Gas Line Issues?

[Skip Erwin]

It's hard to tell from the picture, but the dirt leg is below the top level of the drip pan. Also, the gas line is in contact with the top edge of the drip pan. Is this OK? If the drip pan fills with water the gas line dirt leg will be under water. The edge of the drip pan isn't sharp, but its still a metal surface with an edge. Thanks in advance.

[Bruce M. Graham]

valve is on the wrong side.

[Bob Elliott]

Water contact to the gasline would be the least of your worries

[Jeffrey R. Pope]

Originally Posted by bgraham

valve is on the wrong side.

I don't see that. The valve is required to be "before" the appliance connector, which is what I see. The appliance connector should not be in contact with the drip pan.

The drip leg is not an issue in my opinion, however, the entire installation appears to have been done by someone other than a professional.

[Charley L. Bottger]

The drip leg is suppose to be after the shut off valve so that it can be cleaned without shutting the gas off to the home just the appliance. Very shoddy install

[Jeffrey R. Pope]

Originally Posted by cbottger

The drip leg is suppose to be after the shut off valve so that it can be cleaned without shutting the gas off to the home just the appliance.

Makes sense, but I've never seen it done like that. Admittedly however, I've only seen 3 or 4 drip legs in my entire career.

[Scott Schultz]

Does anyone recommend retrofitting of them if the house was built before code called for them?

[Jeffrey R. Pope]

If you're referring to drip legs, they are not always required. The utility company generally has the authority to either dismiss or require them.

[Bob Elliott]

An older house needs them even more.

Hey Charlie...
Why shut off the gas when you can blow out the drip leg with the 3 pound gas pressure.

[Jack L. Gilleland]

Drip leg needs to be at the bottom of a vertical to actually catch dirt. Valve is before dirt leg and union to isolate appliance.


Simplified drawing. Not a good idea to put gas line in drip pan, but I can't find a specific code violation there, doesn't mean there isn't one. I would try to keep the gas line as dry as possible.

[Charley L. Bottger]

I see guys use both the term dirt leg and drip leg both meaning the same thing. I don't know if all areas have the same problem as we do here in Ok but the term dirt legs for us does not necessarily mean trapping solids as we have a high content of moisture with the gas and the dirt leg is intended to trap moisture more so than solids. The AHJ is very stringent on dirt legs in this state. Drip legs can not be installed on a exterior or the attic gas line where the trapped moisture can freeze and or bust a line such as on a gas fired package unit or a horizontal gas unit in the attic.

[Brian E. Kelly]

One, why would anyone live where the attic could freeze if there wasn't skiing nearby? That is just silly.

Two, who said the black iron pipe is not the entry line into the furnace?

[Barry Adair]

According to Sir Paul, this is the new "dirt leg" code labeling