Replacing the gas valve in the apartment. sources of danger.

What to do if a crane on a gas pipeline in an apartment or in a private house poisons? Is it possible to repair or replace it yourself? How dangerous is it? Finally, how to replace the gas valve in the apartment yourself? Let's try to answer these questions.

Areas of responsibility

First and foremost, what the reader’s attention is worth: the entrance valve in the apartment falls within the responsibility zone of GorGaz or a similar organization operating in the area where you live. Both repair, and replacement of valves, and their periodic revision, and the connection of gas equipment (stoves, boilers, convectors, cooking surfaces) should be handled by a fitter of this organization.

Once again: all actions with gas equipment are at your own risk. The consequences of mistakes can be the worst: the explosion of domestic gas is perhaps the most terrible event in an apartment building, often turning it into a pile of construction waste. If you have any doubts about your ability to do all the work, and to do it quickly and correctly - invite a specialist.

If:

• you have enough extensive experience in plumbing; in particular, you have been able to change the valve and crankbucks under the pressure;
• you know where your apartment is de-energized, and you have access to the dashboard and machines in it;
• The gas pipe in front of your valve has no visible signs of corrosion;
• you have at your disposal locksmith tools (at least two gas wrenches No. 1 and / or No. 2), thread sealing material and grease oil or graphite grease -

The following text will help you to replace or repair the gas stove yourself.

Sources of danger

They are, in fact, only two.

The fact is that independent work connected with opening the pipeline will inevitably lead to a gas leak.

1. At a certain concentration of natural gas or propane-butane mixture in the air, it will become unsuitable for breathing.
2. Long before this, the gas-air mixture will become explosive. The slightest spark when the appliance is turned on, the operation of any relay (for example, a convector thermostat) or a flick of a light switch will lead to the consequences that we tried to warn the reader in the first section of the article.

The rules that help avoid negative consequences are fairly obvious.

• All work is carried out with the windows wide open in the whole apartment or house. Yes, regardless of the time of year. Do not be afraid that your favorite cactus will freeze: if everything goes well, forced ventilation will take no more than 10 minutes.
• The room must be completely de-energized. With what the instruction is connected - it seems, it is clear from the previous explanation. Take it seriously: as already mentioned, the cost of a mistake can be the highest.

An important point: in no case do not try to shut off the common valve on the gas riser with your own hands while working. After you open it, a gas leak from under its cork is almost inevitable. In this case, its consequences will be much more severe than in an apartment - simply because of the larger amount of explosive mixture that forms.

Getting Started

Instruments

What should be prepared before opening the pipeline?

• A pair of gas keys by us already mentioned. It is a pair - because in most of the apartments of the old foundation, the eyeliner to the slab is made of rigid pipes; to loosen the lock nut and the coupling, you need to keep the boom in a fixed position, not allowing it to turn the valve.
• FUM tape or synthetic thread with Tangit Unilok sealant can be used to seal threads on gas.. Flax with paint is also suitable, but the paint is applied to the threads and the winding for a relatively long time, but in our case the score will last for a second.
• When repairing the crane, special graphite grease for gas taps or ordinary solid oil can be used.. The graphite base is more practical: it retains its properties for longer.
• In addition, when repairing the valve, you will need a 1/2 inch plug with a female thread and a flat screwdriver.

Audit

So, what to do if the gas faucet smells of gas and its replacement is not in your plans?

1. Shut off the valve by turning its handle perpendicular to the pipe.
2. We fix with one of the gas keys the sgon after the valve and subsequently keep it in a fixed position.
3. Use the second key to drive the lock nut and the coupling onto the long thread of the clamp.
4. Partially we turn off the valve with a key - until the moment when it begins to rotate by hand.
5. Fully unscrew the valve and immediately baits on the thread plug. Do not be afraid that excessive pressure will prevent you: it is only 3-5% higher than atmospheric.
6. We reel the thread under the plug and twist it to the end by hand.
7. Turn off the valve from the sgon.

1. We unscrew the plug with a groove for a screwdriver on the back side of the valve and remove the spring hidden under it; then push the conical plug out of the body.
2. We clean the case and the cork from the remnants of the old grease and apply a new layer with a thick layer.
3. We assemble the valve in the reverse order.
4. We put it instead of the plug, do not forget to replace the thread winding.
5. We screw in the shroud and, having rewound the threads again, drive the coupling and locknut into working position.

Replacement

What to do if you miss the gas faucet in the kitchen and you want to replace it with a new one?

If the new valve is of the same length as the old one, the actions are completely similar to those described above - with the difference that, for obvious reasons, manipulations with the stub are made unnecessary.

How to change the gas valve in the apartment, if its length does not match the length of the old one?

• Coupling with the clutch and locknut is discarded.
• The short thread after the stripping is supplied with a short extension with internal and external thread. It will allow the union nut to press the gasket against the flat and wide edge of the extension, and not against the serrated end of the pipe.

• The valve and extension cord are connected by a gas hose father-mother. Of course, with sealing all threads.

A special case

How to change the valve on the gas cylinder, if it can not be moved with the usual key? Heat the valve with a building hair dryer - and its expansion will make the force required for loosening quite feasible.

Important: valve replacement is carried out with an empty cylinder.

Check

After any work, make sure that there are no gas leaks. A check is also necessary if you sometimes poison a gas tap in the kitchen and you cannot determine the exact location of the leak. The action algorithm is extremely simple: soap solution is applied to all threads with a shaving brush; leaks will be felt by blistering bubbles.

Conclusion

Fearing it seems annoying, the author will once again remind you: if you have even the slightest doubt in your abilities, in case of any problems with gas, contact a specialized service. Additional information about gas equipment, as always, will offer a video in this article. Successes!