Home Restoration: Working with gas installations

If there is something very delicate to work with when doing home restoration (regardless of the level) that is installing stuff that requires connection to the gas piping.

The dangers implied in this kind of jobs are plenty and they require not just of finesse when doing them but also extreme care in handling the tools used for the task. One of the first things you need to do is to close the main valve. This will ensure that there is no gas running when you begin installing either a new stove or a new heater.

If you are installing a new stove make sure to follow the install instructions that come with it and make sure all connections are tight and well set. Then open the valve for a few seconds and listen for and leaks that might be occurring, you can also use soap water on the pipes and hoses and see if there are bubbles. That would be a signal of a leak.

In the case of a heater make sure that all the pipe installation is well set to walls and ceiling and that there is nothing lose either on the heater itself or on the pipes, like you did with the stove, open the main valve briefly to make sure there are no leaks in all the connection points.

NEVER ever have anything that can create a spark, leave alone a flame when you check for gas leaks, this could have catastrophic results if a leak is present.

Once you are sure that everything is fine you can open the main valve completely. We recommend that you constantly check for leaks at least once a week to make sure that nothing has come loose after install. Always remember to close the main valve before you check.

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