AboutBill Brainard Expertise I can solve most heating related problems with furnaces and air conditioners(natural gas,propane, electric)(no oil or heat pumps) & some boilers and most control problems. Iam a heating & air cond contractor with 30 some years behind me. I spent 12 years working for Sears doing this type of work.
Experience I have graduated from 10 or 12 factory schools on gas furnaces ( 70%, 80%, 90%+ AFUE), basic air conditioning, air conditioning service, advanced air conditioning, oil furnaces, wall furnaces, floor furnaces, air handlers, coils, compressors, multi-speed (1 speed to 12 speed) furnaces, mobile home furnaces and air conditioners etc...
Question I need to remove a furnace and cap off a gas line in order to have a heat pump/air conditioning unit installed (someone else will be doing the installation). It looks basically straight forward to me. I was going to shut off the gas at the furnace and then at the main. Then run my hot water till the water heater tries to come on and uses all the remaining gas and makes the pilot light go out (just so you know, the furnace and water heater are next to each other in a utility closet). I have already disconnected the electrical from the furnace, I was then going to remove the gas line from the furnace and take the furnace out.
I need to remove part of the gas line and cap it off (no cutting of any gas line, the sections are threaded). The section I need to remove is a couple of sections connected together that form a 90 degree angle. I was going to remove the sections and install a cap with adhesive that I will get from the hardware store on the end of the line (the end of the line is threaded).
Then I was going to turn on the gas and test the cap with soapy water for leaks.
The area where I will be doing this is in a hallway that is right next to a door that goes to out to my garage and there is a window that is about 15 feet in another direction. I was going to keep both of these open for ventilation in case any gas is still in the pipe and does go out (I imagine this will be minimal).
I would like to get your opinion on what I plan to do and do you have any suggestions.
Also do you think I will have any problem relighting the water heater pilot?
Thanks, Larry
Answer Easy task. Don't make it so involved. Just shut the gas "Off" at the meter. The water heater pilot will take care of any gas line pressure. No need to touch anything else.Unscrew the offending pipe. Put in a "Plug" or "Cap" as required. Use some gas line pipe dope. (not white teflon tape) - (TFE paste, pipe dope, teflon paste, Rector Seal dope, etc...) That means most any pipe dope. The hardware store has small 1 oz. tubes for a buck. Then light the water heater normally. It will take several seconds for gas to fill the pipe & get to the water heater. Normally the gas line pressure is 4 ounces. Very low. It is several pounds up to the house and it is reduced at the meter/regulator to 4 ounces. Don't use adhesive on pipe threads. Just pipe compound (pipe dope). Let me know how it goes. Later
