What should be done with joints in a gas piping system to ensure safety?

What should be done with joints in a gas piping system to ensure safety?

• A. They should be painted
• B. They should be bolted
• C. They should be soldered
• D. They should be welded or threaded

Answer: (D)

Joints in gas piping must be leak-tight and able to withstand the pressures and conditions the system will see. Welding fuses the pipe ends into a continuous metal path, which provides a very strong, inherently leak-proof seal. Threaded joints, when done correctly and sealed with the proper gas-rated sealant and tightened to specification, also deliver a reliable, durable connection that can be disassembled if maintenance is needed. Painting a joint offers no sealing capability, and bolting alone isn’t a method that guarantees a gas-tight joint unless it uses properly sealed flanges, which isn’t the standard approach for most gas piping. Soldering or brazing is generally not acceptable for gas piping in many codes because solders can creep or crack under gas conditions and may not be rated for the required pressures. After joints are made, the system should be pressure-tested or leak-checked per code to confirm safety.

Joints in gas piping must be leak-tight and able to withstand the pressures and conditions the system will see. Welding fuses the pipe ends into a continuous metal path, which provides a very strong, inherently leak-proof seal. Threaded joints, when done correctly and sealed with the proper gas-rated sealant and tightened to specification, also deliver a reliable, durable connection that can be disassembled if maintenance is needed. Painting a joint offers no sealing capability, and bolting alone isn’t a method that guarantees a gas-tight joint unless it uses properly sealed flanges, which isn’t the standard approach for most gas piping. Soldering or brazing is generally not acceptable for gas piping in many codes because solders can creep or crack under gas conditions and may not be rated for the required pressures. After joints are made, the system should be pressure-tested or leak-checked per code to confirm safety.