# Demo-ing Old Gas Light Piping



## Rudeboy (Oct 6, 2009)

It doesn't sound like you're quite 99% sure about it being disco'd.
If you are, cut away.

Is this directly for an HO or is a GC involved?


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

> Can't get the cap to back off with a pipe wrench.


Try harder girly....and use two wrenches.

If you remove the cap on a live line, don't panic, it's only 30 PSI and you can get it back on. If there is a water heater or something with a pilot flame nearby, don't even attempt it.

If you sawzall the live line, you are in a more difficult situation.

In either case, locate the gas main valve first.


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## Jupe Blue (Aug 18, 2008)

For the homeowner who says that the house started as a single family, then was converted to a duplex, then back to a single family. Has two electrical services, but I can see where the gas service to the upstairs unit has been cut off.

Yeah, am 99% sure, but that little 1% is enough for me to see what other electricians have experienced.

All other gas piping that I've demo'd didn't have caps on the stubs. They were just taped up.


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## Jupe Blue (Aug 18, 2008)

220/221 said:


> Try harder girly....and use two wrenches.


As a matter of fact, I am a girl. I don't think that was the reason I couldn't get the cap to turn. Unfortunately, I only have a 24" pipe wrench on my van (not two). 

But I appreciate the advice about potential pressure in the line. Key is to not panic!


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## Rudeboy (Oct 6, 2009)

A little more details couldn't hurt. Is a new light going in place of the old one?


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## Bob Badger (Apr 19, 2009)

As long as you are on the customer side of the regulator the pressure is very low.



> When the gas reaches a customer's meter, it passes through another regulator to reduce its pressure to under ¼ pound, if this is necessary. (Some services lines carry gas that is already at very low pressure.) This is the normal pressure for natural gas within a household piping system, and is less than the pressure created by a child blowing bubbles through a straw in a glass of milk. When a gas furnace or stove is turned on, the gas pressure is slightly higher than the air pressure, so the gas flows out of the burner and ignites in its familiar clean blue flame.



http://www.aga.org/Kc/aboutnaturalgas/consumerinfo/NGDeliverySystem.htm


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## mattsilkwood (Sep 21, 2008)

220/221 said:


> If you remove the cap on a live line, don't panic, it's only 30 PSI and you can get it back on. If there is a water heater or something with a pilot flame nearby, don't even attempt it.


 It's not even that much pressure. If I remember right natural gas is like 4psi and propane is about double that.


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## Jupe Blue (Aug 18, 2008)

Rudeboy said:


> A little more details couldn't hurt. Is a new light going in place of the old one?


Demo-ing because the piping stick about 2" below the ceiling. The old light fixture had a very tall canopy. Will then demo out the K & T. The hole will then be patched. Installing 5 new fixtures in other locations in the kitchen.


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## electricmanscott (Feb 11, 2010)

I would not even consider cutting it unless you are 100% sure it is disconnected. I have unscrewed the stub only to find myself scrambling to screw it back in before I blow the place up.


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## pjmurph2002 (Sep 18, 2009)

electricmanscott said:


> I would not even consider cutting it unless you are 100% sure it is disconnected. I have unscrewed the stub only to find myself scrambling to screw it back in before I blow the place up.


:thumbsup:

I couldn't agree more.

When you get the cap off, look inside the stub for wax, or any other substance that may have been used to fill the pipe. I have found wax on a number of occasions.


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

Jupe Blue said:


> As a matter of fact, I am a girl. I don't think that was the reason I couldn't get the cap to turn.


 
Get a man to help you out. Bake him some biscuits or something to return the favor.:laughing:

Seriously, it's not a crime ya know. People have different strengths. I'd wager that I could get the cap off with a pair of channel locks. I could certainly get it off with a 24" pipe wrench. I'd also wager that there are things you could do that I could not.....like breastfeed. Crap...I just can't help myself.:jester:


Working a pipe wrench horizontally, 6" from the ceiling *isn't an easy task*. It's one of those angles that will seriously tweek something. If the nipple starts unscrewing and you need a backup wrench, it wll be even worse.


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

mattsilkwood said:


> It's not even that much pressure. If I remember right natural gas is like 4psi and propane is about double that.


 
You are correct. I think it's less that a pound. For inspection, I had to pump it up to 30 PSI and I get easily confused.


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## Jupe Blue (Aug 18, 2008)

Got the pipe out. Remember I mentioned that I saw some cut off gas piping in the basement? I attached (taped) a long piece of THHN to the the gas stub, ran it to the basement and tested for continuity to try to verify that the cut off pipe was part of the kitchen lighting system. I had continuity and the cut off pipe was open in the basement so I felt safe to chop the stub out.


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## Geoff C (May 26, 2010)

Most gas is around 2psi


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