks from old segments of the distribution system.
The articles you cite do not touch on these terminations.
Modern gas and propane hookups are accomplished with poly piping, and tested with the same equipment and techniques mentioned.
Old infrastructue that leaks should be fixed. It’s not an insoluble problem.
Leaks from pipelines operated by irresponsible companies are not the matter at hand. Charlie claims, falsely, that capped off residential gas lines leak. They do not unless they were capped improperly. In that case, the residents would be able to smell it.
Although, I have not personally seen this, I have heard stories about gas line pipe dope getting brittle after many years and failing. I have not heard of any failures of modern pipe dope.
So (at the time), the pipes were properly capped with the materials that were available. Unfortunately, that pipe dope material succumbed to the “ravages of time”.
At the end of the day, you are both correct. Gas lines had been capped with the recommended pipe dope and over time that material began to fail and caused some leakage.
Again, I want to reinforce that I have not personally witnessed this and only heard stories from others.
Yes, it used to be common that residential gas lines were plumbed in black iron, which is subject to rust. The fittings can also rust, which can–over long periods–allow leaks past pipe dope and yellow PTFE tape.
Maybe that’s what Charlie meant.
Black iron pipes are black because they are painted to prevent rust. If the fittings are properly cleaned and assembled they should never leak.
Sorry, this is nonsense. Black iron pipe rusts beautifully despite being painted.
I’ve installed it above ground where trenching is impossible. I can send you photos of it rusting in place for 25 years.
I haven’t had any rust through or enough to leak.
I was talking about indoors. But I do note you have not had any leaks, which was the original topic.
There’s precious little black iron gas pipe exposed in living spaces. There’s a LOT of it outdoors and in moist/unheated underfloor and interstitial spaces. It rusts most if outside and fully exposed to the elements, but it rusts plenty under cover, too.
It’s not like I soap-bubble test every inch of iron pipe. I’m not concerned unless I smell the odorant. I have had the ugly experience of sawing into a charged poly gas line; there’s no mistaking that when it happens!
Call me “old school” but I only trusted black iron for gas lines. I didn’t do all that much, but when I did I prefer black iron.
I also only use copper for water lines. After the polybutylene pipe situation, I’ll only trust copper and my sweating skills. I’ve installed a lot of copper over the years, never had a failure or a leak.
My basement has black iron gas pipes running across it. Originally the gas meter was inside the house. Where it was there is now a piece of 1" black iron pipe. From there two 1" lines run halfway across the basement to where one splits to feed the furnace and a gas fireplace while the other goes to the water heater, dryer, and cooktop. When I installed an electric range I capped the line to the cooktop. The line to the fireplace, actually a stove, is exposed.
I agree about the black iron gas lines. They are easy to work with and do not require special tools. I took the extra precaution of installing shut off valves for the range and gas stove in the basement in addition to the ones code requires in the room where the appliances are. That way if something goes wrong I can shut off the gas without being in an area into which it is leaking.
Where I live the water is very hard so I replaced all the corroding copper with cPVC.
They leak. A little. Almost all of them. I’m not worried. If you’re worried, see your therapist. In the meantime, I’m firing up my eight-burner range and cooking like there’s no tomorrow. Because there isn’t. If you’ve figured out immortality, please let us all in on the secret. If gas leaks are killing me, they aren’t doing a very good job of it. My physician said I’m 62 going on 32 and I’ve stood over a stove over eight hours a day for a very large % of my working life. One of my daughters is an Olympic athlete in a sport that puts a premium on cardiovascular fitness. She’s been around gas ranges and ovens her entire life. Quit buying the crisis the media is currently selling you.
Not worried at all, Charlie. Just wondering your basis for saying that all capped gas lines in homes leak. That Atlantic article doesn’t address that.
They leak, brother.
You should be thankful you aren’t a super-taster/smeller.
We keep windows cracked in bathrooms and in the kitchen. I highly recommend the practice.
I could kiss my wife on the nape of her neck and tell her when she was ovulating.
Not sure if it’s a blessing or a curse.
OK, so you’re smelling odorant from the gas, yes? And it’s localized to the cap? Have you soap-bubbled the caps and lines to which you refer?
I’m far more open to the idea that gas ranges themselves can leak at their valves or incompletely burn at the pilots.
I can probably smell the Mercaptan that’s left on the wall of the pipe. I could probably walk into your house and tell you what spices you tend to use more than others.
It leaks. A little. Quit worrying.
There’s also background radioactivity almost everywhere. If you need to worry about something, worry about that.
Again, I’m not worried. I persisted because of your claim that all capped residential lines leak could cause worry in others, and it certainly furthers the popular hysteria against natural gas appliances.
Did you read the article? It is talking about gas mains, not gas lines within houses.
