Jadnashua
Retired Defense Industry Engineer xxx
The local fire marshall and building department have dictated that there can no longer be any propane fueled grills on a deck attached to a dwelling. I'm going to change the jets and any other required parts on my grill so I can plumb in natural gas to it. One neighbor had a plumber do his using flex pipe to the quick disconnect and shutoff. While that would be nice, it seems you can't buy this (flex and fittings) unless you are certified in its installation. The existing internal stuff is black iron. I've got a T with one outlet capped that can be used to supply the new line.
Are there any special points that I should be aware of if I do this myself (otherthan blowing myself up?!)?
The main shutoff valve is a one-way valve; you need a special tool to turn it back on. I've actually made one that works but was told that I could have problems turning it back on because a slug could fall and (intentionally) plug the line. Is this bogus? Is there a visual way to tell if this is true (if it is used some places)? Have I been lucky the last 2-3 times I shut it off to do something?
The last time I did this, I found out that the main shutoff did not really fully shut off the the gas (it did slow it down alot, though). When doing some changes with the main valve off, I found that I needed another fitting, closed up the door, ran to HD, and found a bunch of gas when I returned. So much for the gas company's shut off. with this in mind, should I consider having a pro do this operation?
I found a nice 360 degree swivel in the Grainger catalog with an integrated quick disconnect and shutoff. While this may be overkill, would you recommend this, or should I just use something rigid? Note that the grill will NOT be bolted down and can be moved around.
Are there any special points that I should be aware of if I do this myself (otherthan blowing myself up?!)?
The main shutoff valve is a one-way valve; you need a special tool to turn it back on. I've actually made one that works but was told that I could have problems turning it back on because a slug could fall and (intentionally) plug the line. Is this bogus? Is there a visual way to tell if this is true (if it is used some places)? Have I been lucky the last 2-3 times I shut it off to do something?
The last time I did this, I found out that the main shutoff did not really fully shut off the the gas (it did slow it down alot, though). When doing some changes with the main valve off, I found that I needed another fitting, closed up the door, ran to HD, and found a bunch of gas when I returned. So much for the gas company's shut off. with this in mind, should I consider having a pro do this operation?
I found a nice 360 degree swivel in the Grainger catalog with an integrated quick disconnect and shutoff. While this may be overkill, would you recommend this, or should I just use something rigid? Note that the grill will NOT be bolted down and can be moved around.