I heard a subtle ticking noise that was coming from a black pipe union I installed myself a couple years ago. Before I moved in there was a short flex hose connected to the water heater that was leaking and not up to code. On the left there is a vertical gas line and at the bottom I attached about 20 inches of black pipe horizontally to connect to the water heater on the right. In the middle there is a special union that allows you to tighten while both sides remain stationary. I used pipe dope on all the connections. There is also a slight smell of gas when I'm near the union. I should have done the soap bubble test but I was being dumb. Can I just retighten the union or should I start over and reconnect with new pieces? Would the average plumber have a gas sniffer? If I hire a professional Id prefer they could fix the piping and verify with a sniffer so I don't have to hire two people. A Thanks for any tips you may have.

why not do the soap bubble test before you do anything?
Best Wishes

quote; In the middle there is a special union that allows you to tighten while both sides remain stationary.

I do not know what you mean by "a special union", unless you are referring to a left/right coupling, because that is what all unions are supposed to do. And, if you installed it correctly you should NOT be able to "tighten it further". Also, gas leaks do NOT "tick".



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I misspoke earlier. It's more of a sputtering hiss sound.

I guess it's just a regular union and I think I was being a little timid while tightening it. Is there a way to tell which way tightens and which way loosens? Sorry for the novice questions. Is it safe to try and tighten if I turn off the gas?

? safe for a plumber/fitter ? ~ YES

? safe for a 'clueless' Do-It-Yourselfer ? ~ NO

Practice/learn on something other than flammable gas piping

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

You should call your gas supplier. They can shut your gas off for safety reasons until it is fixed. They might possibly be willing to tighten the union properly and use a sniffer to test the work when it is done. They may not be willing to touch piping inside the house, but they can and will check the piping to make sure it is all safe before they restore service.

IF the gas is making a "Sputtering hiss" sound, I would call the gas company to turn the gas off because that would be a VERY unsafe condition. It is difficult to describe how to tighten a union because it should be intuitive just by looking at it.

quote; but they can and will check the piping to make sure it is all safe before they restore service.

Maybe in IL, but in AZ, the gas will not be restored until it is pressure tested and the city issues a clearance. Then the CITY calls the gas company to tell them it can be turned back on.

I think that would open up a can of worms here as well. They'd lock the service. If you can't fix it quickly and properly call a plumber.

I think anyone that lets a gas line leak with an audible hiss while looking for advice on the internet needs the gas shut off before someone dies. The gas company should have been the first call, or the fire department.

Consider changing to a heat pump No gas involved.

quote; Consider changing to a heat pump No gas involved.

A bit drastic wouldn't you say. HE could also consider moving to a different house that does not have a leaking union.

The plumber fixed my gas leak yesterday. I asked him what level his detector picked up. He said 75. I thought I read somewhere that the chemical added to natural gas is detectable as low as 400 ppm by the human nose. Since I could smell it, he either gave me the wrong number/units or the 400 ppm thing is wrong.

Although if it's a 75 ppm leak and it accumulates in a poorly ventilated area that means my nose isn't that sensitive and it's picking up a smell at a higher concentration. Glad it's fixed especially now that winter is here



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