Normal to smell a little bit of gas?

[tjtech94]

I recently cleaned behind the fridge and oven, and when I pulled the oven out I saw they had installed straight copper pipe, rather than properly coiling the pipe or using flexpipe to provide more play. Consequently, a sizable crack developed where it was kinked and there was a major leak. I had to shut off the gas main and called the utility co. It was determined it was safe to turn the gas back on, I just closed the valve that went to the oven.

I replaced the copper pipe with stainless flexpipe, using gas sealant tape on the threads. However, after reconnecting everything and opening the valve, I noticed a very faint gas odor from one of the ends of the new flexpipe - minor enough that I only detect it when I sniff right by the connection at one end of the flexpipe, but not at the other end.

So, is it normal for a small amount of gas to leak like this? Or should there be NO odor at all?

 

[highland145]

No odor unless there's a pilot that's out. That's a problem too.

 

[crashtech]

No odor should be detected at the connections. Spray some soapy water on them and look for bubbles.

 

[Greenman]

I recently cleaned behind the fridge and oven, and when I pulled the oven out I saw they had installed straight copper pipe, rather than properly coiling the pipe or using flexpipe to provide more play. Consequently, a sizable crack developed where it was kinked and there was a major leak. I had to shut off the gas main and called the utility co. It was determined it was safe to turn the gas back on, I just closed the valve that went to the oven.

I replaced the copper pipe with stainless flexpipe, using gas sealant tape on the threads. However, after reconnecting everything and opening the valve, I noticed a very faint gas odor from one of the ends of the new flexpipe - minor enough that I only detect it when I sniff right by the connection at one end of the flexpipe, but not at the other end.

So, is it normal for a small amount of gas to leak like this? Or should there be NO odor at all?

I've never seen a braided stainless gas connector. Are you sure you're using the correct fittings? There shouldn't be the slightest bit of gas smell.

 

[crashtech]

It has to be fully annealed stainless, but it's out there. It's not braided.

 

[SparkyJJO]

Those flex lines use flare connections. Perhaps you don't have it tight enough on the flare fitting. Assuming you're using the flare fitting on both ends (are you?).

 

[crashtech]

Hmm, comes to mind that flare fittings and sealant of any kind do not belong together.

 

[Greenman]

It has to be fully annealed stainless, but it's out there. It's not braided.

Got it! You're talking about CSST. I misunderstood what you were describing.

 

[Greenman]

Hmm, comes to mind that flare fittings and sealant of any kind do not belong together.

I see it done often, and it doesn't seem to be a problem, but I always thought it wasn't something that should be done.

 

[SparkyJJO]

Hmm, comes to mind that flare fittings and sealant of any kind do not belong together.

It is unnecessary at best, and could not let the fittings seat and seal fully at worst. The fact he used it makes me wonder if that's the problem, or if he even used a flare fitting on the one end. Most of those kits include the fittings needed.

 

[DrPizza]

You should never be able to smell the gas. (Or rather, the mercaptan added to the gas to give it that odor.) You should be testing all of your connections with a soap & water solution that easily bubbles. (just a guess here, I'd say it's about 1 part soap, 4 parts water.)

 

[slag]

Story Time. Few years ago at my old house I was outside hooking up the garden hose and smelled the rotten egg gas odor. About 5 feet away is the gas valve/meter and I could smell gas lingering. We called the utility company and they came out and fixed it. Next day I went back outside and was able to smell gas again. They came out, said it was fine, but I swore that they were wrong. Finally they were able to find a small pinhole of a leak that their tester was barely able to read and they said there's no way I should be able to smell that. I could smell it clear as day. Guess my nose is uber sensitive or something.. /shrug.

 

[DrPizza]

Story Time. Few years ago at my old house I was outside hooking up the garden hose and smelled the rotten egg gas odor. About 5 feet away is the gas valve/meter and I could smell gas lingering. We called the utility company and they came out and fixed it. Next day I went back outside and was able to smell gas again. They came out, said it was fine, but I swore that they were wrong. Finally they were able to find a small pinhole of a leak that their tester was barely able to read and they said there's no way I should be able to smell that. I could smell it clear as day. Guess my nose is uber sensitive or something.. /shrug.

The nose is extremely sensitive to mercaptan - a human nose can detect mercaptan at concentrations of 1 part per billion or less. For comparison, ethylvanillin (artificial vanilla) isn't detectable until a concentration of about 100 parts per billion. Depending on the brand of meter, I don't have a problem believing someone's nose is more sensitive to the mercaptan than their meter is to natural gas.

 

[NetWareHead]

Story Time. Few years ago at my old house I was outside hooking up the garden hose and smelled the rotten egg gas odor. About 5 feet away is the gas valve/meter and I could smell gas lingering. We called the utility company and they came out and fixed it. Next day I went back outside and was able to smell gas again. They came out, said it was fine, but I swore that they were wrong. Finally they were able to find a small pinhole of a leak that their tester was barely able to read and they said there's no way I should be able to smell that. I could smell it clear as day. Guess my nose is uber sensitive or something.. /shrug.

Talking to my electrician the other day and he has one of these noses. He tells a story that he was at a job site and he was going on all day about how he smelled gas and no one else on the construction crew was able to smell it. It was always in a certain corner of the new house and no where else. So eventually, he calls the utility and they dont smell it either. They get out their gas sniffing meters and trace a pinhole leak inside the house and follow it to the outside. Somebody nicked the gas line with a shovel or piece of equipment allowing the slightest trickle of gas out. It bubbled out from underground and somehow entered the house and was noticeable to him in this corner of the house. The gas company was also astonished that someone's nose could have picked up a tiny leak like that

OP there should be no leak at all. Period. Get the soapy water testing kit out and find the leak. You may need a new flex line as they are not resuable should you have to disconnect it and reattach. I ran into this sort of problem once where I'm assuming the flared end of the pipe was damaged (the leak was always in the tightening nut no matter how much tape I applied or tightly I screwed it. No matter how many times I disconnected, cleaned the hell out of the end, re-applied the yellow pipe tape and reconnected, I would get gas bubbles. Used a new flex connector and leak was fixed.

 

[twinrider1]

-I'm guessing I'm not the only person ever to just use spit.
-Remember, yellow for gas, blue for water.
-This is a pretty cool little dolly thingamajig.