What is this, and can I continue using it for a gas line?

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gstout52

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Hi folks, first time poster here.

My home was built in 1925. At some point, this (copper?) line was installed as a gas line, and connected to a small gas heater in the basement. I want to install a gas stove, and my question is: can I use this same line for a new gas stove? And is it indeed copper?

20220807_140150.jpg

Here is where the (maybe copper) line connects to the (brass or iron) pipe, near where it comes into the house.
20220807_143859.jpg
 
Don't think you will get enough gas thru that line for a stove.
 
First off welcome to the forum.



That line is a type of flexible copper tubing that comes in a roll unlike ridged copper that comes in lengths and is connected with solder joints. The flexible you have is connected by flaring the ends after cutting it and then using a flair fitting. It was commonly used for gas lines and can be bent using a bending tool to go around corners.



Our house is an old house that underwent many improvements over its time and the hook up for the kitchen stove is just the same as what you have and I left it and it is fine.
 
First off welcome to the forum.



That line is a type of flexible copper tubing that comes in a roll unlike ridged copper that comes in lengths and is connected with solder joints. The flexible you have is connected by flaring the ends after cutting it and then using a flair fitting. It was commonly used for gas lines and can be bent using a bending tool to go around corners.



Our house is an old house that underwent many improvements over its time and the hook up for the kitchen stove is just the same as what you have and I left it and it is fine.
Excellent, thanks for this! I guess I'll just need to head in to Lowes to find out how to (1) join the end of this copper tube to another piece so that it's long enough to reach the gas stove and (2) connect whatever fitting will be needed to connect to the gas stove itself.
 
Excellent, thanks for this! I guess I'll just need to head in to Lowes to find out how to (1) join the end of this copper tube to another piece so that it's long enough to reach the gas stove and (2) connect whatever fitting will be needed to connect to the gas stove itself.
Depending on how long the run is and how much you are making it longer you may want to rethink adding to it. You can buy a flair to flair coupler and you will need a tube cutter and a flair tool.



The other way to do it would be to shut off the gas and go all the way back to the old shutoff valve and replace it with a new modern valve and then run gas pipe to get close to where you need to be and then transition to a flex hook up short section.



Cost and ease of doing the job would determine it for me.
 
Depending on how long the run is and how much you are making it longer you may want to rethink adding to it. You can buy a flair to flair coupler and you will need a tube cutter and a flair tool.



The other way to do it would be to shut off the gas and go all the way back to the old shutoff valve and replace it with a new modern valve and then run gas pipe to get close to where you need to be and then transition to a flex hook up short section.



Cost and ease of doing the job would determine it for me.
That's helpful and actionable. I'll see what the materials will cost and make up my mind. I demoed the area where the tubing runs now, so access isn't an issue.
 
This is false, as copper has been, and is still used in MINN. for natural gas.
 
In CA, it was also black iron with short sections of galv., because the galv. flaking off could plug/obstruct offices. We also used schemed 80 PVC, with a traser wire, for pool heaters.
 
It's the jurisdiction determination, as to who can install the product; In addition to be licensed in the jurisdiction, "FlashShield+ or Gastite corrugated stainless steel tubing (CSST) flexible gas piping material must only be installed by an installer who has been successfully trained through the FlashShield+ and Gastite® training program."

The product is a retail Item.

csst gas line LOWES

csst gas line HOME DEPOT

csst gas line menards
 
First quote came back: $1,165. Holy smokes. Fortunately, the quote also came with a parts list.

Serious question: why would anyone who does home repairs himself, can follow directions, and is capable of using tools, not DIY this? I get that gas is scary, but then again, so is: tetanus, electricity, falling ceilings, and a whole host of other things that we accept as risks when doing work ourselves (or, for that matter, when paying someone else to do it)?
 
Trade schools, in your area, may offer courses and certifications.
 
First quote came back: $1,165. Holy smokes. Fortunately, the quote also came with a parts list.

Serious question: why would anyone who does home repairs himself, can follow directions, and is capable of using tools, not DIY this? I get that gas is scary, but then again, so is: tetanus, electricity, falling ceilings, and a whole host of other things that we accept as risks when doing work ourselves (or, for that matter, when paying someone else to do it)?
I was born in 1955 and watched my dad build the family home from pouring the footer to nailing on the ridge cap. The only things I remember him hiring done were digging the hole and plastering the walls. I have no idea how he knew how to do everything but about half the dads in town were doing the same thing and the other half were buying little homes from a couple of local guys that built them one at a time moving down the street one lot at a time.



Today is a different world and the powers to be seem to think no one can do anything without going to school for it.



About 20 years ago my nephew lived in a little shack that just happened to be in an area that became very desirable and a millionaire offered him way more than it was worth to get the property. He asked me if he could build a nice house for the money and if I would help him out. The county he lived in I told him no way as they would beat him to death with code. But the next county over was still old school. He went in with his plans on a single sheet of tablet paper and they said looks good 10 bucks and he had a permit. To pretty much do what he wanted on his 12 acres. Today that would never happen.



About 8 years ago I bought a short sale home that needed everything done to it. I didn’t hire anyone to do anything except the Amish to put a metal roof on and my idea is my home is my castle and what I do inside is my business along with most of what I do outside as long as I’m not changing the footprint. If I felt I could and wanted to do the job you are talking about I would just do it.



IMO you are doing it right asking questions and learning what you need to learn.
 
I agree with Bud, and you can probably find the above referenced training online. Sit down at the computer and see how they want it done and your trained. You probably won't get a certificate, but you will have the knowledge,
 
The bottom line for me is we are becoming a place where many people just can’t afford to hire work done. Then combine that with the large number of people that ether don’t know how to do these tasks or are older or disabled and can’t do the tasks. So in effect we have people living with ongoing problems sometimes health and safety issues.



There are outside charitable organizations that sometimes help with volunteers and they are great, but sadly can’t cover all the needs.



If all the homes in a city are damaged by a storm we manage to go in and try and get things back to normal. If just one home gets hit and the person can’t afford the fix and is under insured then they end up living with it if they don’t do something themselves or with friends and family.



As a teen I remember many times my dad saying get in the car we are going over to some neighbors house to fix this or that. They were ether old or the job was too heavy for one person to do or we had some tools they didn’t have. I also remember people coming to help us with stuff. I don’t see that too much today.



I often say the little town I now live in is stuck in the 60s and it is in a good way. We took a big tree down a couple years ago and I was moving the chunks of wood to the back yard to rid of them one piece at a time on my Harbor Freight hand truck. The last piece was so big I was having a lot of trouble getting it on the dolly and the local town cop stopped and came over and helped me load it and also pull it around the house. I was pretty shocked he even got his nice blue shirt dirty with pinesap.



You have to do what you have to do sometimes.
 
Thanks for this, guys. I've been doing work myself for a long time and I'm comfortable doing a lot around the house. I let myself get sucked into the panic of 'you'll blow up your house and kill your family if you do gas yourself' even though I usually know better. The reviews on the Pro-Flex CSST on Lowes are full of good advice and mention instructions given by Pro-Flex. If someone gives an affordable quote, I'll take them up on it. Otherwise, next Saturday morning is gas line time.

My wife has wanted a gas stove for 15 years. Time to deliver!
 
It's a paradox, with the incentives to switch to elec.

What I found was the gas ranger we had on SO CAL had burners configure too heat from the center out and here in MINN, the new range's burners are configured to heat from the outside of the pan in, so I was burning my oatmeal. My cure was a single burner elec. which heats from the center out. No more burned oatmeal.
 
Thanks for this, guys. I've been doing work myself for a long time and I'm comfortable doing a lot around the house. I let myself get sucked into the panic of 'you'll blow up your house and kill your family if you do gas yourself' even though I usually know better. The reviews on the Pro-Flex CSST on Lowes are full of good advice and mention instructions given by Pro-Flex. If someone gives an affordable quote, I'll take them up on it. Otherwise, next Saturday morning is gas line time.

My wife has wanted a gas stove for 15 years. Time to deliver!
There is a CSST certification on their website. It’s easy. Never mentions bonding which is very important. Check YouTube for how to do
 

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