Another first at the Smiths

[f6john]

I guess I get a little more ambitious in the winter time, especially if it’s an activity I can do indoors. I’ve never run any gas lines. When I bought my house I had gas added for a fireplace and a kitchen stove so I had some existing lines run through the basement. I recently added a 30,000 btu propane heater in the basement and was running it off of a 100lb tank. I contacted the same company that originally did my gas lines, spoke directly with the owner, but they never showed.

After going through that first tank and running out at the most inopportune time, i decided to bite the bullit and add a line from the main system to my heater. Naturally I wanted the line inside the wall and that was a test of my patience. But to spare everyone all the details, the lines is run, tied into the existing supply line, all the joints tested for leaks, and kitchen stove and gas logs are back on line and working like they are supposed to perform. That’s saying a lot for this first timer, and the cost for supplies was something just under $150.00. I can only imagine what a plumber and plumbers helper would have cost me for the day. Well I did break a bit and my right angle adapter trying to get a hole done through the top plates of the basement wall, so that’s probably another $50-75.00 added cost but still well worth it in my book. I think the wife will keep me around for at least another years or so, maybe!

[cookiedough]

congrats on the completed project, not sure I would even consider doing it myself.

Been getting quotes for a new shower/tub surround is about it, nothing fancy.  INSANE everyone is 10K or more that is just crazy talk!  My old 30+ year old fiberglass tub surround has a tiny crack in the base barely noticeable just a sliver and would like more shelves built into the walls and to go all the way up to the ceiling, about it, with 2 grab bars added as well.

I was thinking 5-7K at most, thought wrong.

[Hook#3287]

I applaud your resourcefulness, but will caution you on the perils of doing your own gas work.

Although propane has ingredients added to give it the smell we all recognize, sometimes it does not get noticed in time.

I'm pretty resourceful myself, but won't mess with gas lines at all and will only go as far as replacement of a connection pipe.

I get the waiting for contractors and the crazy prices charged, but messing it up may cost much more.

But, if you're confident in your work, so be it.

[Jersey mike]

Good for you, did you use flexible gas lines? Hopefully you added additional shut off valves for just in case purposes. Gotta love natural gas. 

[f6john]

I applaud your resourcefulness, but will caution you on the perils of doing your own gas work.

Although propane has ingredients added to give it the smell we all recognize, sometimes it does not get noticed in time.

I'm pretty resourceful myself, but won't mess with gas lines at all and will only go as far as replacement of a connection pipe.

I get the waiting for contractors and the crazy prices charged, but messing it up may cost much more.

But, if you're confident in your work, so be it.

I agree with your premise. And that was the reason for my hesitation and my willingness to pay someone who does this for a living, and therefore the expectation they know what they are doing. But I have also experienced contractors who send out workmen of questionable talent and or experience, but no need to get into that. If I have any reservations about the installation it would be the on the basis of even using a flexible gas piping system versus the black iron pipe. It’s not even the piping itself but the fittings that are used to make the necessary connections. If there were any possibility of leaks this would be the spots. But, as with so many things I have to trust the engineering of the product being produced, and then my abilities to use the products and understand how they are to be applied. Whether iron pipe or CSST it’s really not rocket science. There are people out there that you wouldn’t want changing out a light bulb (exaggeration) much less a gas line, but  it’s really a matter of educating yourself and applying common sense. After this initial experience, I would have no fear of future needs to do the work myself.

Good for you, did you use flexible gas lines? Hopefully you added additional shut off valves for just in case purposes. Gotta love natural gas.  


I bought a 25’ roll of CSST, two connector fittings, a gas outlet box with cutoff and then I had to go back to get the 24” gas line to go from the cutoff to the heater itself. All the flex line I used, about 23’ was run as a continuous line with fittings on one end to connect to my iron pipe and another fitting to connect to the cutoff valve. All my other connections were threaded connections that use pipe thread sealer. All connections tested leak free! NATURAL GAS, I wish, I’m on propane.