My Account
Hi folks, I smelled natural gas in the basement and traced it (by smell, and then finally confirming with a soapy spray) to the joint between what looks like a 1/2" dia. steel nipple and a union.
I've done some plumbing work with water lines and feel fairly confident there. But haven't tackled gas lines yet.
My plan is to first shut off the gas (there's a valve nearby) and disconnect that union. I'm hoping this gives me enough 'play' in the pipes to be able to separate them there and give me enough space to crank the union off of that pipe, right where the leak is.
Once I get that off, I'll clean the threads on both sides with a wire fitting brush, then use tape and pipe dope (both rated for gas) and reassemble. If it still leaks, I'll do the job over with a couple of identical replacement parts; or, go straight to that if the threads look like they're in rough shape.
Seems simple enough. Can anyone critique and see any obvious flaws in this plan? Thanks!
I can't critique it, but I'd say personally, from having a friend who was longtime builder and contractor and heating and air guy get blown up from a misstep, this is something I'd leave to a gas pro.
