Gas Test Gauge - anyone have one?

[BillSmith]

I have NG on my deck with two connections. I added a third connection and wanted to use a gas test gauge to verify there are no leaks. I got one from Amazon and added a 3/4” pipe and cap to it. I started to pump it with air and I noticed that it’s already pinned to the Max pressure. Uggh, defective gauge.

I got a different one from Amazon and did the same thing once I verified it wasn’t busted from the get go. I filled it with air and it’s holding but leaks the air over a couple of minutes. Great. I need to find the leak which I suspect is where the gauge is threaded into the pipe since I don’t see any dope.



Here’s the previous one showing that it’s pinned. Amazon gave me a refund on it.

 

[John K BBQ]

I buy plenty of stuff on Amazon and some of it's pretty junky. Sometimes I wonder who'd win the % of junk per sale Harbor Freight or Amazon? I am waiting for some herbicide spray nozzle to arrive soon and just hoping they are not garbage for the $9.00 price tag.... odds are it's junk, but if not I'll be really happy.

If you can't score somewhere else, Maybe try buying a gage from a company that sells them to contractors/industrial installations? Here's a link to a pressure gage you might be able to get from Ferguson.... Good Luck!

2 x 3/4 in. 15 psi FNPT Gas Test Pressure Gauge | H.O. Trerice | Ferguson

Shop for 2 x 3/4 in. 15 psi FNPT Gas Test Pressure Gauge from H.O. Trerice At Ferguson. Ferguson is the #1 US plumbing supply company and a top distributor of HVAC parts, waterworks supplies, and MRO products.

www.ferguson.com

 

[LMichaels]

Bare in mind checking for leaks in a gas line is much different than an air line. First off gas never goes above MAYBE 1 psi but only if something is wrong. It actually is only about .25 to .35 MAX. There is no need to test at high air pressure. Odds are good if you made your connections CORRECTLY with proper PTFE compound or tape you have no leaks and can be verified with soap solution at normal gas pressure

 

[Joe Zoots]

What about a match?

KIDDING! I’M KIDDING!

 

[timothy]

Yea, the only time I've seen air pressure tests on Black pipe was for new home inspections.
Plumbers or fitters would disconnect the line from the meter ( excess back pressure could damage it)
They usually pumped the system to 10-15PSI ( depending on code) and that had to stay there for 10 mins for the inspector.
Soap and water is what you want.

 

[Colin]

7 ounces is what you want. Leak test with soapy water and if it bubbles it's leaking and must be fixed. The gas company does a shut in test on the whole house before any appliances are lit. At the meter they note the position of the smallest dial. If it moves at all in ten minutes there is a leak somewhere. The home would get 'red tagged' until fixed. So, please, be very careful.

 

[Bruno]

mix a little dish soap with water and put it in a spray bottle, set it on mist and spray. As others have said never test against the meter.
If your using tape and dope and make sure you put the tape on the right way, you should be fine.
I wouldn’t pressure test unless you aren’t confident in the previously installed pipe.

 

[John K BBQ]

OMG - I knew that the gas pressure should be way lower and wasn't even thinking about that in terms of the gage selection. Here's a better gage... inches of water column (WC) is the better unit of measure for low pressure gas. 0.35 psi would read about 10" WC on this gage.. 1 psi = about 27.7" WC pressure. Gas supply coming from the street to the house could be psi, but there is typically a gas meter and pressure regulator, then the rest of the gas pipe in your house is supposed to be < 1 psi so if there was a leak, it's less severe.

H.O. Trerice 2 1/2 in. 0-5 psi Lower Mount Utility Pressure Gauge | Ferguson

Shop for 2 1/2 in. 0-5 psi Lower Mount Utility Pressure Gauge from H.O. Trerice At Ferguson. Ferguson is the #1 US plumbing supply company and a top distributor of HVAC parts, waterworks supplies, and MRO products.

www.ferguson.com

 

[LMichaels]

Like I indicated earlier. 7"WC (not 7oz) is approximately .25 PSI

 

[Joe Anshien]

What about a match?

KIDDING! I’M KIDDING!

I had a friend who was a plumber and he always used a torch to check for leaks. Not kidding. Made them real easy to identify and where easily blown out when found because as stated very little pressure. Scared the bejesus out of me when he did that.

 

[BillSmith]

7 ounces is what you want. Leak test with soapy water and if it bubbles it's leaking and must be fixed. The gas company does a shut in test on the whole house before any appliances are lit. At the meter they note the position of the smallest dial. If it moves at all in ten minutes there is a leak somewhere. The home would get 'red tagged' until fixed. So, please, be very careful.

I’ve done gas connections a few times using the right dope and checking for leaks with soap/water. I figure I would be extra sure by doing an overnight pressure test. Using the meter is an interesting trick but two of my appliances have pilots so those would need to be extinguished before doing the test. Another test is to check with your nose to smell the stuff that they put in gas.

My previous house had the meter in the basement and I always had smelled a faint odor of mercaptan near the meter. One day I put my nose to it and I could smell it right next to this section of pipe. There was some black cloth tape over it like someone tried to fix the leak that way. I called the gas company and they were out within one hour, replacing some sections of the pipe to fix the leak.

 

[BillSmith]

Here is a picture of the connection I made which has the yellow shutoff. Yes I still have to paint the pipe once I verified no leaks.

 

[Joe Zoots]

I had a friend who was a plumber and he always used a torch to check for leaks. Not kidding. Made them real easy to identify and where easily blown out when found because as stated very little pressure. Scared the bejesus out of me when he did that.

My father used to do that too. Crazy. And his friend who was a mechanic used to check to see if the distributor was working by sticking a small screwdriver in spark plug wire. Fell a shock? It’s good to go.

 

[Bruno]

I had a friend who was a plumber and he always used a torch to check for leaks. Not kidding. Made them real easy to identify and where easily blown out when found because as stated very little pressure. Scared the bejesus out of me when he did that.

I used to teat the connection on my torch that way when I was a lot younger, one day it got a little crazy and I never did it again.
Looking at the work that was done I think it looks good, I’d test with soap and water to make sure you didn’t crack any fittings.

 

[Joe Anshien]

Here is a picture of the connection I made which has the yellow shutoff. Yes I still have to paint the pipe once I verified no leaks.

Looks good - What are you hooking up to all those connections? I am guessing at least one grill and patio heater?

 

[BillSmith]

Looks good - What are you hooking up to all those connections? I am guessing at least one grill and patio heater?

I have two grills and a camp stove. I don’t use them all at the same time. Wanted to be able to leave them connected without having to disconnect and purge the air, etc. Here is a picture of my “kitchen”.