Gas Pipe Touching Steam Pipe

Jeff_H

I am in the process of converting from oil heat to steam heat. I noticed that the newly installed gas pipes that are running from my gas meter to my new boiler are touching the steam pipes leading from the boiler in two places (some of the contact is pipe on pipe and some is gas pipe on the insulation covering the steam pipe).

Should I be concerned from a safety standpoint? I realize that the steam pipes can get hot and the last thing I want is the gas pipes to be damaged.

Thanks for any advice!

j a_2

Is it dangerous as far as heat transfer goes, no....Is is good workmanship, does not sound like it, post a pic or 2. Steam pipes expand and could apply stress on the gas pipe....that could be dangerous....Vibration is another issue....Standard practice, and sound mechanical work tells one pipes should not touch....jmo

j a_2

Post a pic of newly installed steamer....always nice to see steam work....

ChrisJ

I agree with j a.
My biggest concern would be getting the steam pipe insulated. How is that going to happen where a gas pipe is touching it? Also it could cause expansion noises as the steam pipe heats and cools.

SlamDunk

dont worry. melting point of black iron pipe is arounfd 1200'F. steam is around 215'F. And you need air for combustion.

worried about a chafe point? cut a piece of paint stirring stick and wedge between two pipes.

Steamhead

Is the gas pipe black threaded steel, or that flexible stuff with the yellow plastig jacket?

j a_2

Getting some good info here....if you take some pics and post them you will get better info...I assumed steel pipe from your post...The flexable crap come in yellow coated or now black coated. While your at it take a pic. of the new steam boiler

SlamDunk

gas companies run plastic lines into houses? Water lines get nicked with nail guns often enough, Can these pipes/tubes take abuse? Do they have a high melting point? I am certain plastic gas lines have their benefits but from the meter into my house, I prefer black iron. I can be careless in the basement.

Bob Bona_4

No one said anything about plastic line inside the house.

j a_2

Rob did you go to the veterans yuku site

SlamDunk

Bob Bona said:

No one said anything about plastic line inside the house.

My mistake...I mistook "flexable crap come in yellow coated or now black coated. " for plastic.

Jeff_H

Thank you all for your help! As it turns out, my plumber was able to move the new gas pipe away from the steam pipe. But I did notice that another gas pipe is touching two pipes (I think that they are copper) that are run from the top of my boiler. I've attached the pictures. Do you think I should be concerned?

j a_2

Can't they leave well enough alone. Black steel pipe is my choice...if you can't figure a way to run it with black

Abracadabra

Jeff_H said:

Thank you all for your help! As it turns out, my plumber was able to move the new gas pipe away from the steam pipe. But I did notice that another gas pipe is touching two pipes (I think that they are copper) that are run from the top of my boiler. I've attached the pictures. Do you think I should be concerned?

Copper should not touch iron pipe. You'll get galvanic corrosion damaging the copper pipe.

j a_2

Step back and take a couple pics of the new boiler and recent work....possible red flag here, but pic will help...Post if you want

ChrisJ

j a said:

Can't they leave well enough alone. Black steel pipe is my choice...if you can't figure a way to run it with black

They used black, he's talking about copper water pipes.

j a_2

Great thanks for helping me understand

Jeff_H

Attached are some pictures. The new gas pipe is the black pipe in the last photo (which is a similar picture to one of the ones I attached above). It runs perpendicular to two pipes (one above it and one below it). I think the top one is a gas pipe that runs to my clothes dryer and/or bar-b-que and the bottom one is a water pipe.

KC_Jones

Did a professional actually run the gas pipes on your boiler and water heater?

Jeff_H

Hatterasguy -The pipes are touching.

Kc_Jones - the piping on the water heater have been In place for some time. The ones on the boiler were just installed (I just replaced the boiler). Does something look wrong with the piping?

KC_Jones

Which pipe has been there for some time? There are 2 gas lines coming down from the ceiling to the water heater, one is connected one is not. The boiler appears to have a feed from the ceiling, but then they are both connected at the bottom with that yellow flex line. Where is the feed coming from? That yellow shouldn't be there. The bottom of those feeds is for a drip leg in case there is moisture or garbage in the gas it can settle out and not go into your appliance. I can't for the life of me figure out what they are trying to do here. Also if the feed is going from the water heater to the boiler through the yellow line, there is no way that line can handle that load. 1/2" line isn't enough to feed 2 appliances of that size. Generally speaking 1/2" line is enough to feed one appliance, maybe 2 if the BTU's are low enough on them. There are charts for figuring all this out. Basically those gas lines look like hack work, unless they are doing some kind of temporary work until everything is finished up? Was a permit pulled for this work?

Jeff_H

KC - I omitted to mention something very relevant. The new boiler was put in a just few days ago but the we have not gotten sign off from the local utility (permits were pulled). I was told that when the local utility does the gas shut down and is ready to give the sign off (I am converting from oil to gas heat), the yellow line will be replaced and the unconnected gas line will be connected (the one that is currently connected has been in place for some time). I was so focused on my concern about the pipes touching that I forgot to mention the status of the installation when I took the picture. I have attached a wider angle picture. Given the above, does the layout look correct?

KC_Jones

Makes a lot more sense now. Also what size Burnham Independence is that?

Jeff_H

Thanks! It is a Burnham IN6.

jonny88

Are my eyes playing tricks on me.Equalizer pipe minimum is 11/2 also at what height is the Hartford Loop.Not sure if I am seeing it clearly but it looks kinda high to me.

Fred

jonny88 said:

Are my eyes playing tricks on me.Equalizer pipe minimum is 11/2 also at what height is the Hartford Loop.Not sure if I am seeing it clearly but it looks kinda high to me.

Equalizer pipe looks like 1-1/2 to me. Hard to tell, from these pictures, if the Hartford loop is high.

Jeff_H

I can take a measurement. What height should it be?

Fred

It should be below the normal water level of the boiler (when boiler is not running and water level is properly filled).

j a_2

It should be as the manufuure specs in th install manual...if ur installer does not understand that., I would be a bit concerned