street elbows on gas

keyote

I know im going to get slaughtered here but I had to tie in two new gas riser I ran into the existing main run across the cellar which was at the same elevation and close to the heating main run long story short i really really wanted to use union because i know its all getting ripped out in a couple years as im renovating from the top floor down. before yoy tear me up know while not a plumber i am a HVAC guy though tin side. and have built and plumbed hald a dozen homes in my life i have my own threading equipment even so im not a novive i know code and i pressure tested in fact the two new runs to the top floor had gauges on them for over a year while i agonized over HTF i was going to get pipe from four directions to line up perfectly enough for right left coupling all so close together[ piece of cake] the only catch was i would have to come out of the tees i put into existing with street elbows even the i had to drift the main down 1/4' from the meter 30' away. yeah I know street elbows and gas. It seemed a lot of these rules go back to manufacturing problems that no longer exist these seemed to have a bit of taper but not as much as usual. since i had to put the two tees and two elbows together in the vice i got it all very tight and i kept all four sections of pipe independently pressure tested as i worked mainly to know if i got a leak where it was before i got to far with this difficult tie in. so i felt so much better having done the right job with the 1 1/4 right/ lefts but now am obsessing on the street elbows. ironically 30 feet away the utility has used unions street elbows and bushings all leading into the meter which is only supported by the pipe attached to it and a piece of rope someone tied to a vent line above. so much for licenses. while looking into the union issue i realized despite many on here and elsewhere telling people who inquired about unions they were going to die when there house exploded and kill their kids and neighbors too, it was also obvious many parts of the US use unions routinely and some areas forbid right lefts but my judgement had to admit left right done properly were going to be a better job much better. the street elbows didnt worry me until of course i was done i still cant find a way around them short of redoing the entire cellar piping which like i said in a few years is in the plans.

ChrisJ

What's your question?

keyote

i guess the question is are street elbows really so terrible or just avoid if possible situation. if its passed the pressure tests can i breath easy

ChrisJ

Best I can tell, some places don't allow them, some do, some don't care either way.

I have at least one on my system right at the meter and the gas co was out here a month or so ago to inspect the meter and he didn't care. He even touched the paint up for me.

My main concern would be no cast iron on gas, malleable only.

That said, as always local codes are always what you should be following.

unclejohn

If the supply house sells it doesn't that mean it's OK?

Snowmelt

supply house sells pex but that doesn't mean you should use it all the time. there's a place and time to use certain items.

lchmb

how about I've seen thousands...honestly...on LP gas systems. Then again, close nipples...when I started you weren't even allowed to carry them in the trucks..now...a couple dozen...
I will say, I've tested more systems than I care to think of, and generally dont find issue's with street 90's and unions. More often than not I find issue's with flared fittings...

ChrisJ

unclejohn said:

If the supply house sells it doesn't that mean it's OK?

black iron and galvanized fittings are used on a lot more than just natural gas and LP.

jonny88

When Nat grid set a meter they use a 90 then a str 90 for swing.Personally try to avoid them

jjheat

In New York, Con Edison doesn't allow any street fittings. I avoid them anywhere I work.

Bob Harper

The IFGC and NFPA 54 do NOT prohibit them. If your local utility or local ordinance say otherwise then don't use them. Otherwise, ok. I'd like to see something in writing where prohibited and why.