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Greg Jenkins
05-23-2007, 05:55 AM
What type of gas piping is this? I am not familiar with it. It appears to be aluminum or stainless. What are its limitations and installation requirements? It was only serving a gas fireplace insert (gas logs).
Thanks - Greg

Bob Harper
05-23-2007, 06:54 AM
Swagelok Products including Fittings, Valves, Tubing, Gauges, Modular Systems, Alternative Fuels, Sanitary, Plastic Products (http://www.swagelok.com/search/find_products_home.aspx?RESET=TRUE)

Appears to be Swagelok, which is approved for gas. While this fitting is approved for both aluminum and stainless (and copper). However aluminum is Not approved except inside fireplaces and similar connectors.

Expensive fittings

John Arnold
05-23-2007, 07:37 AM
Bob - Could you re-phrase? I'm confused by your post.

Bob Harper
05-23-2007, 03:39 PM
Don't feel alone John, I confuse myself all the time!

What I was getting at is to look at the fitting and the tubing separately. Swagelok is a tube fitting that is generally approved for copper, stainless steel, aluminum, PE, etc. tubing for all sorts of applications from fuel gas to heating oil to corrosive industrial compounds to medical gases to all sorts of stuff. One common application is on anodeless risers on PE tubing coming from the street out of the ground up to a meter.

IFGC 403.4.4 deals with aluminum. Aside from all the other caveats for this tubing, it states," Aluminum-alloy pipe shall not be used in exterior locations or underground." It also must be "coated to protect against external corrosion where it is in contact with masonry, plater or insulation or is subject to repeated wettings by liquids such as water, detergents, or sewage."

The Commentary reads:"Aluminum pipe is not commonly used for gas service. Because aluminum is a fairly reactive metal, it corrodes readily when exposed to a variety of materials and the environment."

Even stainless steel has its limits and depends a lot on the alloy.

Does this clarify things any?

John Arnold
05-23-2007, 05:28 PM
Thanks Bob. So, in a roundabout way, you answered Greg's question ("What kind of gas piping is this?". The answer is, it's aluminum, and shouldn't be used outside like that. Right?
Plus you gave a ton of other useful info, as usual.
I'm easily confused.

Greg Jenkins
05-23-2007, 05:57 PM
Thanks for your input Bob and John - it was a big help.