Plumbing Help Needed - Gas Tape

Hi all,

Just need a bit of advice/help with a gas plumbing issue.

I am hooking up my new gas stove and one of the connections isnt sealing properly. While I am screwing the regulator onto the gas pipe the yellow gas tape seems to be slipping and as such is not giving a good seal.

When I test it with soap water bubbles develop which indicates a leak. When I unscrew the regulator it is apparent the thread is just being forced back and bunching up and not sealing in the grooves. All the other joins are perfect and sealing properly.

Can anyone please tell me the best way to stop the gas tape from slipping? I am using about 3 - 4 full turns of tape on each joint.

Make sure you wrap the tape in the direction that the nut tightens up...or should I say make sure your gas fitter does...


Tools

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Originally Posted by Tools

Make sure you wrap the tape in the direction that the nut tightens up...or should I say make sure your gas fitter does...


Tools

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yep already do the direction the correct way, any other ideas? thanks

score / scratch the thread first, thats what your gasfitter would do, before he gives you your certificate of compliance..........................

I avoid tape now days and use Loctite 577

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Originally Posted by Tankstand

I avoid tape now days and use Loctite 577

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Thanks :)

spoke to my plumber, he thinks i might be using too much tape I will try it tomorrow with just two turns as recommended on the tape container.

Thanks all for the suggestions.

Im 100% with davo2310 on this......
it is illegal for an unlicensed person to connect a fixed gas appliance, eg cooktop.
If something were to happen your insurance company wont go anywhere near you........just a thought......

I ended up getting a local plumber/gas fitter in to do the job, cos I just couldnt get it right.

Problem is I still seem to have a very slight leak, cant detect it using soapie water spray on the line, only by watching the gas meter over a 1/2 hour period.

I cant even smell it near the stove either. The leak is definately between the stove and its connection as when I shut off the gas tap at the connection no leakage is detected at the meter.

For the plumbers - if you installed this and then had to come back again and check it would you charge another fee?

Seems most likely from the way you described it that your leak is within the stove itself and not the connection done by the plumber.

I would first get someone to look at the stove before I would ask the plumber back.

Peter.

My thoughts on doing your own gas work :blowup: :stretcher:

If the plumber has to come back to fix it he should not charge.
If there is no leak and it's just your imagination or in the stove as Sturdee said, it will cost you.

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Originally Posted by NCArcher

My thoughts on doing your own gas work :blowup: :stretcher:

If the plumber has to come back to fix it he should not charge.
If there is no leak and it's just your imagination or in the stove as Sturdee said, it will cost you.

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Definately not my imagination, i can see it on the meter. Its not the actual numbers turning its the dial to the right of it measuring the fraction of the numbers.

Its a brand new stove, so i would hope it is not it causing the problem.

Any chance it could be the flexi hose? I bought it brand new as well.

Pilot light in oven ??????

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Originally Posted by DavidG

Pilot light in oven ??????

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nup, electric oven(Gas hot plates). Good thought though.

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Originally Posted by damien

Its a brand new stove, so i would hope it is not it causing the problem.

Any chance it could be the flexi hose? I bought it brand new as well.

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If there is no leak when the stop tap at the connection is turned of then your leak is either the flexible hose connection (but not likely as installed by a plumber) or the flexible hose itself or the stove or the regulator you mentioned in post no 1. And it could also be a combination of all of them.

So it is a matter of eliminating each part and again I would start at the stove.

Being brand new doesn't mean that all the internal connections are tight enough and I would check all of them first. If any seem to be not tight enough, do not tighten them yourself but get the manufactrurer to fix it. Else your future warranty is void.

Peter.

Older gas lines may leak a small amount- the plumber who installed the oven should have carried out a leak test on your service line and discovered any leaks. Did a plumber actually do the job?

It is likely that your service is leaking a small amount, you should get the whole service tested. The leak might be from a pilot light anywhere in your house - Hot water, air cond, heater, etc, It could be from any gas appliance you have at your house.

Check your stove if you like, my answer would be to book a plumber to carry out a test on your service and give you the results.

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Originally Posted by bricks

Older gas lines may leak a small amount- the plumber who installed the oven should have carried out a leak test on your service line and discovered any leaks. Did a plumber actually do the job?

It is likely that your service is leaking a small amount, you should get the whole service tested. The leak might be from a pilot light anywhere in your house - Hot water, air cond, heater, etc, It could be from any gas appliance you have at your house.

Check your stove if you like, my answer would be to book a plumber to carry out a test on your service and give you the results.

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The entire system only shows a leak when the local tap connected only to the stove outlet is open. When closed there is no leakage at all. So i know the leakage must be between the gas tap and the stove, all up about 2 metres or the stove itself.

The gas in the house ONLY runs to the bbq and to the new stove so no pilot lights exist.

Oh and yes plumber has now done all the work.

Plumber 1 installed new gas piping near the stove and installed the gas tap.

Plumber 2 installed the reg and flexihose to the stove (hotplates)

Looks like a soap solution spray on every joint and fitting from the tap to the last thing on the line. :C

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Originally Posted by DavidG

Looks like a soap solution spray on every joint and fitting from the tap to the last thing on the line. :C

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done, with no success :~

so it must be either the hose, regulator (not the joints though), or the stove????

I meant joints inside the stove as well. Inc the gas taps.

Griller pilot light ?????? probably electric.

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Originally Posted by damien

done, with no success :~

so it must be either the hose, regulator (not the joints though), or the stove????

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Disconnect the stove Via The flexi hose, some times If theres no flat fibre washer in the stainless compression nut at the back it may leak.
But you can put a 15mm brass plug in the end of the flexi and test again, that should tell you if it's the pipework or the oven.

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Originally Posted by damien

Can anyone please tell me the best way to stop the gas tape from slipping? I am using about 3 - 4 full turns of tape on each joint.

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plumber that just did our pipe here used about 10 turns....

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Originally Posted by Terrian

plumber that just did our pipe here used about 10 turns....

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Even the tape manufacturer says to only use 2 turns.

The plumber i got in to do it used some paste like substance.Seems to be much better than the tape.

"stag"

Mate every male thread you tape up is slightly different these days, a lot due to the rubbish thats being bought in from OS, after a while you get a feel for when you have enough tape on the thread. PS manufacturers are starting to skimp on the quality of teflon also, just like everything else these days.

G'day ppl,

wonderplumb,
you are SO correct about the deteration of the Quality of Fittings.
At work we use both the Loctite Paste AND Thread tape together, 2 to 3 turns of tape over the Paste.:2tsup:

Works for myself and the Plumber, :rolleyes:
I'm an Instro Tech:B

Spot on but I do it the other way around, teflon first and a smear of loctite 567 works a treat.

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Originally Posted by damien

Plumber 1 installed new gas piping near the stove and installed the gas tap.

Plumber 2 installed the reg and flexihose to the stove (hotplates)

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The Plumber who installed the stove is to ensure there is no leak. If he doesn't come back to fix it and you complain then he will lose his liscence, Call the office of the technical regulator.

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Originally Posted by bricks

The Plumber who installed the stove is to ensure there is no leak. If he doesn't come back to fix it and you complain then he will lose his liscence, Call the office of the technical regulator.

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I have a repair guy coming out next monday to fix a light that is playing up, so when I called I mentioned a possible gas leak in the hotplates, so if nothing is found in the oven itself then it brings the suspicion of the leak back to the hose/fittings/regulator.

Oh as the regulator was supplied by the oven company I presume this will also be subject to warranty as provided it is faulty.

Time will tell.

For now when we use the hotplates we just switch the gas off at the gas tap next to the stove. All works well otherwise.