Hard pipe gas line all the way to the water heater - Plumbing Zone

Shadow Sabre · 10-16-2009, 05:54 PM

So, go out to this site to change out a few filters and went to shutdown the hot line. The damn angle stop was shot so I found the water heater shut it down look down to see someone had hard piped the gas line the whole damn way. Now I'm putting a flex line in too. What the hell? Whoever did this never heard of earthquakes in California.
Sheeeeeesh

ToUtahNow · 10-16-2009, 06:04 PM

The truth of the matter is there was a time when you only needed Earthquake Straps in California if flex lines were used at the water heater. I went through the last big quake here and of the hundreds of heaters we fixed only one failed which was hard piped and the rest were all flexes.

Mark

Killertoiletspider · 10-16-2009, 06:05 PM

Here a flex line on a water heater is a code violation.

**ILPlumber** · 10-16-2009, 06:07 PM

Hard pipe and R&L coupling really screws up DIY'ers and hacks.

Very seldom do I use a flex, unless they are speced for something like a hanging tube heater.

ToUtahNow · 10-16-2009, 06:24 PM

I use to hard pipe all of my heaters and years later would get calls from owners complaining I didn't use flexes so they could change their own heater. My pat answer was "I thought you wanted it installed like a Pro".

Mark

pauliplumber · 10-16-2009, 06:40 PM

All waterheaters must be hard piped in MA, both gas and water. I can see if your in a earthquake prone area, flex is probably a better option for both.

ToUtahNow · 10-16-2009, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pauliplumber

All waterheaters must be hard piped in MA, both gas and water. I can see if your in a earthquake prone area, flex is probably a better option for both.

That's the problem, it is not a better option . As I stated above, of the hundreds of heaters we fixed after the last big earthquake, only one failed which was hard piped and the rest were all flexes. Earthquake straps were invented because of flexes not because of earthquakes.

Mark

22rifle · 10-16-2009, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToUtahNow

That's the problem, it is not a better option . As I stated above, of the hundreds of heaters we fixed after the last big earthquake, only one failed which was hard piped and the rest were all flexes. Earthquake straps were invented because of flexes not because of earthquakes.

Mark

Now you have me curious...

1. Why did the heaters fail?

2. What repairs did you do to the heaters?

3. Wouldn't the percentage of failures in each category be what matters? (If the Chevy dealership sold 10 trucks in a remote area and the Ford dealership sold 500, the auto repair shops are going to say "We have to repair a lot mroe Fords than we do Chevys."

ToUtahNow · 10-16-2009, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 22rifle

Now you have me curious...

1. Why did the heaters fail?

2. What repairs did you do to the heaters?

3. Wouldn't the percentage of failures in each category be what matters? (If the Chevy dealership sold 10 trucks in a remote area and the Ford dealership sold 500, the auto repair shops are going to say "We have to repair a lot mroe Fords than we do Chevys."

They tipped over breaking their gas lines and/or water lines causing flooding and/or fires. There was more flooding than fires. The one hard piped heater did not tip over but did snap the hot water line where it screwed into the tank.

Mark

Plumbworker · 10-16-2009, 08:02 PM

i'm in sf cali quake central... gas to my heaters get hard piped yep

inspectors dont say a damn word!! i was tellin master one day in chat that i hardpipe all gas except dryers and ranges the man was shocked....

10-16-2009, 05:54 PM	#1
Shadow Sabre Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: California central valley Posts: 60 My Photos	Hard pipe gas line all the way to the water heater So, go out to this site to change out a few filters and went to shutdown the hot line. The damn angle stop was shot so I found the water heater shut it down look down to see someone had hard piped the gas line the whole damn way. Now I'm putting a flex line in too. What the hell? Whoever did this never heard of earthquakes in California. Sheeeeeesh __________________ Warning: This person is not responsible for any shenanigan’s, argument, skirmish’s, fights, homicide’s, international incidents, or nuclear holocausts caused by this post due to brain damage caused by his mother dropping him on his head as a child. Love you MOM…

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10-16-2009, 06:04 PM	#2
ToUtahNow Cruise Director Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: California/Nevada/Utah Posts: 2,414 My Photos	The truth of the matter is there was a time when you only needed Earthquake Straps in California if flex lines were used at the water heater. I went through the last big quake here and of the hundreds of heaters we fixed only one failed which was hard piped and the rest were all flexes. Mark

10-16-2009, 06:05 PM	#3
Killertoiletspider Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 2,411 My Photos	Here a flex line on a water heater is a code violation.

10-16-2009, 06:07 PM	#4
ILPlumber Moderator Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: IL Posts: 5,312 My Photos	Hard pipe and R&L coupling really screws up DIY'ers and hacks. Very seldom do I use a flex, unless they are speced for something like a hanging tube heater.

10-16-2009, 06:24 PM	#5
ToUtahNow Cruise Director Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: California/Nevada/Utah Posts: 2,414 My Photos	I use to hard pipe all of my heaters and years later would get calls from owners complaining I didn't use flexes so they could change their own heater. My pat answer was "I thought you wanted it installed like a Pro". Mark

10-16-2009, 06:40 PM	#6
pauliplumber Senior Moment Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: dinner with your wife Posts: 1,885 My Photos	All waterheaters must be hard piped in MA, both gas and water. I can see if your in a earthquake prone area, flex is probably a better option for both.

10-16-2009, 08:02 PM	#10
Plumbworker Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 535 My Photos	i'm in sf cali quake central... gas to my heaters get hard piped yep inspectors dont say a damn word!! i was tellin master one day in chat that i hardpipe all gas except dryers and ranges the man was shocked....