Need some natural gas piping help. *UPDATE*

I have some 1" OD plastic natural gas pipe I need to replace. I would like to splice it in to the existing pipe under the house as I really don't want to have to dig all that up. Since I really don't want to go to the Home Depot I'd like to order it on line and have it delivered but I'm not sure exactly what I should buy. Any and all help would be appreciated. I have a few pics of the existing pipe so you can get an idea of what I'm dealing with.

Maybe just for now I can splice the pipe together for whatever that is under the tape but I can also see where the pipe is cracking where it makes that bend out of the connection going in to the ground.

We just had an underground propane tank installed, here's a pic of a splice and the info decal on it. Not sure where this stuff is sourced, the contractor that did the job provided it. Hope this helps.

Edit- this PN# is actually for 1" pipe so it should work. Seems like it's readily available everywhere, costs seem to range anywhere between $40-$50.

All under ground plastic gas poly pipe requires a special anode less end to attach to above ground.
They have threaded ends to adapt to metal piping.
I have repaired the orange gas poly you have using the fitting pictured above.

The picture you posted of the gas poly connecting to the metal pipe above ground is un-safe and not up to standards of the National Gas Code

Thanks guys.
Yeah I figured that connection wasn't up to standards so I would like to fix that as well. There is another connection like that going into some metal pipe that goes into the laundry room outside the house. It is real close to the ground so I don't know how deep that poly pipe is buried.

Gas piping is at about 5 PSI or less but still I would want a good splice and not cheap car heater hose clamps. Too many stories of houses blown up in a 2 block diameter from a gas leak.
Good luck. Soapy water is your friend in working on this.

Paying a licensed plumber to do this work is probably worthwhile.

He knows what he's doing, he has the tools and parts to fix it to code and knows how to check it for leaks. When I had my gas line from the meter to the house replaced they got it done, had the inspector over to verify the leak check, and no it isn't soapy water, and did it all legal and proper in less than one day. Whomever had been working on your lines is obviously not qualified.

So if my house blows up due to a gas leak my insurance will have to pay and not be able to claim unlicensed repair.

Makes sense. I just know codes are pretty lax or nonexistent here. There are no building codes in this county. The pipe that comes from the well is the same poly tube (larger diameter though) that is just laid across the ground and down the mountain. I haven't ventured up the mountain yet to take a look though. Air is a little thin around here and I'm already short of breath.

Living in the country has a lot of benefits, but sometimes you find out the drawbacks. I know enough about gas to know I don't know enough to mess with it. Mine is all metal piping, and it was easier for me to pay the plumber to dig up the old stuff and put in new as I had recently had a triple bypass and it was the middle of summer, no way I was digging 50ft of pipe out of the ground in 100+ temps. Well, not if I wanted to survive it, lol.

Not being harsh, but this is the home you had inspector problems with and they let it fly like that?

You might try as I did, I had my local gas company run 250 of the proper line and correct ends and to code and the cost wasnt too crazy.

Yep same place but nothing was ever said about the gas lines, just the foundation. I don't recall seeing the tape on the gas line before we bought it but it took so long for the deal to go through who knows what happened and we didn't get a final walk through either. Oh well, we still would have bought the place though because we love it here so much and nothing else came close to what we wanted.

I would join those that tell you to get a qualified installer to install the new stuff. I have to wonder if such a person exists in your area. Maybe a call to whomever supplies your gas can direct you towards someone that is qualified. The money you spend to fix this issue correctly is probably a very small part of the expense a failure of that gas line might cost. After all, you are sleeping there, right? Gene

I would get a gas contractor in to give you a quote to have the work done to code. The fact that your local government may be lax and not care what you do, your insurance company will see things differently
if something else were too happen and they see the gas line not up to code.

I got the names of three contractors but they may or may not do this kind of work. Either way it will get fixed even if I have to do it myself.

First off the gas poly pipe is not by code allowed to be layed on top of the ground. It is for direct bury use. When you come out of the ground you need to use the special metal ends to make a connection to the house pipe or appliance you are feeding.
So if you had this pipe exposed at the time of your inspection your inspector was very lax in doing his job.
That kind of work would get you a big failure sticker upon inspection here in New Jersey.


Ed
Licensed New Jersey Master Plumber

Yeah but I believe the rules if any are different here as the gas company has this stuff just laying on the ground in many places, not just here. Might even be nearly impossible to bury it in some spots.

Failing code requirements, the rules you should follow are the ones the manufacturer sets for it's product. UV exposure is probably an issue at the least. Not to mention a trip hazard, mowing over it, animals chewing on it, lot's of issues to consider. Your existing line probably has a date code on it somewhere, if you find it then you can make an educated guess how long it's been in use and you already know it's leaking.

Are the large gas mains laying on top of the ground also?
Hillbilly Hacking is no excuse for putting the public in harms way
So I guess the gas company by you can ignore the National fuel gas code also.
They use poly for gas for ease of installation, metal pipe would be safer on top of the ground, but then the gas company would have to actually work
You use a flow mole to install small gas lines and dig where needed
Directional drilling is another method
We had a gas line explosion up here in New Jersey by me a few years back
It leveled the house and almost killed 3 gas company workers

I was actually surprised this pipe doesn't have an inner lining. The handyman that replumbed the water lines said it's ok being exposed as long as the bend is gentle. What do I know? I haven't even seen a gas appliance since I was 18.

The Key word being Handyman, He is NOT LICENSED
The National Standard Plumbing Code states you must be licensed to work with potable water lines and waste pipe lines
So I would say your handyman is not licensed to do plumbing let alone give his opinion how to properly install a gas line

He is a retired city engineer so... And again, I know there are no building codes in this county.

Being an engineer doesn't make him a plumber
I don't dispute his credentials as an engineer

A handy man is just that, one day he is a painter, next a roofer...…. A jack of all trades and master of none

I went to school, did my apprenticeship and took a test to get a plumbers license
Plus here in Jersey we do a 7 hour class every two years to review the codes and renew our licenses

When I purchased my property in Virginia I went to the town hall and got a book on building codes.
Basically it said they would approve any construction project that followed the manufacturers guide lines of installation

On a final note I am glad I don't live in a state where they allow a ticking time bomb with an endless fuel source to lay in wait

Well yeah but they have allowed the state to be a toxic dumping ground for C8, and WV hasn't blown up yet.
Thanks for the insight, I appreciate it.

So here is what I did to repair the lines. There is metal pipe in the ground from that manifold that has the poly attached with hose clamps. I was a little concerned about that but after looking under the house I see every connection of the poly pipe to metal fittings is done the same way so, I guess there isn't any use in worrying about that one connection. There was a split in the poly pipe under all that tape so I have a 100 foot roll of it and will probably try to redo and sort all this out this summer. At least I got the worst of it taken care of for now. Thanks to everyone for the help!