Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.
If our community has helped you, please consider making a contribution to support this website. Thanks!

Help Identifying Fitting

Options
CDS
CDS Member Posts: 2
in Plumbing

Can someone identify what this fitting was used for and how old it may be?

IMG_0226.jpeg IMG_0227.jpeg

Comments

  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 17,194

    looks like a gas cock, probably for a portable space heater or gas lamp. is there other evidence of gas lighting? probably from the late 19th century to the 1920's.

  • pecmsg
    pecmsg Member Posts: 7,180

    old gas cock

  • Mad Dog_2
    Mad Dog_2 Member Posts: 8,642

    Gas Pet Cock. Mad Dog

    Consulting by Mad Dog & Matt Jr.
  • pecmsg
    pecmsg Member Posts: 7,180

    high school Science class

  • Mad Dog_2
    Mad Dog_2 Member Posts: 8,642

    Very old homes and buildings in old cities used natural for lighting the rooms. Be careful, sometimes they are still live and connected. Mad Dog

    Consulting by Mad Dog & Matt Jr.
  • CDS
    CDS Member Posts: 2

    Thanks for the answers everybody. I’ll be sure to check if they’re still connected to a live gas line.

  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 17,194
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1897202#Comment_1897202

    i mean they usually used town gas/manufactured gas which was carbon monoxide. natural gas would have been far safer. they usually got connected to the natural gas system when it came to town in the 40's and 50's.

  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 17,194

    the op asked what connected to the barb in a private message. some people will know more than me here so i'll post the answer publicly:

    just a hose that would shove over the fitting, probably just rubber tubing but that is a little beyond my historical knowledge. gas is under very low pressure, gas piping is more like ductwork than piping, the tension of the rubber is enough to keep it from leaking. it is like a chemistry laboratory. there are engineered connectors for labs with reinforced hoses and rubber bushings that connect to the barb now but in the early 90's when i was in high school those were just becoming a thing so i don't know if there was a heavier duty connector for them in the early 20th century or if it was always rubber tubing.

Categories