2009 fuel gas code

[Richard Roshak]

Can anyone tell me if changes have been made to allow for the use of other compounds (teflon tape) on gas piping threads, other than pipe dope, in the 2009 version. I believe it would be under section 403.9.

[Jerry Peck]

Can anyone tell me if changes have been made to allow for the use of other compounds (teflon tape) on gas piping threads, other than pipe dope, in the 2009 version. I believe it would be under section 403.9.

Richard,

That section does not disallow other-than-pipe dope compounds.

That section only states that pipe dope ... when used ... must be resistant to those listed compounds.

It does not exclude the use of pipe thread tape (such as TeflonR tape).

[A.D. Miller]

Can anyone tell me if changes have been made to allow for the use of other compounds (teflon tape) on gas piping threads, other than pipe dope, in the 2009 version. I believe it would be under section 403.9.

RR: By the way the code is available online at
https://www.nfpa.org/catalog/services/Login/login2.asp?npg=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Enfpa%2Eorg%2Ffre ecodes%2Ffree%5Faccess%5Fdocument%2Easp%3Fid%3D540 9

[Ron Hasil]

RR: By the way the code is available online at
https://www.nfpa.org/catalog/services/Login/login2.asp?npg=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Enfpa%2Eorg%2Ffre ecodes%2Ffree%5Faccess%5Fdocument%2Easp%3Fid%3D540 9
A.D. thanks for the link, I book marked that.

[Richard Roshak]

Jerry that is correct, its says joint compounds. I would think that means all compounds approved for use on black gas piping, however it goes on to single out pipe dope. It does not say pipe dope and teflon tape or approved materials. If teflon tape is an approved material, are all colored tape acceptable. White is approved for pipe under 3/8". Don't see much gas pipping that size. Yellow is for gas, so they say. Red is for 1/2"+ piping, so that means all gas piping.

[Ron Hasil]

Jerry that is correct, its says joint compounds. I would think that means all compounds approved for use on black gas piping, however it goes on to single out pipe dope. It does not say pipe dope and teflon tape or approved materials. If teflon tape is an approved material, are all colored tape acceptable. White is approved for pipe under 3/8". Don't see much gas pipping that size. Yellow is for gas, so they say. Red is for 1/2"+ piping, so that means all gas piping.

White has always been approved for all sizes of gas piping. They make different widths of the Teflon tape to be used with the proper sized pipe. They came out with the yellow tape a few years ago, which I only see sold in the big box stores. All my plumbing supplies only carry the white Teflon tape. The other stuff is just marketing. Its thicker so it must be better selling tactics. The white tape can be put on just as thick, but its not there to "seal" the threads. The Teflon is there as an aid to help ease the threading of the fitting and pipe together.

[Jerry Peck]

White is approved for pipe under 3/8". Don't see much gas pipping that size. Yellow is for gas, so they say. Red is for 1/2"+ piping, so that means all gas piping.


Richard,

Don't go by the colors, forget what you just posted.

Pipe thread tape (not all is TeflonR Tape) is colored for convenience only, and not all is colored, and not all colors from different manufacturers have the same meaning.

White pipe thread tape, as one example, comes in many thicknesses, all the same "formulation", it is the thickness which defines it uses to a degree, but only to a degree as you can wrap another wrap around and get an additional thickness.