# Propane and sweated fittings



## OkieDavid (Jan 15, 2007)

Can you use solder sweated copper fittings to run propane or is that a code/safety violation? I've seen propane/nat gas routed through black galvanized pipe and copper but all I recall on the copper is flared fittings. Also saw a compression fitting gas shut off valve at the supply store- Looked like any other handle ball valve except it was labled as a gas shut off valve and cost twice the price. This is for a re-model I'm working on (ours) and sweated copper (with flares on the terminal ends) would be the most asthetic option, soft copper with the compression shut off would be the easiest as the existing shut off (where black pipe converts to flared copper) would be located behind the hot water heater post re-model. Other option of course would be to re-route the black pipe (under crawl space) and punch a new hole in the floor.....most costly, looks the best BUT requires crawling under the house and tunneling under floor joists LOL.


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## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

Iron pipe or the flexible ss pipe are what the local plumbers have to use... They say the ss pipe costs more, but it installs as quick as you can lay it out and cut it, so its their favorite. The customer saves money on plumbers time.


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## Forty Acres (May 14, 2007)

I am sure that soldered fittings would be a code violation for LPG. 

If you needed to make a repair, you sure wouldn't want to fire up the torch and pop loose an LPG fitting. 

My experience has been: copper tubing for water are either soldered or compression fittings. Copper tubing for LPG is always flared.


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## tyusclan (Jan 1, 2005)

NEVER use sweated fittings for propane. Flare only. Compression used to be allowed, but no more.


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## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

I think sweated connections will work fine as the pressure is 11 water column inches or less for gas but the code doesn't directly address this. If you are code concerned this I would stay with black iron threaded connections or flared copper connections. If you use plastic you can use heat fused or mechanical connections. Stainless steel is expensive and requires CSST certified installers. 

If it were me, I would run iron to the closest point of connection then flex to the appliance.

backwoodsidaho


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## tyusclan (Jan 1, 2005)

It's not a matter of sweated fittings holding the pressure. The problem is the fire hazard if you have to make a repair.


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## woodsrunner (Nov 28, 2003)

Gas should be flared copper or threaded black iron for the lines and flared copper or stainless for flex connectors. Also galvanized is a no no. As are close threaded pipe nipples, nipples must have an unthreaded portion of pipe wall present.


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## woodsrunner (Nov 28, 2003)

tyusclan said:


> It's not a matter of sweated fittings holding the pressure. The problem is the fire hazard if you have to make a repair.


Also the molecules of gasses are smaller than liquids and more likely to leak. That is also the reason behind the no close nippes rule and why teflon tape was illegal for so many years.


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## ColumbiaSC. (Nov 25, 2005)

when I set up our homestead, I had sweated in the TEE to run to my BBQ grill, the Propane man saw it and cut it out then replaced it with a flared fitting. after that I understood no sweat joints only flared ones are allowed. it makes sence now. It is a safety issue.


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## mdharris68 (Sep 28, 2006)

From my experience servicing LP furnaces, stoves, heaters and such, black iron is superior to copper for one reason. The additive in propane that gives it the odor, causes the inside of the copper to flake and when this happens, the flakes plug pilot orfices. Forget about copper and go black iron pipe.


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## OkieDavid (Jan 15, 2007)

Thanks a bunch guys! Looks like I'll go with the black iron to match everything else. In doing so all I will have to do is reroute about 24" of pipe and punch through the floor, in doing so I'll be able to remove and reuse the existing shut off and short flared flexible copper to the unit.

P.S. Woods- Thanks for the expanded comments- didn't know about the galvanized or closed nipple rules... Learn something new everyday LOL.

David


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